The extension of the Dart rail network to Drogheda has taken a step closer after Iarnród Éireann lodged a Railway Order application with An Bord Pleanála to extend the electrified Dart network from Malahide to Drogheda MacBride station.
The Dart+ Coastal North project aims to significantly increase the capacity and frequency of trains between Dublin and Drogheda. Upon completion, the peak hourly capacity between Malahide and Drogheda will nearly double, rising from about 4,800 to 8,800 passengers.
In advance of the full electrification, commuters will benefit from new battery-electric Dart trains by early 2026. These trains will operate on electricity from the city centre to Malahide and continue under battery power to Drogheda. The construction of charging facilities at Drogheda is already under way, with the first trains set to arrive in Ireland this autumn.
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The statutory public consultation period for the Dart+ Coastal North project will run from July 19th to September 20th. This marks the third Dart+ line to reach the statutory planning phase, following the Dart+ West and Dart+ Southwest projects.
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Funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority under Project Ireland 2040, Dart+ Coastal North will offer enhanced and more sustainable transport options for communities in Drogheda, east Meath, and north Co Dublin.
Iarnród Éireann’s chief executive, Jim Meade, emphasised the transformative impact on commuting for communities along the Drogheda/Howth to Dublin railway corridor.
“It will make travelling more sustainable, frequent and reliable,” he said.
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