What are the latest updates on all planned lines North, South West and West? What has tendering done/what is in tendering and have any works started yet? When do heavy works expect to begin?
This is just not correct. It is regularly backed up at the Merrion Gates (and the evenings are also backed right up).
Honestly folks…this was once earmarked to be part of the M50 but now we have people suggesting one lane is okay. This is just deluded.
I am not suggesting we go for the EB by the way, I appreciate the world has changed. In fact I would look to for some micro congestion charges along this route for non locals. The simple reality is that it is a key point of movement for the city.
And removing the level crossing wouldn't improve outbound flow as its merging into the Rock Road is the constraint.
Actually, the Rock Road is backed up from the Blackrock bypass because of the traffic lights. It is that which is the cause of the traffic chaos after 4pm on weekdays all the way from the Merrion Rd through to Blackrock.
It's all the schools between Merrion and Blackrock closing at 15:50 and the children being picked up in the land rovers.
Broombridge wasn't even a Station...it was 2 platforms in a field sandwiched between 2 Industrial sites.
Broombridge is the only "kind of" cross platform inter-modal interchange location in Ireland isn't it? I wonder what scope there is for more such interchanges, proper ones with grade separation. Maybe if ML is ever extended northwards to interchange with Donabate or Rush & Lusk (more room there) it could be built as a proper cross platform interchange with grade separation so southbound passengers on DART could change seemlessly to southbound ML by simply stepping out, crossing the platform and boarding. The Berlin U-Bahn has cross platform interchange with the S-Bahn at Wuhletal. It's super convenient to change there:
https://www.google.de/maps/place/Wuhletal/@52 .5126999,13.5726161,1060m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x47a8497a9ea9c993:0x31fe693001c19259!8m2!3d52.5126999!4d13.575191!16zL20vMGdiNGhx?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMwMS4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
That would be fantastic, but you would also want platforms for Intercity and long distance commuter trains to stop there too and interchange between Intercity/DART/Metro.
That would be the right way to do it. You could still take ML in between the DART and IC platforms (assuming R&L, I don't think Donabate is a runner for extra IC platforms).
Rail Users Ireland tweeting that only 20 new carriages will be in place by the end of 2027. Can someone post the thread?
Nah it’s from the Merrion Gates (Cross Avenue and Booterstown Avenue would be most impacted by all those schools) before the traffic goes to two lanes. It’s basically where the traffic merges and is single lane. It doesn’t help as well that the bus lane starts and stops a couple of times. The traffic actually gets bit lighter between Ballsbridge and the Merrion Gates. Similarly traffic between Donnybrook Bus Garage to Foster’s Avenue gets lighter (partly due to the near total free flow nature of it).
There’s a big issue for people looking to get onto the N11 and they look at the likes of Strand Road (and then cutting up by Mount Merrion Avenue) as a way to do it. People look for alternatives to joining the N11 between the city centre and Donnybrook because it’s a disaster. Anglesea Road and that junction beside Donnybrook Church is incredibly unsafe for all users.
I don’t have an issue with looking to significantly curtail traffic along the Strand Road, I just don’t think severing THE link to the Port and Airport and funnelling all of that traffic through Donnybrook-Ballsbridge-Docklands is advisable. If you could have some sort of congestion charge (not including local cars and maybe linking parking payment on the Strand to it as well) it could do it but it doesn’t solve the desire for a cycle lane. Obviously ultimately we want to stop people using cars and improving cycling and DART is needed, my point is that we have to think things through and not make piecemeal moves. And yes, I think the commuting point here is claptrap, no matter the spin here.
According to a recent post on X by Rail Users Ireland, it's 50 carriages (10 trains).
"Further slippage on the DART+ fleet program. Only 10 of the 57 trains ordered will be in service by end of 2027, replacement of the 1984 fleet will not complete until early 2030. We should have had 18 in service by end of 2026."
https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/7da21a41/Sustainable_Mobility_Policy_Action_Plan_2026-2030.pdf
No mention of DART South in the Action Plan to 2030.
Action 10: Advance construction of DART+ West. Deadline 2030
Action 9: Commence Compulsory Purchase Order(CPO) and procurement processes for DART+ SouthWest. Deadline Q4 2027, but no mention of construction.
Action 11: Commence key works on DART+ CoastalNorth, subject to funding. Deadline is Q4 2028, but funding mentioned again.
Action 13. Commence rollout of 95 new battery-electric DART+ carriages Deadline of Q2 2027
Is this not Merrion Gates for once?
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/0305/1561872-dart-disruption/
Line down at Grand Canal Dock. At the platforms I think.
Two of the connectors for the overhead lines on the Northbound platform seem to have failed
https://www.reddit.com/r/Dublin/comments/1rlmgzr/dont_think_its_meant_to_do_this
How does a line fail at grand canal dock?
It looks like a broken connection. They have been working overnight on the O/H lines for months.
Possibly pulled down by faulty pantograph.
The NTA have allocated €500k in funding for a new landmark public active travel footbridge to complement the DART+ plans in Wicklow Town train station.
The bridge is supposed to begin construction in Q4 2026 with construction to be complete in Q4 2028. There's also new cycling facilities, a new car park & three new bus bays to be built at the station to facilitate multi-modal travel. The historic 19th century signalbox & public footbridge at the station will also be retained as protected structures.
It says here in the article that IÉ is expected to submit planning for DART+ to Wicklow Town in Q4 of this year. DART+ will then arrive into Wicklow Town with an expected arrival date of sometime in 2029.
Isn't that a little bit late than usual or is that lodgement for planning within our own expected timelines here on boards?
The planning application is quite simple and would just be with Wicklow CoCo.
For as much problems as ROs have had, even the ones that have just gone to Councils (rather than ABP/ACP) have a good history of moving quite quickly.
If we assume 2029 means the start of 2029 (which is generous, but for the sake of argument) that would give them two years for planning, tender, and construction. Which again being simple works should be fine.
AFAIK it's just platform extensions at Wicklow and Kilcoole, and charging infrastructure at Wicklow.
Milestone is such a stretch for a project without an RO.
Wicklow DART+ is going to be, at least for quite some time, BEMU and they will probably use conventional planning rather than a RO for the recharging equipment.
Irish Rail is doing everything to avoid at RO for the Bray-Wicklow works, proceeding through normal planning is much faster and cheaper
Needs planning
Extended platforms at Wicklow and Kilcoole
Accessible footbridge at Wicklow
Charging installation at Wicklow
Highly likely to be considered exempted
Trackwork modifications at Bray and between Bray and Greystones
ETCS install to Wicklow
the bridge at wicklow already has planning. Wicklow County Council applied for the Part 8. https://www.wicklow.ie/Living/Services/Online-Consultation-Hub/Part-8-Wicklow-Port-Access-Road-Link-Scheme-Wicklow-Town
The platform works at kilcoole could possibly be exempt too
Thats solves the accessibility issue as well which is the most complex problem
Platforms and charging should be relatively straightforward to get through planning
the minor level crossing at Greystones (Redford) is also going to be upgraded to automatic. Does that need planning?
There was also talk of putting a 3rd platform in at Greystones but that's mainly to facilitate terminating Wexford trains which I will be politically spicy.
It’ll only be “spicy” to people who never use the service. But that’s most of the “I speak for the people” politicians, so yes, I see your point…
spillit67, I've never seen a poorer attempt at gaslighting before on here, and that's saying something.
Given your lack of replies to riddlinrussell or Consonata, I think I'll let their points stand.
