The next passenger train arriving in Navan will be in 13 years

Won't happen

The absolute lack of urgency or commitment to timelines on the part of TII, NTA, APB and DoT is the real root of the problem here. There's just this organisational indifference to targets and getting things done.

Not a hope in hell of this happening in 13 years or prob ever. There’ll be more studies and “feasibility” reports. The usual rubbish that goes on with any major infrastructure. Then they’ll probably end up recommending more buses on the M3 instead. There’s just no political will to build infrastructure in this country- the last time I can remember was the motorway push in the 2000s. Since then, crumbs at best

Look at the metro. The biggest requirement and priority as regards public transport infrastructure in Ireland… yet …….

Construction start date : unknown

completion date : unknown

service commencement : unknown

Planned for since 2005 yet not a shovel in the ground yet and no apparent idea when there will be one…

planning permission for the rebranded Metrolink wasn’t sought until last October, 2022.

Navan …it will be kicked down the road, put in front of various committees, changed, edited to an inferior version and fûcked up like everything else. All at a significant extra cost to the taxpayers.

how come it’s so impossible in this country to plan, approve build and implement these services with efficiency and with the requirements of citizens in mind.

The Navan rail idea wont be changed or edited to an inferior version as they are starting off with the crappiest version which is following the Victorian alignment which has no advantages (as much of the line is gone, it needs to be rebuilt from scratch and land needs to be CPOed) and avoids population centres. Can't edit to inferior when the starting point is the worst version possible.

Your criticism of Metrolink is stupid tbh, it needs to obtain a RO before a construction or completion date can be confirmed. The hurdles need to be cleared one at a time, no point setting a date for several hurdles down the line when you don't know when you'll have cleared the current hurdle.

The Navan-Drogheda line is Navan's own Phoenix Park tunnel: a perfectly feasible bit of infrastructure that could and should be used in its own right irrespective of whether there's a direct line to Dublin, but one which risks instead being used to scupper the direct Navan-Dublin line at some point in the future.

disgraceful to be honest.

the whole lot could have, dispite the recession, been finished in 2010 to navan if there really was a will.

there wasn't then and i believe there isn't now and there won't be in 13 years.

There is no Northern Line capacity to add direct services via Drogheda

There is no space on existing Drogheda trains to add a shuttle either. It would need to be seen after a period of time after DART+ started on the Northern Line to see whether this could be accommodated.

There will probably be some form of DMU stock available - 2600s displaced by refurbed 29000s maybe - to do an el cheapo shuttle at that point. But realistically if a service started via Drogheda, there would probably never be a service via Clonsilla.

The greens in power, tens of billions this year alone, in unexpected tax revenue, climate emergency. This little island still can't organise anything... I'm sick of hearing all this environment concern or feigned concern from the government, where they blatantly couldn't care less or collosally reducing transport emissions, soon, would be a top priority and vote winner...

Letter in today's IT a perfect example of the crayoner mentality:

Sure why have a direct route when you can slowly meander off through the countryside (going further away from your destination!) and then deliver your passengers to a line which is already over capacity 🙄

How is the issue of crossing the M3 going to be solved though? edit: there is provision of sorts for an underpass https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/111986986/#Comment_111986986

It'd be nice if one of the knowledgeable people here would write in a rebuttal 😉

lettersed AT irishtimes.com

It’s not a ridiculous proposal for a quick win upgrade of the existing line and running some trains from Navan to Dublin along the existing alignment. Utilising existing infra to provide service at a minimal cost is surely something to consider; the more ambitious plans for a completely new alignment can be advocated for in parallel.

The knowledgeable posters always reject this out of hand, but if passenger trains were running from Navan to Connolly people would use them.

you're ready to go all guns blazing storming into a room , that , not only is there a giant elephant in the room , but its blocking the entrance, and any hope of you getting into the room......

The point here is :

1. Capacity/Paths paths out of Drogheda/Balbriggan/Skerries
2. Capacity/Paths on the Malahide/Howth DARTs
3. Capacity/paths into Connolly from the Northern line

You're suggesting through extra services onto a route that has no spare capacity, and thats without even considering the issues from Navan into Drogheda.

Would surely take at least 90 mins to get from navan to Dublin via this route? Assuming a fairly seamless connection at Drogheda to Connolly

The Dart+ Coastal North Railway Order includes a new "Platform 4" at Drogheda to serve the Navan line.

This is from the Dart+ website. Not sure if the RO docs have more details on any planned passenger services to Navan.

A sub one hour journey time would be possible for some services. Currently the quickest service from Drogheda to Connolly is 35mins. The branch to Navan is only 27km and is fairly straight, so would only take additional 15mins.

The problem is time. Navan has a regular half hourly bus service to Dublin and a regular direct bus service to Dublin airport. The train going via Drogheda cannot compete with either of these services time wise. In addition the Park and ride facility is only 30km ish from Navan just past the M3 toll.

The route via Drogheda is too long/slow compared to existing services car or bus.

There have been people in Navan calling for a train to Dublin for decades the fact that there has never been any significant calls to use the Drogheda line should tell you all about how acceptable this option would be.

The thing about the rail link to Dublin is that its not specifically about a "railway" its about an efficient public transport link to Dublin City centre. A railway is perceived as a far better link than the current bus service. If you love railways yes the Drogheda route would work but I'd argue anyone who advocates this option completely misunderstands what the people representing Navan want.

The fact is there is a demand for a direct railway from Navan to Dublin. The large amount of buses that go from/through Navan on the way to Dublin on a daily basis is testament to that. I'd argue Navan has better connections to Dublin City centre and airport than certain parts of Dublin city itself.

However despite this clear demand the project has stalled unlike some other railway projects that have happened(looking at a certain railway in the west of Ireland). The only thing that I do concede is that Navans proximity to Dublin makes things a lot more complicated. Higher land values and higher population(more people to object and just annoy in general ie when they realise a new railway will run along the back of their house etc).

Why not just run a Navan-Drogheda shuttle? Not everyone is going to Dublin help connect Navan to other places like Dundalk, Balbriggan, Malahide and Belfast.