IARNRÓD ÉIREANN will this morning carry out test runs on trains across a rail bridge over the river Dodder in south Dublin to see if it can reopen southbound Dart services earlier than planned.
If the results are good it may be possible to reopen the section of rail line between Grand Canal Dock and Sydney Parade by midweek.
This section of line has been closed for over a week after floods damaged the ground in the vicinity of a pier at the Dodder bridge, to the south end of Lansdowne Road station.
The closure has resulted in major disruption for up to 30,000 commuter trips between the city centre and southern suburbs.
Iarnród Éireann spokesman Barry Kenny said “excellent progress has been made to date” on repair works. “Engineers now plan to operate test locomotives across the bridge [today] and, subject to these tests being successful, the line would reopen in midweek, earlier than originally planned.”
Mr Kenny said the company expected to be in a position to confirm a reopening date and time this afternoon.
In Co Wexford, services are operating from Rosslare or Gorey to Bray with bus transfers between Bray and Dublin Connolly. Commuter services from Drogheda or Maynooth to Dún Laoghaire and Bray are only operating from Drogheda or Maynooth to Pearse station.
Dublin Bus is accepting rail tickets for customers travelling south of Pearse station. Iarnród Éireann said a shuttle bus between Sydney Parade and Grand Canal Dock is in operation from 7am to 10am and from 3pm to 7.30pm.
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