Minister Joe O’Brien welcomes the approval for the DART+ Coastal North Project which will service towns in Fingal
The Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, has secured agreement from the Cabinet today, 21 May 2024, for the DART+ Coastal North rail project to enter the planning system.
This major public transport project will extend the overhead electric wires on the DART system by 37km, from Malahide in north Dublin to Drogheda in Co. Louth. It will allow for fast, high-frequency and fully electrified DART trains to operate between Dublin city and Drogheda. This will upgrade the rail service to growing communities along the route, including at Clongriffin, Donabate, Balbriggan and Skerries.
Following Government approval today, a Railway Order (planning application) for the DART+ Coastal North project will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála by July. Subject to planning permission and funding arrangements, construction works on the route could commence later this decade, taking approximately three years to complete.
In the meantime, by 2026 there will be a significant boost to rail services between Dublin and Drogheda through the roll-out of 65 new battery-electric DART carriages. These new battery-electric DARTs will replace existing diesel services and provide sustainable modern trains to communities on the route. The development will also be a stepping-stone towards the Coastal North project involving overhead electrification and other capacity improvements on the route. For example, upon completion of DART+ Coastal North, passenger capacity between Malahide and Drogheda will increase from approximately 4,800 people travelling at peak hour in the busiest direction, to 8,800. This is an 83% increase.
Welcoming the announcement, Joe O’Brien TD said:
“I welcome the Government’s approval of DART+ Coastal North today as this development will allow people living along the North Dublin coastline to travel more efficiently and sustainably. The communities along this route are thriving and expanding so it is important that sustainable transport options are made available. Many commuters in Fingal will see the benefits of this expanded and improved service.”
