DART+ (DART Expansion)

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?

And removing the level crossing wouldn't improve outbound flow as its merging into the Rock Road is the constraint.

It's all the schools between Merrion and Blackrock closing at 15:50 and the children being picked up in the land rovers.

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.

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

Line down at Grand Canal Dock. At the platforms I think.

How does a line fail at grand canal dock?

Possibly pulled down by faulty pantograph.

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.

Milestone is such a stretch for a project without an RO.

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

Thats solves the accessibility issue as well which is the most complex problem

Platforms and charging should be relatively straightforward to get through planning