DART now coming to both Kildare mainlines

THE DART is finally coming to mid-Kildare after an Bord Pleanála gave the green light to extend the electrified network between Hazelhatch (Celbridge) and Heuston Station, and on to the rest of the city via the Phoenix Park Tunnel, and the link to the main line at Connolly.

Approximately 15kms of track between Hazelhatch and Heuston will be electrified, as will a further five kms between Heuston and the Tunnel to Connolly.

This is expected to quadruple traffic along this line from 5,000 passengers an hour, to 20,000 after all the new DART+ carriages are acquired.

Of this, approximately half of the Hazelhatch-Heuston stretch will be broadened to a four-track line to ParkWest and Cherry Orchard Station, about 200m inside the M50.

This is expected to provide a service every 10 minutes through the new stations at Adamstown, Clondalkin-Fonthill, ParkWest-Cherry Orchard, to a new station AT Heuston West for populations at Clancy Quay and Islandbridge, through to the re-opened station at Drumcondra on the northside, and on to Connolly.

The application was lodged in May 2023, granted last week and work is expected to start in 2026, pending the allocation of funding, and is a key element of the NTA Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy, 2022-2042.

The procurement process will now commence for the construction stage contracts, and may even surpass the €1bn estimate tagged on the similar project for Maynooth announced in July.

Similar line extensions are also expected to be announced to Drogheda, and Wicklow in coming months, and the long-term goal of the plan would be to finally extend both Kildare lines out to Kilcock and Kildare town or Monasterevin by the mid-40s.

Outgoing Transport Minister James Lawless confirmed the massive extension of the DART into Kildare and the new station as well.

“Further extensions would see residents of the Naas and Kilcock areas brought into the loop, bringing a 10-minute service onto your doorstep, really turbo charging commuting options for the Kildare public.” 

He further indicated that a brand new park-and-ride station for Naas commuters is being considered in the vicinity of Millenium Park, and halfway out the Caragh.

It means that tens of thousands more Kildare commuters could soon be connected directly to the Dublin rapid rail network.

In the follow-up to Budget 2025, Minister Lawless has secured funding to prepare for the future rollout of DART to Sallins/Naas on the southwest line, and to Kilcock on the west line.

“This will being the DART services even further than the already agreed extensions to Hazelhatch and Maynooth on the respective lines,” he said.

“The benefit of the DART+, as opposed to what we already have, is that it is fully electrified, highly regular, highly reliable service, much better capacity, far greater service levels and effectively a 10-minute service on your doorstep.

“In terms of the Sallins connection, the trains already coming to Hazelhatch and Celbridge as part of the DART+ project, I’ve asked them to bring it further down to Sallins…. and as part of that we may see a second station around Millenium Park.

“In order for the DART plus to be extended from Hazelhatch to Naas, and Maynooth to Kilcock funding must be first secured and then added to Irish Rails capital plan,” said Cllr Bill Clear, Lawless’s opponent IN LAST Friday’s election.

“The only funding that is secured is Dublin to Hazelhatch and Dublin to Maynooth. Unfortunately we have a long way to go yet,” he noted.

Standing on the platform of Sallins Station he added: “This station serves a population of 50,000 and its non-inclusion in the DART+ scheme was shameful”.

“It would’ve given us a Metro-style service every 20 minutes, but unfortunately we’re now stuck with a service where everyone’s crammed on to the train, there’s not enough carriages, and when you get into Heuston buses are not there.

“Unfortunately, without this people are getting back into their cars, so public transport needs to be improved drastically”.