DART+ (DART Expansion)

there was a plan in the 70's to put a motorway along the canal and railway, but it never got off the ground.

I think that was the Grand Canal on the Southside. The Royal Canal has very deep cuttings east of Clonsilla, and a huge embankment over the Rye water near Leixlip; not very easy just to lay 2 more tracks alongside the railway.

Both were proposed at various times. Within city bounds only, wouldn't have got as far out as Clonsilla

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/dublin-news/new-electric-dart-service-with-improved-accessibility-due-next-year/a1039699331.html

I see from this that the charging in Drogdeda will take "less than an hour".

Let's hope this is not true, but the ueusal cr*p reporting from the Indo.

BTW, I don't mean literally "not true", I mean misleading. Less than an hour signifies a lot more than 10 to 15 minutes to me.

new model requires a lot of testing. Though I also suspect that as IR always updates their timetable in early December they've decided they won't make the 2024 revision, so they can relax and aim for Dec. 2025.

Unless the plans have changed , the plan is/was for Maynooth-Bray, Maynooth/M3 parkway-Spencer Dock and Hazelhatch-GCD/Spencer Dock/Heuston

The only way you can 3 0r 4 track west of Glasnevin junction is through infill of the canal. CPOs won't do it.

For Drogheda trains, stopping at Dart stations probably won't add much time. While officially nonstop from Malahide to Connolly, you end up queuing behind Darts anyway.

Decent segment on Newstalk on Dart+ including interviews with IE & Alstom.

https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-the-hard-shoulder/new-fleet-of-electrified-trains-coming-to-dart-services

I'm not sure the BEMU version of the Xtrapolis in in service in Australia, but the regular EMUs are used all over the place. The Australian ones may be the latest version, though.

Yes, the batteries can be expanded or even removed to save weight. The products from all manufacturers have become highly modular: for instance Stadtler's latest FLIRT intercity trains can be swapped between diesel, EMU, BEMU or hydrogen power after purchase.

The NTA is wasting a lot of time and money with the approach they have

Kilcock is an obvious case for a limited frequency extension, doesn't require a new substation just a few hundred meters of wire. Numerous responses during public consultation pushed for Kilcock. Now we have to do another set of studies and planning, so € wasted

Same thing with a station at Cabra and Inchicore, more time and € wasted

You would think the NTA are on our side and pushing to get things done right and done quickly

Proposed for 14th Lock / Jackson's Bridge in the county development plan. Or possibly the local traffic plan. Either way, KCC want one even if the NTA don't

That would be linked to a new junction joining the M4 to the Maynooth Ring Road, which also doesn't exist yet

I would hope that the plan for Kilcock is more than just an extension of electrification. The existing station should be replaced by a new station west of the R125 where there is more space. Ideally it would have a U shaped platform with DART terminus in the middle and through tracks either side, thus allowing for easy transfer to other trains in both directions. A pedestrian/cycle over bridge and across the canal would provide an easy link to the town centre and encourage cycling to/from the station.

I also think an additional station on the eastern side of the town would make ssense. There has been a lot of development there and this would avoid residents having to travel west in order to go east. It could be a basic station, even one platform would suffice as it wouldn't be served trains going west of Kilcock.

The AISRR has no bearing on anything, it's not even worth mentioning.

The lack of space means that Maynooth will be extremely limited as an interchange station. It would be less an interchange, just Sligo trains stopping there in between DARTs.

At Kilcock, you could have new regional services (e.g. Longford to Kilcock) providing a useful level of frequency. Cross platform change to a waiting train would make it attractive. Could even develop a bit of passenger traffic between midlands towns on the line.