DART+ (DART Expansion)

Our ambition is to increase train frequency from the current ten minute frequency to a five minute all day frequency and to lengthen all trains to eight carriages.

At the risk of upsetting people again, I would say that anyone who thinks IE's "ambition" means anything in terms of end user services does not get the train on a regular basis.

The above statement clearly does not refer to Dart+ West either.

This is the full section, discussing the totality of the DART + project - in a document that is specifically about DART Expansion and is clearly referencing the entire proposed network. You asked for this and I provided it.

The DART Expansion Programme is a transformative railway project, which will modernise and improve the existing rail network, which radiates from Dublin City Centre. It will provide a sustainable, electrified, faster, reliable and user friendly rail system, which increases train frequencies and customer carrying capacity.

It will create a full metropolitan area DART network for Dublin, with all of the lines linked and connected. This will transform the rail system in the Greater Dublin Area, delivering new DART services between the City Centre and Drogheda, Maynooth - M3 Parkway and Hazelhatch - Celbridge. DART Expansion will enable an increase in capacity network-wide from the Regions to the GDA.

Customer capacity and train service frequency on these lines will be significantly increased as a result of the programme. This will help to deliver a more efficient transport system, allowing more people to make sustainable travel choices that reduce their carbon footprint and prevent chronic road congestion helping to meet the goals set out in the state’s Climate Action Plan.

Our ambition is to increase train frequency from the current ten minute frequency to a five minute all day frequency and to lengthen all trains to eight carriages. The cumulative network effect of DART Expansion, subject to Government authorisation and funding, will increase customer capacity from circa 26,000 customers per hour per direction (2019) to circa 50,000-60,000 (peak) passengers per hour per direction under the National Development Plan investment and future growth capacity potential to 70,000-80,000 (peak) passengers per hour per direction thereafter, subject to further fleet procurement.

EDIT

As an FYI

You can the exact same wording in the options selection report on the DART West project site (page 13)

https://www.dartplus.ie/getattachment/1130c5dd-5a59-4dea-bcee-d093f6e85a4a/Option-Selection-Report-Volume-2-Technical-Report.pdf

You are not going to find an absolute commitment to particular frequencies in the future as that will depend on government funding at the time.

But you can certainly see the indications above. Post-electrification I would certainly expect that the core section of the Maynooth Line from Clonsilla inwards would have a 10 minute frequency off-peak during the day like the existing DART service between Howth Junction and Bray (20 mins from each of Maynooth and M3 Parkway).

As already posted the service level provision is now dictated by the NTA and not Irish Rail. The NTA certainly want high frequency rail services on all DART lines to turn them all into “turn up and go” services along the core sections.

You can the exact same wording in the options selection report on the DART West project site

Yeah, but it's still 'ambition' and talking about "existing 10-minute frequency" cannot apply to the current Maynooth line.

Have you seen the size of the pedestrian crossings that will be built over the to-be-closed level crossings?

I get that they need to be a certain size to allow an incline that disabled people can manage, but if any private developer suggested a similar structure in an environmentally protected area, they'd be laughed out of it.

They cannot realise those intentions if there are physical restrictions because level crossings, not to mention the idiots that use them and go through them on red, something which happens every single time at Coolmine.

The circular argument is that Irish Rail need to close level crossings to improve service frequency, I don't believe Irish Rail will increase frequency so I will oppose the closure of the level crossing until they do improve service frequency. That is a sure way that service frequency will never improve.

There are penalties for Irish Rail if they don't deliver the services under their PSO contract from the National Transport Authority. Very similar to how Go Ahead Ireland was fined by the NTA for not delivering the bus service they said they would offer (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/go-ahead-to-be-fined-for-not-delivering-adequate-bus-service-1.3958652)

From that Irish Times article an NTA spokesperson said:

The only reason that the National Transport Authority doesn't have a contract with Irish Rail to provide a better service on the Maynooth line is that Irish Rail don't even have the trains/carriages to run more services (every working train across the country is in service at peak times) and that the existing infrastructure cannot support big increases in frequency.

The National Transport Authority are pushing forward with the DART+ West project and the DART+ Fleet project to resolve these exact two projects so that Irish Rail can be contracted to run an improved frequency. The contact for DART+ Fleet has been signed with Alstom who are already building the new trains.

The National Transport Authority are legally obliged under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 to deliver the contents of the GDA Transport Strategy, which includes increased train frequencies on the DART line to Maynooth.

Irish Rail don't have a great history of delivering projects, but that's not normally their fault (See the FG government pulling the plug on DART Underground). There is a risk that nothing happens with this project (recession, inflation etc). I don't see a world where, after we've already paid for the new trains, where we would also paid for electrification the line/removing the level crossings/new bridges etc, the two super expensive parts, and then not increase services in line with demand (the relatively cheap part)

Lads, there is no point in engaging with this fella anymore. More evidence that NIMBYism is a disease of the brain

If users of the service have experienced service degradation on the services they use over a long period of time, completely unrelated to level crossings. It weakens the argument, that you'll actually do what you promise. That's just human nature.

I'm not entirely sure why these things need to be so fugly. Anyone would think they were trying to put people off. Whereas...

They should just close the crossing even for a trial and see what happens. There was a good opportunity during Lockdown to do this.

In my experience they have increased journey times, and reduced train lengths on the docklands at least. I assume this is to provide capacity, priority elsewhere.

What's the time frame for the Dart+ changes on the Maynooth line.

And how does someone in a pram or a chair or generally can't hike it up lots of stairs get across?

You think that repeatedly calling me a NIMBY will somehow affect me. All it does is convince me even more that your arguments are nonsense if that's the best you can do.

I accept the pedestrian crossings are needed, but they're ugly as bejeesus, that's all. Slap in the middle of the new greenway too.

As previously noted, the land at Stationcourt Way is a public green space, and you'd still need another one at the station anyway, so I'm not sure what that would solve.

There are sites all along the Sligo mainline, moreso 30 years ago.

Sadly no time machines available, it'll take generations to sort out the mess.

I did not know that. Where will that be?