Cross-border review of rail network officially launched

thosewhoknow · 10-02-2026 07:16PM

Always thought the line would be better as a heritage railway. Obviously getting on with the direct line to Dublin would be better but considering it isn’t due to open until 2036 this could work as a stopgap. Even if there isn’t space on the northern line they could get on with the proposed Navan branch platform and operate it as a shuttle service.

KrisW1001 · 11-02-2026 08:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124223931#Comment_124223931

My apologies... You are entirely right, it's a stupid idea. I should have been suspicious at "Tóibín" to be fair, but it was a long day and I was tired...

Yes, the only real game in town is from M3 northwards on a new line. Any new capacity on the Northern line should be used for and more DARTs, and perhaps another Enterprise.

I think there is, however some merit to investigating the use of the freight line as a shuttle service to allow Navan to Northern line destinations, similar to how most Tralee services interface with the Cork-Dublin line. As the tracks are already there, it could be a cheap way of adding extra services. But this is in addition to, not as replacement for, the planned N3-Navan extension.

I told ya · 11-02-2026 11:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124223738#Comment_124223738

As a somewhat irregular user (30+ years) of the Maynooth/Connolly service, the train is almost always stopped outside Connolly for 5/10/15+ minutes before entering the station.

How will Connolly be able to handle 12tphpd (1 every 5 minutes) when it can't handle 6tphpd? Factor in DART N&S, Sligo (presumably incl. in the 12), Belfast, Rosslare, stock movements, maintenance, driver training… Just dosen't seem possible.

It would be great to have 12tphpd and no waiting.

L1011 · 11-02-2026 11:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124225884#Comment_124225884

A bunch of services will be going to Spencer Dock instead.

bikeman1 · 11-02-2026 12:24PM

Navan to Drogheda should be looked at as part of a regional service, to Drogheda. A simple branch line service with a platform beside the car park at Drogheda station and access to the other platforms there. A 2 car 2800 should suffice, but interlining with the local fleet a 4 x 29000 would be more operationally flexible. There would be a decent rail connection between the now rather large towns of the area - Navan, Drogheda & Dundalk.

I don't see it as a route to Dublin as such. Yes, people could do it, but not really feasible. It still should be done. We have tracks there that can be used right now. Just construction of platforms in Drogheda and Navan (nothing fancy) and the manning of Beauparc crossing.

I would be more concerned with the massive amount of housing coming on stream in the Donabate area for the capacity of the line. These are people that WILL be joining an already full to the max service.

Hotblack Desiato · 11-02-2026 12:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124223646#Comment_124223646

And it's Peadar Toibin. If Toibin said the sun would rise in the morning, I'd await verification

L1011 · 11-02-2026 12:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124226002#Comment_124226002

By the time any such proposal came to fruitition, Drogheda would have no diesel services at all, except 29ks going there for service - unless that moves

KrisW1001 · 11-02-2026 01:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124225884#Comment_124225884

The increase is achieved by improved signalling, plus replacing diesel commuter trains with electric services (these have much shorter acceleration and braking distances, so can run closer together), and terminating more trains at Spencer Dock rather than running them through Connolly. The delays in Connolly are partially signalling, but mainly due to the layout of the tracks in the station (this goes back to the Loop Line, which was a built as a kludge, and has created problems ever since).

Sligo intercity is included in that 12 trains; it’s also included in today’s 6 trains figure.

Waiting will still happen into Connolly, but the waits should be shorter.

Rosslare services are likely to stop in Co. Wicklow with a direct change to DART, so they will no longer affect the coastal line. Belfast trains will be electrified in the same timescale as DART+, which reduces their impact on track slots. Stock movements happen outside of peak hours, maintenance is unaffected, driver training is planned for as part of the fleet increases. I think even IÉ know that more trains means more drivers, don’t you…?

bikeman1 · 11-02-2026 03:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124226057#Comment_124226057

It wouldn't take that long if they wanted to do it and got working on it today. You will still have some Dundalk services running as diesel. If it is so far down the line, the BEMU could charge up and run to Navan and back which is well within the 80km range on battery.

Anyway, all of this is so far out of reach. There aren't even enough trainsets to meet the service demand on existing lines.

bk · 11-02-2026 04:16PM

I had a bit of a crazy idea! I don't know if it would work, it would depend on passenger numbers at peak times, but here is the idea.

Under DART+North plan, 5 DART trains per hour per direction are to operate from Drogheda, an extra 2 TPHPD from Malahide for a total of 7 and another 2 TPHPD from Clongriffin.

The idea is take the 2 from Clongriffin and operate them from Navan instead! Operate Navan to Drogheda and then have them operate express non stop from Drogheda to Clongriffin and then operate normally south of Clongriffin.

The reason for the express operation isn't for faster journey time, that would be minimal, but to avoid overcrowding the train with passengers from the intermediate stops before Clongriffin. You could also possibly do this for the 2 Malahide based trains, which would give you 4 trains per hour from Navan.

Of course this would only work if the predicted number of passengers getting on at Navan didn't overwhelm the capacity of the Clongriffin/Malahide trains, keeping in mind they need capacity to take on passengers from a Howth shuttle, so this whole idea would require careful modelling of passenger demand.

Of course this would be reliant of the electrification to Drogheda be completed and would probably require stabling, etc. at Navan. The trains could run on battery between Navan and Drogheda.

While of course not as good or fast as Navan via the M3 line, it would give Navan some level of service, with a nice connection to Drogheda (transfers for Belfast/Dundalk) and would give access to Howth, Clontarf, etc.

I know a bit of wild idea! Please work away and poke holes in it.

KrisW1001 · 11-02-2026 05:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124226819#Comment_124226819

Electrification and charging infrastructure is the big problem. That’s why I suggested a shuttle, which could use DMU trains, rather than any kind of through-running.

The line is about 30 km long, and is only a single track railway for most of its length, though, so it would be limited to an hourly service unless a passing loop is built.

bikeman1 · 11-02-2026 05:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124226819#Comment_124226819

I think for anything to be realistic, the Navan branch will not be getting a passing loop put in halfway. The operation has to be kept simple. 25 minutes one way. 5 minutes turnaround, 25 minutes back. One train. There are plenty of these type of connecting branch trains on networks across Europe. Yes it is not the gold standard, but we don't have an alternative with the current two tracks into the city.

You would be looking at 25 minutes to Drogehda, 10 minute connection, 60 minutes to Dublin Connolly. 1 hour 35 minutes is not exactly going to entice many end to end. I note the NX takes 1:18 - 1:30 (at peak) currently.

It does however, open up so much more though for Navan. A rail connection to Drogheda, Dundalk, Balbriggan, Skerries, Malahide, the DART network, Enterprise to Belfast and beyond. This is what this connection should be selling. The possibility that some may do rail all the way to Dublin is just a by product.

bk · 11-02-2026 05:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124227033#Comment_124227033

Yep, fair, let’s say one train an hour so, same as Wicklow Town is getting. So keep operating 1 from Clongriffin and 1 from Navan. Seems doable without extraordinary costs.

BTW interestingly I don’t think the timings would be that different from an M3 line. M3 Parkway to Connolly seems to be about 50 minutes, then another 36km to Navan would add I’d guess another 35 minutes for a total time of 1 hour 25 mins.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124226973#Comment_124226973

No need for electrification, at least not straight away, you can just run them on battery like they are planning to do between Greystones and Wicklow. The distance between Navan and Drogheda is a lot shorter then Malahide to Drogheda.

The downside with a shuttle is that you are just transferring the passengers into the 5 DARTs per hour from Drogheda. The advantage of this approach is that you now have 6 DARTs per hour from/through Drogheda, so you aren’t really putting the pressure on the regular 5 services. It is sort of a version of launching 2 extra DARTs from Malahide/Clongriffin.

riddlinrussell · 11-02-2026 06:45PM

Very interesting option for sure, though I'd imagine you'd be looking at some charging infrastructure at Navan as you wouldn't be using the chargers at Drogheda with a through service?

You could afford to spend a good bit improving the line speed of the Navan to Drogheda section and still come in far under the cost to reopen to M3 parkway.

And as has been said, sell it as "Navans Gateway to the East coast" connecting to Belfast/Dundalk etc, as well as being a direct Dart to Dublin.

bk · 11-02-2026 07:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124227283#Comment_124227283

Yes, maybe, I think it would be borderline. Malahide to Drogheda is 42km, Drogheda to Navan 27km, so 54km return. The new DARTs are supposed to be able to do 80km between charges, but obviously you would want a buffer to that. I’m not sure if the 26km would be enough buffer or not. Given the testing that IR are doing with the new BEMU’s at the moment, I’d guess they will get a pretty good idea of real world ability and if charging at Navan was necessary or not.

Even if it does, I think it would require less then Drogheda currently does, maybe just 2 or 3 minutes top up charge and only handling one train an hour.

More significant works would be that you would want to build another platform on the Navan branch at Drogheda, just south of Drogheda station. This would allow you to avoid any awkward reversing into Drogheda station which would add complexity and time.

It would mean people who want to transfer to other services at Drogheda would need to cross the car park. However in some ways that would be a good thing as it might discourage people in Drogheda from using this service versus the Drogheda main station services.

BTW IR already considered putting a platform there as part of the Drogheda BEMU works, an extra platform for charging an extra train per hour. They found it would work fine, but would add extra cost obviously.

Of course you could bypass Drogheda completely with this once an hour service, though you’d lose the attractive connection to Drogheda and the transfers it would offer there.

PeadarCo · 12-02-2026 09:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124227387#Comment_124227387

The problem with Navan to Dublin via Drogheda is time versus the bus. You also have capacity issues.

Navan is only about 45km ish away from Dublin city centre. So about 25km shorter via bus than route proposed via Drogheda. In most cases the bus will be far far quicker than the train. The train maybe potentially be quicker at certain times when the M3 is blocked up.

The other issue is capacity. At times you 5 buses an hour going from Navan to Dublin, at a demand for even more at peak times. I doubt the route proposed would be capable of handling (Dublin to Belfast) that without negativity impacting capacity for existing services. And that's only talking about current demand levels, not future demand levels between Belfast and Dublin plus all the towns in between.

Getting a train from Navan to Drogheda is at best a side benefit, as you are connecting 2 commuter towns.

Yes Navan to Dublin via Drogheda could be cheaper(you would have to double track a single track line so it might not be) than a new railway line to Navan but cheaper doesn't mean better. It's unlikely to be quicker than bus and also unlikely to be capable of handling the known existing demand between Dublin and Navan. That's before you talk about the fact it doesn't serve Dunshaughlin and all the villages in between Navan and Dublin.

So to put it bluntly Navan to Dublin via Drogheda would not be quicker (in most cases) than existing options, would not be able to handle the current demand and it's unclear if it would even be cheaper than a new railway.

The whole idea is just a political stunt by Peadar Tobin. If it really was a viable alternative to the bus/new train line it would have been done decades ago.

Ronald Binge Redux · 12-02-2026 09:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124227033#Comment_124227033

The NX taking 1:18 at peak? I plan to test that assertion in reality.

OisinCooke · 12-02-2026 10:00AM

While I quite like the idea proposed by @bk, I think knowing how things work in this country, we simply cannot operate a Navan-Drogheda service until the line from M3 is at least substantially under construction, if not open entirely.

Adding this service (which as other posters mention would be good for regional connectivity but very poor for Navan - Dublin times…) would only give politicians and silly objectors another reason to veto the double tracked electrified extension from M3, which would provide substantially better journey times, substantially higher capacity, and for which there is track capacity built into the Western Line.

The route between Navan and Drogheda does represent a potentially easy win regional connectivity branch line project in the future - a sort of orbital commuter line (to use the NTAs favourite new word), and parkway stations could be opened off of the N2 and M1, but I really think we should build the mainline to Navan first.

Consonata · 12-02-2026 10:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124228793#Comment_124228793

It also provides useful redundancy, if for whatever reason the northern line was shut/flooded/unfortunate track incident, Belfast trains could be re-routed via Navan instead.

loco_scolo · 12-02-2026 11:04AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124227033#Comment_124227033

The Navan-Drogheda section appears to have a v.high level of over/under bridges, so it could be done in <20 minutes. Let's say 18mins best case for arguments sake.

Either:

18mins to Drogheda, +10mins wait, then direct Intercity to Connolly takes 36mins. Total time 1hr 4mins

Or:

18mins to Drogheda, 2mins at Drogheda, same train to Connolly (Commuter) takes 60mins. Total time 1hr 20mins

Both of these are competitive with driving and the bus. I appreciate it's not "that" simple, but this is a realistic stop-gap that could be done within 2yrs

Ronald Binge Redux · 12-02-2026 11:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124228973#Comment_124228973

It's realistic but has to contend with ingrained anti rail attitudes and the official inertia that delays the M3 Parkway line beyond 2035.

loyatemu · 12-02-2026 11:22AM

I assume bringing the line up to passenger standard will involve relaying the track and upgrading the signalling - IIRC the existing track is reused from a relay elsewhere, and the infrastructure standards for freight lines are much lower.

That's going to cost a decent amount of money. They're not going to do this if the M3 line extension is underway, and if they do this first, you can bet the M3 plan will be kicked way down the road.

The idea that this is going to happen within 2 years is wildly optimistic - the work to increase frequencies to Greystones (which is a very minor amount of work) has been in planning for nearly 10 years and is expected to be delivered around 2030.

KrisW1001 · 12-02-2026 11:29AM

@OisinCooke is right: reviving this link first would jeopardise the necessary extension of the NW DART line to Navan. However, once the new Navan line is done, this link could add additional regional connectivity at a low cost.

The alignment is actually pretty good - there seems to be only one level crossing, but apart from Duleek, it doesn’t really serve any major population centres.

bk · 12-02-2026 11:47AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124228735#Comment_124228735

The train maybe potentially be quicker at certain times when the M3 is blocked up.

I could be wrong, but I’d assume that is peak times most mornings, so it would still be attractive to the majority of people trying to get to work, which is likely the majority.

Off peak, I agree it would be less attractive. But even then it would still be attractive to get to Howth or East Point Business Park, Belfast, etc.

The other issue is capacity. At times you 5 buses an hour going from Navan to Dublin, at a demand for even more at peak times. I doubt the route proposed would be capable of handling (Dublin to Belfast) that without negativity impacting capacity for existing services. And that's only talking about current demand levels, not future demand levels between Belfast and Dublin plus all the towns in between

Well 5 buses an hour, assuming the they all use the Double Decker coaches is 375 people or about 1/3rd of one DART! Trains really do have big capacity. And that is assuming everyone swaps over, which I wouldn’t assume as I assume some people are going to the west side of Dublin rather the Connolly area.

But I think you perhaps missed my actual proposal in my earlier post, it would have no impact on capacity of the line as I’m not proposing putting any extra trains on the line! Under DART+North, two DARTs per hour will operate from Clongriffin going South. My proposal is to take one of those two and operate it from Navan instead, operate Navan to Drogheda and then go non stop to Clongriffin and then operate as normal from there. By going non stop, it doesn’t pull in passengers from all the towns in between. BTW the S-Train in Copenhagen does a version of this.

Thus no extra trains are used on the Belfast to Dublin line, just one train is being used slightly differently. You still end up with the same number of trains per hour south of Clongriffin.

It is kind of like the proposed hourly train to Wicklow, it won’t be an extra train either, instead it will be a Greystones train just extended to Wicklow.

If it really was a viable alternative to the bus/new train line it would have been done decades ago.

Ah now, this is Irish Rail we are talking about! These are the same people who for decades said that the Phoenix Park Tunnel couldn’t be used, until it suddenly could be used and now has very useful commuter services using it and will have D+SW in future. I wouldn’t take the line not being used as much of an indicator!

Though the logic is sound, as traffic on the Motorways becomes worse, the buses get slower journey times, the gap shrinks and the rail option become more attractive.

Hell that is a big reason Luas and DART have become so popular, neither are fast, but traffic congestion has become so bad, they are now competitive at least at peak times.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124228793#Comment_124228793

And I think this is the one genuinely valid argument and I agree completely.

I don’t agree with Peadar above that the idea couldn’t work, I think it technically absolutely could and I think it would even make for an attractive and successful service, however I totally agree that it shouldn’t be at the expense of the M3 route if it genuinely had faster journey times.

bk · 12-02-2026 12:21PM

Anyway, panic over! Looks like the NTA have ruled out reopening this line:

https://www.lmfm.ie/news/lmfm-news/nta-rules-out-reopening-of-navan-drogheda-rail-line/

The National Transport Authority says the reopening of the Navan to Drogheda rail line "has been considered and determined not to be suitable".

Irish Rail has been provided funding by the National Transport Authority (NTA) to carry out an options selection study for the Navan to Dublin rail line. As part of that work, the potential reopening of the Navan to Drogheda rail line for passenger services was examined.

I’d love to read this study and see what options they considered for the Navan to Drogheda branch and what the real time differences were. Perhaps a FOI request.

Looking at the old options study, it is very frustrating that it doesn’t show the actually predicted journey times anywhere on the study, kind of important piece of info!

I still think it could be a good idea for future once the M3 line is done.

As an aside, I was looking at the line on google Maps and I was very surprised, it looks to be in great condition, almost pristine! I was very surprised at the quality of it for a freight only line! Also I could be wrong, but it looks like it has only two level crossings, the rest either bridges or underpasses, again a really high quality for such a line. A real pity it hasn’t seen more use given the quality of it.

Judge · 12-02-2026 12:25PM

I have occasionally thought that once: (a) the 4North quad tracking of the line between Clongriffin and Connolly and (b) the Drogheda-Airport-Clongriffin line proposed in the AISRR are built, you could develop a North-Eastern Commuter Express service along the following lines:

Train would serve a range of stations on the way to Drogheda but then would be non-stop to the airport and then would either be non-stop to Connolly or maybe stop at Clongriffin to interchange with DART Coastal North.

Drogheda West station would be close to the Tesco Extra on Donore Road - there is huge potential to redevelop the underutilised industrial lands around there for high density housing.

It would unify and enable the development of the Navan-Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry area as a major regional hub, particularly with the airport connection.

bk · 12-02-2026 12:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124229027#Comment_124229027

BTW i could be wrong, but I was reading on another forum that the track was only relaid 2 or 3 years ago and is rated for up to 80km/h. It is actually a very high quality route with only two level crossings I think and overall seems to be in great shape.

You are correct though it would require ETCS if the new DARTs were used in it. You could avoid that if you used older Diesels as a shuttle instead, though less attractive service.

Ronald Binge Redux · 12-02-2026 01:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124229233#Comment_124229233

A good idea, so it won't happen.

Ronald Binge Redux · 12-02-2026 01:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124229222#Comment_124229222

There will be celebratory cakes in the NTA office this afternoon, as the ticker recording 'number of days we stopped passenger trains returning to Navan' clocks up another day! Bless

Glaceon · 12-02-2026 03:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124229222#Comment_124229222

The only thing that kept it open when so many other lines closed was freight; cement from Platin, gypsum from Kingscourt and of course the Tara Mines. If it wasn't for these, I'd say it would have been lifted years ago. And now it's not even certain that the Tara Mines trains will return, so I don't see much of a future for it if it's not reopened for a passenger shuttle.

Cross-border review of rail network officially launched

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