Dart line extension works begin in Kildare and Meath this weekend

Rail passengers urged to plan ahead as Dart+ West works begin

The work is part of a wider plan to expand the Dart network towards Co Meath and Co Kildare, including improved rail services for M3 Parkway and Kilcock. 

The project will also involve installing overhead electrical equipment, increasing capacity and building a new depot.

Passengers using the line will need to make alternative arrangements over the coming days. 

The final train departing M3 Parkway is due to run on Friday evening, with regular services expected to resume on Monday. 

Irish Rail will provide replacement buses between Clonsilla and M3 Parkway throughout Saturday and Sunday, according to The Irish Times.

Rail expansion takes major step forward, minister says

Approximately 140 Irish Rail staff will be involved in the initial works. They will lower sections of track beneath two bridges near Hansfield and reshape the track formation to accommodate the electrical infrastructure required for future services.

Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien announced the start of the work during an event at Dunboyne station on Wednesday. 

He was accompanied by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers and Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless.

O’Brien said the programme had reached a turning point, with Dart+ West becoming the first major element of the Dart+ expansion to enter construction. 

The wider programme aims to increase capacity and modernise the rail network.

Business cases for two Dart projects to go before Government

Preparations for the project extend beyond the railway itself. The Government has begun acquiring land through compulsory purchase procedures and is negotiating with approximately 200 landowners whose properties may be affected.

The financial and procurement stages are also progressing. O’Brien said the business cases for Dart+ West and Dart Southwest would be submitted to the Government shortly before the schemes move to tender.

Most of the railway orders needed to authorise the work, effectively the equivalent of planning permission, are already in place. 

Permission for the proposed depot remains outstanding and will require a separate application.

This weekend’s track alterations are an early step towards delivering the larger scheme, with further work needed before electric services can operate along the extended route.