DART+ (DART Expansion)

Yes, it's not just that Connolly is 700 metres from the Spire and right beside the IFSC, docklands and Busarus that is best about the current routing, but also direct access to two third level educational institutions in Maynooth, and en-route direct access to the future Metro, direct access to the Luas at Broombridge, and direct access to the major inner suburb of Drumcondra, near the Mater hospital and St. Patricks DCU campus.

Getting to Heuston 20 minutes faster would not be an improvement, to say the least.

DU is about more than just connectivity, what economics101 didn't mention and what will likely be the biggest improvement DU will bring, capacity. DU will be a high capacity line adding a direct connection between the 2 highest capacity lines. DU should easily be capable of 12tph, likely even higher. But yes it will also allow a better connection to busy areas, the SSG and Pearse stops will likely be some of the busiest on the network after DU is complete, and Pearse might become the busiest as it currently isn't that far behind Connolly.

One of the most immediate effects from DU will likley be the reduced congestion from Heuston, Connolly, and Spencer Dock terminating services. While I don't believe sending IC services through the tunnel is a good use of track capacity, allowing otherwise terminating DART or outer commuter services to become DU services will help free space for improved IC services at Heuston and Connolly

Where DU is really going to shine however is with the four-tracked northern line. While the northern line is desperately in need of four tracking, when it eventually is four-tracked, there unfortunately wont be the capacity on the rest of the network to maximise the use of the upgraded northern line. While four-tracking will massively imporve the existing and planned DART services, it really wont allow for much more than there already is planned to be (9 DARTs, 2 Dundalk, and an Enterprise an hour). They can potentially run half hourly Enterprise services during peak times, maybe a 3rd Dundalk services, or possibly one or two express express commuters an hour, however there won't be the station or track capacity south of Connolly or at SD. DU will fix that and I think will be what will allow 12 DARTs an hour, as well as an expansions of Enterprise, Dundalk, and Express services.

I think we already are seeing this somewhat with D+SW where it is only planned to have 11tph on the slow line, and I think that is because there isn't really anywhere a 12th service could be sent. However where the Kildare line is making use of most of the track capacity it is gaining, I don't the northern line will be able to add more than a few services without improvements elsewhere in the system like DU.

I mean, do all services have to be cut? Surely you could retain some different direct connectivity whilst also adding some services.

What's bad for you may be good for others. You can't just argue that it won't work because it doesn't suit your circumstances.

Dublin is a large city and once the new N2, S2 and O bus routes are fully implemented, Heuston will be far more connected than it has been before, including a direct connection to the Mater Hospital.

Heuston is far better located for anyone going to points west of O'Connell Bridge, to the Zoo and to the new National Children's Hospital. It has a direct express bus link to/from the Airport.

People are looking at this in the here and now, and not considering what the Maynooth Line will be like once DART+ is implemented in terms of frequency, which will see far more intense use with slow stopping DART services. A same platform connection at Maynooth will still deliver all the locations that the Sligo trains do at present, while the Sligo train could then continue to Heuston.

The new line ideally would have to diverge east of Maynooth - it's far too great a traffic generator for points west along the Sligo line, and links into the new W6 bus route to Tallaght there too.

The object has got to be to maximise separating DART and Intercity services as much as possible, as frankly that delivers far better use of the infrastructure and facilitates standard timetable patterns with improved Intercity journey times.

Any connecting line hasn't even started planning yet, so it's a good way down the road post DART+ implementation.

Also, sending Intercity trains trundling around via the PPT would be a waste of resources and won't avoid the congestion between Glasnevin and City Centre - it would also mean that you'd need more physical trains and more staff to deliver the same overall frequency of Intercity service due to the longer journey times.

I comletely agree, Connolly(through platforms)-GCD is supposed to support 15tph, 9 northern line, 3 Maynooth, and 3 HH DARTs. So I am hoping that will be able to show what the network is really capable of supporting in the future.

However I think 12tph will support dublin for a while to come, and will allow IE to focus on other projects, both in and out of Dublin. Especially electrification for exactly the reasons you mention, I am hoping that it will shorten the length of various IC service and might allow higher frequency on key lines. Its also just something IE should be working on.

I am really hoping that the new alignment, along side fournorth, and an EMU 200km/h capable fleet could make a 90min Enterprise possible. I might have misunderstood, but I believe the switch to MUs from locos alone saves 10-15 minutes and makes a sub 2h time possible.

@Platform 9:"I am really hoping that the new alignment, along side fournorth, and an EMU 200km/h capable fleet could make a 90min Enterprise possible. I might have misunderstood, but I believe the switch to MUs from locos alone saves 10-15 minutes and makes a sub 2h time possible"

You can 4-track to Malahide (which is the current aspiration), but fast Enterproses and much slower and frequent DART+ services do not mix, and anything remotely like 200kph would not kick in until clear of Drogheda. The "new" DD Enterprise used to be timed Dublin-Drogheda in about 28 minutes, now it's10 minutes slower. And north of Dundalk there are many stretches with curvature that limits things to well under 160 kph

Interesting back story to the DART+ fleet interior,

https://irishcycle.com/2024/12/28/interior-of-new-dart-trains-to-lack-signature-green-after-nta-micromanagement/

In one way I'm glad that the handrails are yellow, whihc appears to be standard practice. However it shows how their lordships in the NTA control everything. Irish Rail are just an operating company and effectively the lapdogs of the NTA.

They are both retiring, so I wouldn’t worry too much about them.

Creegan is well known for having very deep rooted views on various matters, and it tends to require ministerial intervention to force him to change.

The quad-tracking will be far more disruptive and attract more opposition than D+N. If D+N runs into planning issues you can pretty much forget about quad-tracking, it certainly won't be a vehicle for pushing through elements of D+N which couldn't get approved in an otherwise uncontroversial RO.

Its not as much that I am thinking it would be the next opportunity to push the shuttle service, but that with the increased frequency from D+ North it is already going to be difficult to maintain the direct services to Howth during peak times, And I think four-tracking would make it practically impossible. So even if it is contested and can't happen now, if four-tracking is approved it would have to happen then or else it would be impossible to have any decent frequency on the Northern line.

However I don't disagree, if D+ North is already having trouble I am worried about what will happen with FourNorth. Especially between Raheny and Clongriffin as it looks like it will be the most difficult seciton. We should hopefully be finding out if/how IE will approach four-tracking in the next few months however.

I’m not sure that timetabling and potential service patterns falls part of a railway order that can be challenged in the courts?

It only applies to the infrastructure.

I have done some campaigning for the Nenagh rail line in the past. I am curious as to where the most appropriate stop would be on the Cork Dublin mainline to access DART services once DART SW has been delivered. As others have pointed out Heuston is not the most useful place in Dublin for all passengers.