Navan Rail Line

MayoSalmon · 21-05-2026 10:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124486819#Comment_124486819

Yeah tripled from 2,000 to 6,000 lol

bk · 21-05-2026 10:59AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124486985#Comment_124486985

Yes, I did mention in my comment that it grew from a low bar! However it does show the appetite for growth in these smaller villages near Dublin.

And that growth was without a railway line there. What do you think is going to happen when you stick a DART station next to this town, with a 15 minute frequency and 50 minute journey time to Connolly Area. Oh and eventually connection to Metrolink!!

Seriously the population will explode!

JohnDoe2025 · 21-05-2026 11:10AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124486851#Comment_124486851

You have a point when you look at what is happening in pharma and tech.

Pharma isn't investing because of the Trump trade agenda.

Tech isn't investing in people, and is downsizing because of AI.

The transient elements of those areas may leave Ireland to follow jobs, thereby reducing the potential population increase and easing the demands on housing.

Citizen Six · 21-05-2026 11:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124486636#Comment_124486636

It's the same line, this is just an extension to it from M3 Parkway.

KrisW1001 · 21-05-2026 11:51AM

To add to that: “Rural Ireland” doesn’t really exist. It’s something made up by right-wing politicians to appeal to a kind of nostalgia people have of the 70s and 80s: GAA matches in the mud, hot scones from mammy's range, a bottle of red lemonade and a pack of Taytos in the pub while yer dad watches the horse-racing… Oh, and only the personal freedoms the Church allows you to have, widespread poverty, endemic corruption, and covert abuse of thousands of kids as well - but sure it was fine because you were still allowed to say you hated the gays or the blacks without people telling you you were a prick. And that last bit is the real thing they want to bring back.

Truth is, everyone in Rural Ireland depends on Urban Ireland and everyone in Urban Ireland depends on Rural Ireland too. We’re too small a country to pretend we have vast differences: after all, most Irish people living in our city suburbs were farmers less than three generations ago.

bk · 21-05-2026 12:27PM

Plus Dunshaughlin is like 25km from the GPO, that is the same distance as Maynooth and Greystones, it isn't exactly the middle of nowhere! Maynooth and Greystones are both 20k+ towns. I'd see no reason why it won't grow to a similar size.

We just aren't really use to thinking about the city growing in that direction, but it very much will. Much of Dublin's population growth will happen to the North (ML - Swords and Northern Line) and to he West (DART+). The South of the city has limited growth potential due to the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains.

cgcsb · 21-05-2026 12:54PM

This is the type of infrastructure that should have been in place 40 years ago. We're basically catching up at the moment. Its now looking like our population will stagnate and begin contracting in 10 years time or so due to low birth rate, AI and improving robotics solving staff shortages and reducing the demand for migrant workers, new EU level agreements will likely mean the off-shoring of illegal migration to 3rd countries. Hopefully development plans will be successful and more people will live in city centres instead of commuter towns also.

But again we're building for 40 years ago at the moment, we're very far from the danger zone of too much infrastructure. Which official Ireland seems deathly afraid of despite having never experienced it.

bk · 21-05-2026 01:11PM

I actually think this is a major problem with the mindset of some older people in this country.

The think that our current population growth is a flash in the pan and that at any moment we will return to a poor country with high emigration.

They fail to understand that we are now a “rich”, modern European country, with a very well educated work force and the only English speaking EU country (sort of Malta). We are an extremely attractive destination for highly educated immigrants.

Sure there will be ups and downs along the way, there maybe a normal recession, but realistically the fundamentals of our country are great and growth is highly likely to go only one way.

This sort of conservative thinking is why we have such an infrastructure deficit, why we are so slow to build. You don’t see such conservative thinking from like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, no there are out there building Metros, S-Bahns, etc.

Buffman · 21-05-2026 02:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124485802#Comment_124485802

Exactly, anyone arguing against Kilmessen station would presumably have argued against Hazelhatch station in the middle of nowhere and look how it's doing now.

I'm sure commuters over in that Trim side of Meath who currently have to travel a fair distance on local/regional roads to get to the M3/M4 corridors would love to have the option of a 10-15 minute drive/shuttle bus to Kilmessen train station.

In the true spirt of Hazelhatch and Celbridge station they should name that new station 'Kilmessen and Trim'.

jimbob955 · 21-05-2026 02:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487354#Comment_124487354

A lot of older people just don't want anything, nothing different, nothing new,

They are against so many initiatives, afraid of change, afraid of the impact on them (though its an awful thing to say, they won't be alive when the infrastructure planned is finally delivered)

I've see it so many times around Cork both local and urban:

They don't want a greenway near them - even though it could be a safe space for their grandkids. or maybe could bring some jobs to their local area.

2. They don't want to give up a little bit of their front garden to build a tramlane, - even though it will make their house more valuable

3. They don't want to give up a little bit of their front garden to build a buslane, - even though it might help with traffic congestion

4. They don't want land rezoned near them - even though it might give their kids, nieces/nephews/ grandkids an option to stay in the area

5. No to solar or wind farms - even though it might give cheaper electricity

No to everything, always NO, never an alternative option, just always negative, complaining, moaning

breezy1985 · 21-05-2026 02:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487354#Comment_124487354

Even if the population regresses it will still increase in urban areas and areas we'll connected to urban centres. So even if the country doesn't have an overall population increase Navan probably will.

JohnDoe2025 · 21-05-2026 02:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487607#Comment_124487607

It is not just older people.

Younger people have been leading the objections to the redevelopment of the eyesore and streetscape killer also known as the Stephen's Green shopping centre.

bk · 21-05-2026 02:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487668#Comment_124487668

I'd have to completely disagree with you on that one! The replacement design is a horrible looking thing. Just another ugly looking office block type building. I honestly don't know how you think that ugly thing would improve the street scape!

PeadarCo · 21-05-2026 06:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124486819#Comment_124486819

The thing a lot of people miss, is that outside peak the current M3 spur only really serves Dunboyne. The numbers on the shuttle between M3 and Clonsilla are awful.

Hansfield is about 2km give or take from Clonsilla. Clonsilla can just about serve the Hansfield area for anyone walking or cycling. Outside peak hours the bus is generally a better option than driving to the M3 Parkway, paying the toll and then taking an hourly train.

Building the line to Navan would enhance the usage of existing spur as you could justify running more trains off peak.

alias no.9 · 21-05-2026 07:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487699#Comment_124487699

The thing about St Stephens Green Shopping Center is that it's not that old, it's completely incongruous with it's surroundings, and if it had never been built, there'd be no prospect of building something similar, in the same location, now. Simply because it exists, it must somehow be preserved at all costs?

I don't disagree about the bland design of the proposed replacement but that's what gets through the planning system, bland, inoffensive muck.

The Georgians had no regard for anything that came before, they tore it all down but we tie ourselves up in knots at the idea of building anything over 4 stories anywhere near a Georgians street. Old and new can coexist side by side without the new being a pastiche of the old.

GeneHunt · 22-05-2026 11:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124486985#Comment_124486985

bk's figures are pretty much spot on, Dunshaughlin is one of the fastest growing towns in Meath, it grew 65% between 2016 and 2022, and its still growing. Going by the CSO figures for 2022, the population was 6,644 and that was 4 years ago now, I wouldn't be surprised if todays figures are over 8,000.

Bk said 25 years, so in 1996 the population was 2,136, that in my book is "tripled"

https://www.citypopulation.de/en/ireland/towns/meath/11411__dunshaughlin/

CrabRevolution · 24-05-2026 07:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124487607#Comment_124487607

I'm broadly in line with what you're arguing, but more solar and wind have yet to bring cheaper electricity. No matter what the source, the consumer gets charged the cost of the most expensive method of generation.

KrisW1001 · 24-05-2026 10:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124496490#Comment_124496490

It's a sharp tipping point that we're getting close to. Right now, we are still too reliant on gas, so it dictates the wholesale more often. Often we're buying gas-sourced electricity from the UK that has been priced out of their own grid by renewables (domestic and continental) and nuclear, but is still cheaper than generating from gas here (economies of scale, shorter gas supply chain, etc).

The Celtic interconnector will give us access to the same continental surplus renewable energy that pushes UK prices down, and it also gives us a better opportunity to sell our own surplus renewables to the continent. Right now our only export market is the UK and usually if we've got excess wind energy, so do they, so they're rarely willing to buy at a good price.

spacetweek · 24-05-2026 10:32PM

Also, with a Virginia bypass, Kells and Virginia will be less than a 25 min car journey from Navan North where they could park and ride. Or bus and ride.

Thrilled about the deviation closer to Dunshotgun.

Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre is gorgeous. The only people that hate architectural pastiche are architects. The public love it.

Pete_Cavan · 25-05-2026 06:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124497111#Comment_124497111

I was thinking that a P&R station should be included beside M3 J8. The junction would have to be modified but the rail line is to pass under the M3 <500m from there. That would make it very easy for those north of Navan to jump off the motorway to take the train and back onto the motorway later.

Navan North is too far from the motorway for a P&R, would only create traffic congestion and wouldn't be particularly attractive for commuters. NN should be a station for locals (of whom there are already plenty and potential for lots more) and prioritize active and public transport as means of accessing the station.

Exiled Rebel · 25-05-2026 08:25AM

Has there been any talk of a spur line for Ratoath? A town that is completely car centric has seen massive population growth over the past 20+ years.

KrisW1001 · 25-05-2026 08:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124497460#Comment_124497460

There’s been talk here, but I think it would end up not being viable. Anyone in Ratoath looking to travel to the western side of Dublin could use the Dunshaughlin P+R, though.

I’ve often thought there could be a case for a new DART line, the famous “Airport spur”, but with more ambition, running between N2 and N1, serving Swords West, Rowlestown, Ashbourne, Garristown, Duleek and then either back to Drogheda (via the east end of the existing Navan-Drogheda line), or up to Slane.

L1011 · 25-05-2026 09:06AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124497460#Comment_124497460

Its in the options report. Expensive and complicated and would reduce service frequencies for Navan.

Exiled Rebel · 25-05-2026 04:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124497547#Comment_124497547

Fair enough. It'll be interesting to see if the location of the train station adds to congestion during rush hour in Dunshaughlin town centre from the added draw of commuters from the Ratoath direction.

My sister lives in the latter and said it would be very handy for them to have a train to Dublin from the proposed location in Dunshaughlin, I'm sure there's other residents of Ratoath who feel the same.

Pete_Cavan · 25-05-2026 07:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124497460#Comment_124497460

A spur to Ratoath won't be possible with the M3 crossing so close to Dunshaughlin as is proposed. To get to Ratoath, the rail line would have to cross the M3 further south. My suggestion before was to cross at the current toll booth location (buy out the remaining contract, a new approach to motorway charging is needed across the network anyway).

CrabRevolution · 25-05-2026 08:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124497087#Comment_124497087

I'd love to believe that, but it has a big "In 10 years' time we'll have fusion energy and electricity will be too cheap to meter" feel to it.

We're a long way away from renewables being our dominant energy supply, and I've every confidence that even after the Celtic interconnector is completed, we will see no reduction in prices because they will price it to Irish market norms. They'd be stupid not to.

bk · 25-05-2026 09:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124499209#Comment_124499209

Renewables hit 48% in April, they are already our dominant electricity generator. Gas was just 35%, with the balance being interconnectors at 16%.

Though, this is completely off topic for this thread.

Consonata · 25-05-2026 11:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124484598#Comment_124484598

This reads like satire

DaBluBoi · 26-05-2026 12:33AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124497460#Comment_124497460

Most I could see in terms of rail is to have the proposed Clongriffin - Airport DART link be extended from airport to serve Ashbourne and Ratoath before ending at Dunshaughlin, post-Metrolink. Even then, tunneling through the airport and land acquisition for this new stretch would be very costly

bk · 26-05-2026 09:20AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124499700#Comment_124499700

I think a more realistic scenario is that you extend Metrolink to meet the Northern line, either at Donabate or Rusk and Lusk. Donabate would actually be 2km shorter then a DART spur, but more importantly no need for a second expensive tunnel and big second heavy rail station under the airport, just reuse the Metrolink ones.

You could also spur Metrolink towards Ashbourne and Ratoath, north of Swords. Surprisingly it would be slightly shorter distance by 1 or 2 km then going via the airport. Though again the real saving is not needing an even longer tunnel under the airport.

Perhaps a more controversial idea is that you extend the Luas Finglas line to Ashbourne and Ratoath. Controversial as people don’t really think of Trams/Luas for longer distances like this. However Germany and Denmark do use higher spec trams with higher speeds of 100km/h and more seats and more comfortable seating to serve commuter towns just like this. We could potentially think about doing the same. They actually mix both the 70kmh trams and 100kmh trams in the city center, with the higher spec ones only making the longer journey out.

As an aside, Ashbourne to the GPO is 20km, if Luas gets extended to Bray then that will also be 20km. So not such a crazy idea, but I would like to see higher spec trams used for such a service.

Navan Rail Line

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