Will you be using it?
Commuters on this today’s 06.14hrs train from Newbridge to Grand Canal Dock were the first people to benefit from the new Phoenix Park Tunnel line.
Seven new morning peak trains serving all stations from Newbridge/Hazelhatch to Grand Canal Dock (including Drumcondra, Connolly, Tara Street and Pearse), and eight new evening peak trains from Grand Canal Dock also begin today, with limited stop services in the opposite direction.
Services will also ensure connections at Hazelhatch/Newbridge for customers travelling on longer distance commuter services to/from stations such as Kildare, Portlaoise and others.
In recent years, the line has been used for freight services, transfer of trains between maintenance depots, and special trains for events like matches, concerts and charters. The new commuter service though will give a new direct public transport connection between stations in south-west Dublin and north Kildare and the central business district between Connolly and Grand Canal Dock.
Welcoming the new service, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross TD said “I’m delighted to announce the opening of this key piece of our public transport service. The Phoenix Part tunnel line is a vital part of our rail infrastructure and I know that it will prove to be of immense benefit to the travelling public, as will other transport projects such as the Luas Cross City line which will open in 2017. As Minister for Transport I am very proud to be one of the first commuters to travel this line and I heartily encourage others to do so.”
The Phoenix Park Tunnel is 757 yards long. The full line from Islandbridge to Glasnevin Junction is 2.75 miles long, and after the tunnel section continues through Cabra before joining the Maynooth line at Glasnevin Junction.
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