M3 Parkway to Docklands Frequency Questions

PH0NER · 05-03-2025 09:24AM #1

I live near the Hansfield station on the M3 Parkway line. We only have decent direct journeys during weekday commuter hours. As far as I can tell, there's nothing direct to/from the city on the weekends.

Why aren't there 7day/week hourly direct trains to/from Docklands instead of always having to change at Clonsilla and doubling the total journey time?

Why is it that the Maynooth commuter line has great and consistent options to Dublin 7 days a week, but the M3 Parkway side doesn't?

What should be a ~30min direct journey to the city is almost always twice that because you have to change at Clonsilla. Why is it that Dublin Area commuters need to change at Clonsilla instead of the Maynooth route having the change?

Does anyone know if the Dart+ West expansion will see better direct-to-city route frequency along the M3 Parkway side of the line, rather than always needing a change at Clonsilla?

Losty Dublin · 08-03-2025 02:39PM

The original service ran between a then temporary Docklands and Clonsilla all day when the station opened, with the intention of becoming a new Navan commuter line alongside the place Dart Underground, which entered a tunnel beside Docklands. The trust of the idea of Docklands was to ease pressure off Connolly until Dart Underground was opened, with the main urban interchange for commuters being Pearse and St. Stephens Green. Once it opened, Docklands would close and the site reverted to other uses

When the current M3 Dunboyne line opened the Clonsilla services were extended there as proposed. However those trains were quickly curtailed to a shuttle from Clonsilla as a result of cutbacks, poor passenger numbers and general resources around 2010ish, with only peak hour trains working through into the city. As it stands the off peaks loadings on the line really don't warrant a direct service for effectively one town (Dunboyne); you are talking about single figure loadings all alongside substantial numbers on the Maynooth line, which have 100+ on each off peak service to serve the much larger areas of Leixlip and Maynooth.

As to Dart+, the proposals are for more services overall although what that will be in real life remains to be seen. When Navan reopens a direct service will be provided, at least hourly.

PH0NER · 13-03-2025 02:18PM

Thanks for the response. I suppose it does make sense for off-peak weekdays to not have more frequent direct service at this time, though at least a few on the weekend would be nice. Do you know if there are any plans to extend the M3 line to be a Navan commuter still, or was that a separate line altogether?

Zebra3 · 13-03-2025 04:53PM

The Navan plan is to meet the existing line at M3 Parkway but there’s not really a plan.

Wexbud · 13-03-2025 08:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123260767#Comment_123260767

Navan still has a rail link via Drogheda on the Tara Mines spur, as to the condition for passenger service it is in well need of upgrade to be fit for passengers.

end of the road · 14-03-2025 12:02AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123261806#Comment_123261806

as well as that it would mean going out on to the northern line which is already heavily used, and going that way would mean a longer journey time.

Losty Dublin · 25-03-2025 01:08AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123261290#Comment_123261290

Planning and design work for the new line are ongoing, with a view to a Railway Order being made in 2026/ early 2027. Given that much of it was made in 2009, a lot of the hard work shouldn't take too long time time round.

M3 Parkway to Docklands Frequency Questions

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