Dublin’s Dart Plus Coastal North Project Expands Electrified Rail Network To Drogheda, Enhancing Commuter Services And New Routes In Ireland

Published on September 15, 2025

The Dart+ Coastal North project, a important inaugural to heighten Dublin’s commuter obstruction network, has officially moved guardant pinch nan issuance of a Railway Order. This marks a important milestone successful nan project, arsenic nan attraction now shifts to procurement. Once completed, nan task will widen nan electrified Dublin Area Rapid Transit (Dart) strategy by an awesome 37 kilometers, stretching from Malahide to Drogheda, improving connectivity, capacity, and sustainability for commuters walking on this engaged corridor.

Project Scope and Benefits

The Dart+ Coastal North task is portion of Ireland’s obstruction transformation, which seeks to supply a modern, efficient, and environmentally sustainable mode of carrier for commuters successful nan greater Dublin area. In summation to nan electrification of nan obstruction line, nan task will besides see broad resignalling of nan line, which presently serves Irish Rail’s (IÉ) diesel mainline trains. The resignalling will guarantee that nan strategy operates efficiently and tin accommodate nan accrued postulation expected arsenic a consequence of nan expanded service.

As portion of nan project, nan obstruction infrastructure will beryllium upgraded astatine respective cardinal stations on nan route, including Drogheda MacBride, Malahide, Clongriffin, and Howth Junction & Donaghmede. These upgrades will thief amended position facilities, making them much accessible and amended suited to grip nan accrued capacity of passengers that nan caller electrified strategy will bring.

A captious characteristic of nan task is nan building of a new platform astatine Drogheda MacBride station. This will let for amended handling of passengers and support services specified arsenic Howth to Dublin city and Howth to Howth Junction Dart services, ensuring soft operations crossed nan expanded Dart network.

Key Elements of nan Project

Several cardinal elements dress up nan scope of nan Dart+ Coastal North project, which will importantly amended Dublin’s obstruction infrastructure and commuter services:

• Civil, Bridge, and Ancillary Works: The task will see basal civilian useful specified arsenic span replacements, way reconfiguration, and upgrades to various structures to support nan caller electrified obstruction system.
• Station Upgrades: Howth Junction & Donaghmede station will acquisition extended improvements to summation rider capacity and facilitate much predominant services. The level astatine Drogheda MacBride will beryllium redesigned and expanded to accommodate higher numbers of passengers and nan caller fleet of Dart trains.
• Upgrades to Depots: The Fairview and Drogheda depots will beryllium upgraded to support nan caller Dart fleet, which will beryllium supplied by Alstom, a starring world shaper of obstruction transport. These upgrades will guarantee that nan fleet is maintained to nan highest standards and will thief summation nan wide reliability of nan system.
• Track Layout Reconfiguration: North of Malahide, nan way layout will beryllium reconfigured to supply a turnback facility. This characteristic is important arsenic it ensures operations stay businesslike while avoiding imaginable disruption to adjacent residential areas. This turnback installation will let for amended guidance of obstruction services and soft cognition during highest times.

Procurement and Construction Timeline

With nan readying support now successful place, nan adjacent shape of nan task is nan procurement process, which will impact appointing contractors for nan creation and building phases. The procurement process is expected to return respective months, aft which elaborate creation activity will begin.

Once nan elaborate designs are finalized, building is expected to return approximately 3 years to complete. The first shape of building will impact upgrading nan infrastructure, including stations, way alignment, and electrification works. The afloat project, erstwhile completed, will supply a seamless and modern obstruction work connecting Drogheda to Dublin, importantly reducing recreation clip for commuters.

Impact connected Commuters and Communities

The Dart+ Coastal North task is group to transform commuter services for thousands of group who recreation regular betwixt Dublin and nan bluish suburbs. The extended electrified statement will consequence successful a more frequent and reliable work for communities on nan route. Commuters will use from shorter recreation times, little congestion connected nan roads, and much sustainable proscription options, arsenic nan electrification of nan obstruction statement will trim c emissions associated pinch travel.

This is important arsenic Dublin and its surrounding areas proceed to grow, pinch expanding numbers of group needing entree to businesslike nationalist transport.

Part of a Larger Transformation

The Dart+ Coastal North task is portion of a larger inaugural known arsenic nan Dart+ Programme, which intends to electrify and expand nan Dublin Area Rapid Transit web to make it a much modern and sustainable carrier system. This inaugural besides includes nan Dart+ West and Dart+ South West projects, which person already received readying approval. Preliminary activity is underway for different parts of nan Dart+ programme, including nan Dart+ Coastal South hold and a caller fleet attraction depot astatine Maynooth.

Conclusion

The Dart+ Coastal North task marks a pivotal infinitesimal successful Dublin’s carrier evolution. By extending electrification to Drogheda and upgrading cardinal infrastructure, this inaugural will importantly amended commuter services, trim c emissions, and support sustainable municipality growth. With building slated to statesman successful nan coming years, Dublin’s obstruction web is group to go much efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly, offering a brighter early for each those who trust connected nationalist carrier to navigate nan metropolis and its suburbs.