Navan Rail Line

Citizen Six · 26-03-2026 05:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124342508#Comment_124342508

A small amount of them also go to Connolly, from M3 Parkway.

Geuze · 27-03-2026 01:38PM

I still feel 60 mins is poor. We should aim for less.

I realise it's difficult with 12 stops, and all the associated stopping and starting.

Is there anything else that could be done?

Will there be 11 tph from Clonsilla inbound? 1x Sligo + 6x DART + 4x Navan?

I'd nearly suggest 2tph or 3tph to Navan if that helped?

Is it a signalling issue? LC issue? An issue to do with different speeds?

What will the speed limit be from Clonsilla inbound?

L1011 · 27-03-2026 01:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124345262#Comment_124345262

There will be no LCs. Reducing the number of trains slightly will not improve speed.

Having semi express trains would require massacring the number of trains, or quad tracking. And quad tracking simply cannot happen.

cgcsb · 27-03-2026 05:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124345262#Comment_124345262

Why is it poor? It is better than any form of transport currently available with the exception of helicopter. Also I could probably be doable in 55 minutes. Comfortably beating a car journey in the dead of night but available all day long.

Geuze · 27-03-2026 07:40PM

It's 30 miles………..30 miles…..in an hour.

Look, I'm not whinging, I support it 1000%, build it as soon as possible.

cgcsb · 27-03-2026 08:02PM

Its 36 miles by road. 58kms. That's fine for a commuter service. Theres nothing much better in similar locations around Europe.

goingnowhere · 27-03-2026 08:07PM

Assuming 90mph running will be allowed beyond M3 and the legacy alignment is fairly straight

50-55 minutes Docklands Navan would be possible, if you could run at 90mph beyond Clonsilla Junc cut another 2 minutes off that

Zebra3 · 27-03-2026 08:16PM

It’s not just about time tho.

Relax/work on train.

No stress about driving, accidents, other motorists, traffic lights,etc.

No need to worry about parking.

Service will connect at Glasnevin (and Broombridge) opening up all sorts of options.

This of course is all depend on IÉ providing a decent service.

KrisW1001 · 28-03-2026 09:18AM

It's not about time, it's about not having to drive.

I used to live in Munich, and for a while I had a 50 minute train commute. Some mornings I'd get on and one of my fellow passengers would already be fast asleep in their seat having boarded a couple of stops further out. Two stops before they got off, they'd stir a bit, and by the time the train got to their stop they were awake and ready to go. For them the journey wasn't a long commute, it was an extra snooze.

Try that in your car.

The Mathematician · 28-03-2026 10:56AM

It is also about consistency. If you are in a job where you have to start at a particular time, then if it takes one hour by car one day and two hours another (times just for the sake of argument, I don't know anything about this commute), then you have to allow two hours every day.

spacetweek · 28-03-2026 01:29PM

We’re getting into the soft benefits of rail now. This is an aspect that I think is often lost in Ireland, even the NTA themselves will dismiss public transport projects on the basis that it could be achieved more cheaply with buses or some other way. This wrongly assumes that the bus and the train are simply two ways of doing things and you just pick whichever is cheaper. Rail has many soft benefits.

When Eamon Ryan was minister for transport he went on about this a lot , and although I think his head was in the clouds on some issues he was totally right about this. Occasionally on Boards people have made comments about how some people have a boner for trains. If some seem to prefer and greatly push for trains, it’s because of those soft benefits, not some kind of fetish.

- Greater legroom, circulation space, tables
-Toilets

-Stations instead of stops often with parking

-Full or near full segregation from other forms of traffic

-Far greater capacity

-Greater space efficiency (buses take up a lot of road space)

-Less drivers needed for a given capacity

-Greater energy efficiency

-Expanding capacity usually does not increase congestion

thosewhoknow · 13-05-2026 12:05AM

https://www.lmfm.ie/news/lmfm-news/emerging-preferred-route-for-navan-rail-line-to-be-revealed-next-week/

Public consultation starts 20 May! It's hoped that it'll be off to ACP by 2028.

bk · 20-05-2026 10:08AM

Irish Rail have published the plans for the Emerging Route:

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/news/plans-for-new-navan-railway-published

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/navan-railway-line

Public Consultation:
https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/navan-railway-line/nspc1-epr

KrisW1001 · 20-05-2026 10:19AM

There has been a significant change here since the last route: The Dunshaughlin station is now proposed between M3 and the town - the previous route had it to the west of the motorway. That will definitely improve ridership, but will increase costs a bit: the rail line is most likely go over M3, which is built in in a cutting at both of the crossing points.

roadmaster · 20-05-2026 10:27AM

I see rte are saying its going to Connolly i presume thats a Typo and it will be going tp the new Spencer Dock?

cgcsb · 20-05-2026 10:28AM

We've had 2 years of delay for crayon in seems.

L1011 · 20-05-2026 10:30AM

Options report is quite exhaustive and seems to have been done mainly to stop "I want it diverted via Ashbourne" protests. So more a case of 2 years to avoid that, I think.

bk · 20-05-2026 10:32AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124484260#Comment_124484260

I assume they mean "Connolly area". Most of the general public don't really know about Spencer Dock yet. Having said that, trains could go into Connolly, that is more of an operational decision for IR. They could end up in Connolly, Docklands or SD or even a mix of those.

Zebra3 · 20-05-2026 10:32AM

Almost the same length as Malahide to Bray but serving a very low population….

bk · 20-05-2026 10:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124484279#Comment_124484279

I get what you mean, but I do think it is a great opportunity for significant Transient Oriented Development and in fill along the line.

Hopefully not too expensive to do it now going through mostly farmers fields.

Pete_Cavan · 20-05-2026 10:51AM

Happy they are proposing to cross the M3, Dunshaughlin is a big town and needs to be served properly. I don't see the sense in crossing the M3 again, only to have to go under it again later and then cross the Navan link road. Kilmessan offers next to nothing in terms of passengers and I'd imagine there'll be big opposition there.

Without having looked at the Preliminary Option Selection Report, I still think it would be easier to follow the M3 on the eastern side.

Zebra3 · 20-05-2026 10:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124484328#Comment_124484328

Yeah, if it happens there’s going to need to be an understanding that a lot of areas adjacent to the line are going to change dramatically.

A quick google for Kilmessan gives a projected population of 904 for 2027.

I don’t know how these CBAs work, but that’s an incredibly low figure.

Hotblack Desiato · 20-05-2026 10:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124484279#Comment_124484279

Well yeah. Annoying that places well outside the city are getting better public transport than much of Dublin itself.

Zebra3 · 20-05-2026 10:57AM

Also I’ve seen a figure of €600M for the 4km of light rail from Broombridge to Finglas.

What’s the estimate for 37km (I think it is) of a Dart line with just four stations serving two towns and a village?

cgcsb · 20-05-2026 10:58AM

Good Point. The objection people dont read reports though unfortunately.

One thing that struck me is the proposed station accesses seem to be anti ped/cyclist/public transport connection with very poor permeability proposed, which is typical IÉ practice. Hopefully that change at the design stage but if the M3 to Clonsilla line is anything to go by Irish Rail has a long tradition of anti permeability, and theyre not goong to change anytime soon. The Dunshaughlin station proposal looks especially maddening, the college Grove Estdte area will have the Irish Rail special 2km U shaped walk to reach the station 100m away as the crow flies.

myfreespirit · 20-05-2026 11:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124484352#Comment_124484352

RTÉ radio news just now in a piece about the emerging route, put it at 34km.

jimbob955 · 20-05-2026 12:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124484342#Comment_124484342

Isn't this the issue, in 20 years time Kilmessan could well have a population of 5,000+, all driving, all stuck in cars. Build the damn train line with appropriate thought out stations. Now drive future development along the new railway line and specifically near the new stations. Its not science of rockets.

Same issue I encountered at the Cork Luas public consultation. They are not beginning the LUAS west of ballincollig to Ovens/EMC, as there is not a strong enough business case. Expand the line now and prioritise future development west along the future Luas line, do not prioritize development in a car centric town like Carrigaline for example.

Kermit.de.frog · 20-05-2026 12:14PM

A railway line is not needed here and wouldnt be built for many, many years anyway. The much more cost and time effective option is to expand the M3 with additional lanes and junction improvements.