The Government of Ireland has reached an agreement to advance plans for the DART+ South West rail project.
As part of a broader expansion of DART services, this project is being developed to extend DART trains from Dublin city centre to Hazelhatch and Celbridge train station in Co. Kildare.
It will deliver a high-frequency and electrified rail service to communities along the route at Islandbridge, Park West and Cherry Orchard, as well as Clondalkin, Adamstown, and Celbridge and Hazelhatch.
By the end of this month, a railway order (planning application) for DART+ South West will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála after clearance from the Cabinet.
The DART+ South West line is said to have 20km of new electrified rail infrastructure.
Construction works for DART + South West are expected to begin in 2025, subject to planning permission and final funding arrangements. This infrastructure is anticipated to be delivered by the end of the decade.
The project will cover the building of a new station called Heuston West at Islandbridge besides the quadrupling of the rail track between Park West and Heuston.
It will also include the electrification of the Phoenix Park Tunnel along with the wider route, enabling DART trains to run between Hazelhatch/Celbridge and Connolly station (and beyond), as well as Heuston station.
DART+ South West comes under the multi-billion euro DART+ Programme, which is said to treble the present DART rail network from 53km to 150km.
It will help expand the DART to Drogheda to the north, Maynooth and M3 Parkway to the west and Hazelhatch and Celbridge to the south-west.
Ireland Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said: “The government’s approval of DART+ South West today highlights our commitment to invest in high-quality public transport and decarbonise Ireland’s transport system.
“This rail project will transform the lives of people living in communities along the route, giving them a fast, reliable and frequent train service into Dublin.”
