Pelletstown station gets go-ahead

magicbastarder

Trains to arrive in Dublin suburb after 20-year delay
Irish Rail to start building Pelletstown station after approval granted by city council




A new train station in a growing Dublin suburb just 4km from the city centre, has been approved by Dublin City Council, 20 years after it was first proposed.

The National Transport Authority said it hopes to start work on the €6.5 million station at Pelletstown on the busy Maynooth commuter line next year with construction expected to take 18 months to two years.

The station beside the Royal Canal between Ashtown and Broombridge stations in Cabra, was proposed in the late 1990s and in 2002 was earmarked as an “immediate priority” in Irish Rail’s greater Dublin area integrated rail network plan.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/trains-to-arrive-in-dublin-suburb-after-20-year-delay-1.3601201

Redsoxfan

Will Broombridge remain as a commuter stop when this opens?

magicbastarder

since that's where the luas terminates, it'd be lunacy to close broombridge as a rail stop.

thomasj

magicbastarder wrote:

since that's where the luas terminates, it'd be lunacy to close broombridge.

Meaning yes, it's a possibility!

Hurrache

Serious question, what's the point of it given you have Broombridge and Ashtown, then the 'park', nearby?

CatInABox

Seeing as all the stops on that line are going to be upgraded to Dart during the expansion programme, I'd expect that this will be designed so as to make any eventual upgrade pain free.

magicbastarder

density of housing? the stretch between ashtown and broombridge is probably the longest stretch between stations on that section, at 2.2km.
the park to ashtown is 1km; castleknock to the park is about 1.8km. and there's more housing along the line there, with ashington, the rathborne estate etc.
i wonder will there be a pedestrian crossing provided over the canal.

noelfirl

Per the original plans (can still be found here) it should include a bridge over the canal.

Dravokivich

Will they be reviewing extra trains with this station added? When I used to live in coolmine, inbound trains were usually already full by the time they got there.

Hurrache

Between Ashtown and Broombridge though I wouldn't have thought there'd be any further need for an additional station, well at least not a priority anyway, as you're pretty well served if you live in that area. I'm sure the locals won't be disappointed though.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Trains on the maynooth line are full from the first stop. They need to address the capacity issues as a matter of priority.

site_owner

will they change it match their usual prison/fortess architecture style? e.g. recent clongriffin & howth junction stations.
l

Infini

site_owner wrote: »

will they change it match their usual prison/fortess architecture style? e.g. recent clongriffin & howth junction stations.
l

No this is a normal station lol. The area it's going in is fine as well there's no trouble there. Bridge is going in there as well to allow people to cross over the line/canal too. Been some crossing that area illegally over the years too where the lochs are for the canal so a bridge there will stop all that. Will also make it handy for the residents there too as it would only mean a short 1km walk or so to the LUAS stop at Broombridge too.

CatInABox

Dravokivich wrote: »

Will they be reviewing extra trains with this station added? When I used to live in coolmine, inbound trains were usually already full by the time they got there.

Presumably, the €2 billion euro DART expansion out to Maynooth (and other places) will involve buying more trains. Going by the other planned DART upgrade, where they'll have DARTs every ten minutes on the central sections, and every twenty minutes on the peripheries, I'd imagine the DART to Maynooth would be running at least every half hour.

AlanG

Hurrache wrote: »

Between Ashtown and Broombridge though I wouldn't have thought there'd be any further need for an additional station, well at least not a priority anyway, as you're pretty well served if you live in that area. I'm sure the locals won't be disappointed though.

The area would have been well served if local politicians hadn't done everything in their power to ensure Ashington was cut off from Cabra. There is no walkway through to Ratoath road so people living in parts of Ashington have a 1.5kmn trip just to get out of their estate. If a walkway was opened up they would only be a couple of hundred meters from Broombridge.
There was originally supposed to be a bridge aswell but again people didn't want a connection to finglas.

Ireland trains

Will the station have 2 platforms or 3

L1011

Ireland trains wrote: »

Will the station have 2 platforms or 3

Two

Infini

AlanG wrote: »

The area would have been well served if local politicians hadn't done everything in their power to ensure Ashington was cut off from Cabra. There is no walkway through to Ratoath road so people living in parts of Ashington have a 1.5kmn trip just to get out of their estate. If a walkway was opened up they would only be a couple of hundred meters from Broombridge.
There was originally supposed to be a bridge aswell but again people didn't want a connection to finglas.

In fairness its not without warrent though, there was a fair bit of bad behaviour at the time from the cabra/finglas end so its probably likely they didnt want any connection to it to avoid trouble getting into the new estate. The other thing is I dont think people wanted the ashington avenue/Kinvara avenue turned into a main road with lots of commuter traffic passing through it.

SeanW

The danger with adding all these twin-track stations on the Maynooth line is that the Sligo/Longford services could end up being this generations Rosslare line or Belfast Enterprise.

That is, more commuter services making more stops on a twin track line, this ia probably going to slow down Sligo and Longford services more and more as time passes. It may end up like the other long distance services ex-Connolly, each being slowed down considerably by local services. Has any thought been given to this?

Stephen15

SeanW wrote: »

The danger with adding all these twin-track stations on the Maynooth line is that the Sligo/Longford services could end up being this generations Rosslare line or Belfast Enterprise.

That is, more commuter services making more stops on a twin track line, this ia probably going to slow down Sligo and Longford services more and more as time passes. It may end up like the other long distance services ex-Connolly, each being slowed down considerably by local services. Has any thought been given to this?

I don't think it'll be a huge issue in the short term but definitely one coming down the tracks (pardon the pun) if and when the Dart is extended out to Maynooth.

Infini

Stephen15 wrote: »

I don't think it'll be a huge issue in the short term but definitely one coming down the tracks (pardon the pun) if and when the Dart is extended out to Maynooth.

If there's DART's it might be an issue but it shouldn't be one with the line in it's current state. All they need to do is let the Sligo train out ahead of a Maynooth commuter or let it through Glasnevin Jct ahead of a M3 service. Really it's only the late rush hour where it might be a little tight in spaces but it's not an issue outside if it right now.

Ben D Bus

Infini wrote: »

Really it's only the late rush hour where it might be a little tight in spaces but it's not an issue outside if it right now.

But the 'right now' is not what you want to base infrastructure investment on.
Infrastructure needs to be built with many decades of life in mind. Granted it's hard to know what lies ahead, but as Dublin's population hasn't fallen since 1871, I'd be planning for growth

bilbot79

What will be the exact location?

beauf

They made this mistake with the luas. Put too many stations too close together. So now its as slow as molasses.

They added 5-10 mins delays on these trains already.

SeanW

Stephen15 wrote: »

I don't think it'll be a huge issue in the short term but definitely one coming down the tracks (pardon the pun) if and when the Dart is extended out to Maynooth.

I don't know ... A few weeks ago I was in Broombridge and I saw a Sligo train passing, let's just say it wasn't exactly doing the kind of speeds you'd expect an Intercity train to be doing. I still remember early 2000s timetables when a train just after 6PM was timetabled for Connolly-Mullingar in 1 hour, 1 minute. Can't do anything of the sort now, and I really doubt that adding more stations 1km from each other without passing tracks is going to help.

icdg

At this stage the amount of time DART to Maynooth has been proposed can be measured in several decades. It was proposed before I was born (electrification of at least some of the line was in the 1972 DRRTS, which is 46 years old!) and shows no sign of being done any time soon. Even the DART Underground project is now heading for the two decades mark.. Sadly, and despite the massive benefit it would have, for most people locally it has now acquired “we’ll believe it when we see it” status.

CatInABox

icdg wrote: »

At this stage the amount of time DART to Maynooth has been proposed can be measured in several decades. It was proposed before I was born (electrification of at least some of the line was in the 1972 DRRTS, which is 46 years old!) and shows no sign of being done any time soon. Even the DART Underground project is now heading for the two decades mark.. Sadly, and despite the massive benefit it would have, for most people locally it has now acquired “we’ll believe it when we see it” status.

In fairness, you could easily say that about any public transport project in Dublin, the only thing that changes is the date that it's first proposed.

Dravokivich

SeanW wrote: »

I don't know ... A few weeks ago I was in Broombridge and I saw a Sligo train passing, let's just say it wasn't exactly doing the kind of speeds you'd expect an Intercity train to be doing. I still remember early 2000s timetables when a train just after 6PM was timetabled for Connolly-Mullingar in 1 hour, 1 minute. Can't do anything of the sort now, and I really doubt that adding more stations 1km from each other without passing tracks is going to help.

I'd expect line speed along some parts of that section would be affected by proximity to the canal.

Jem72

The canal constrains line speeds in exactly the same way it did in the early 2000s when the scheduled evening journey time to Mullingar was 15 minutes shorter. In addition to the longer timetabled journey, you'll rarely get off an evening train in Longford less than 10 minutes late.

Since the early 2000s the line has had new signalling, almost all level crossings automated and new trains so it's not a lack of investment. Yet journey times go up by 3 or 4 minutes on each timetable revision.

Really what should happen on Maynooth that the two morning Longford commuter trains run non-stop between Clonsilla and Broombridge. Those trains are now so slow that they are pure torture for anyone from Longford or Mullingar forced to use them. Using ICRs for them would also be somewhat helpful. Of course the reality is that the Longford commuter service is really just a handy way to park a couple of Maynooth trains out of the way for the night.

beauf

The difference between the Docklands and the Maynooth train say from Coolmine to tConnolly/docklands is about 15 mins. That entirely down to stopping at extra stations and time taken to get into Connolly (up to 10 mins) . Since they added the extension from Phoenix Park Tunnel line its added 5~15 mins delays on a regular basis.

Proximity to the canal is not the issue. IMO.

Is there a industry standard station interval?

Ireland trains

They should make this station 3 platforms to allow for trains to overtake

L1011

Ireland trains wrote: »

They should make this station 3 platforms to allow for trains to overtake

Fairly certain there is no space. The line is mostly constrained between canal and buildings until Coolmine

beauf

There is remains of a siding and platform at broombridge between railway and canal.

There are other places like at navan road parkway.

They'll build on all these spaces then realise they should have kept them for future expansion of the railway, Luas etc.

goingnowhere

The Luas stop and depot is built on top of what was Liffey Junction station

beauf

Found a photo...

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000303320

goingnowhere

Luas depot is on the right, Broombridge station in the distance slightly to the right

The track was setup for Broadstone, when it closed the track was realigned to provide a better alignment towards Glasnevin Junction

beauf

Its just one of the few places where there space for a siding on the canal side. Perhaps not enough now, with the length of trains.

You'd imagine if the electrify the line, (lol) they will have huge issues of not being able to pass each other.

end of the road

beauf wrote: »

Its just one of the few places where there space for a siding on the canal side. Perhaps not enough now, with the length of trains.

You'd imagine if the electrify the line, (lol) they will have huge issues of not being able to pass each other.

the powers that be won't care about that. you heard it here first. sad but true.

patob

Hurrache wrote: »

Serious question, what's the point of it given you have Broombridge and Ashtown, then the 'park', nearby?

Yes, the logic for this station looks dubious as this would be very close to existing stations in Ashtown and Broombridge. Anyone got the distances?

magicbastarder

easy enough to get rough distances from google maps.
distances between stations along that route, inbound:

coolmine
1.7km
castleknock
1.8km
phoenix park
1km
ashtown
2.3km
broombridge
3km
drumcondra

though i think there's a plan to put a station at cross guns to link up with the metro (whenever that happens). that'd be 2km from broombridge.

i guess the anomaly there is the phoenix park station. built because it was easy to build? and because of the planned development of the racecourse which never filled up?

marno21

Irish Rail have issued a tender for the construction of a new railway station at Pelletstown and a new footbridge over the Royal Canal

https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_frameset.asp?PID=135745&B=ETENDERS_SIMPLE&PS=1&PP=ctm/Supplier/publictenders

To start in May 2019 and open in November 2020.

Funkyjaw

Does anyone know who was awarded this contract and If work is starting May 19 as proposed?

Funkyjaw

Funkyjaw wrote: »

Does anyone know who was awarded this contract and If work is starting May 19 as proposed?

Anyone ?? 😮😮

bilbot79

Been waiting on this one too. Hope it's not a casualty of the national childrens hospital fiasco. Casualty, get it, get it

Funkyjaw

As per Cieran Perry's newsletter "contract to be awarded in June this year and construction is scheduled for completion in Dec 2020."

mrsdewinter

Funkyjaw wrote: »

As per Cieran Perry's newsletter "contract to be awarded in June this year and construction is scheduled for completion in Dec 2020."

Oh, wow - that's great news. Thanks for that!

cronos

So it's July. Did the contract get awarded? We still ontrack for a 2020 completion?

CatInABox

Here's the latest from the Dail:

Shane Ross wrote:

As the Deputy is aware, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, including the DART Expansion Programme which includes consideration of the specific projects referred to by the Deputy.

Noting the NTA's responsibilities in the matter raised, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.

See here.

L1011

https://twitter.com/RCPCA1/status/1153392816241991685 Some advance works going ahead imminently

Zebra3

Apologies for going off topic, but has there been any progress on getting level crossings on the Maynooth line closed that will make up for the extra time of trains stopping at the new station?

L1011

Zebra3 wrote: »

Apologies for going off topic, but has there been any progress on getting level crossings on the Maynooth line closed that will make up for the extra time of trains stopping at the new station?

No progress on crossing closures and they aren't guaranteed to provide speed improvements anyway.

Electrification will provide speed improvements due to improved acceleration and later braking; although maybe not as much if they're hauling batteries.