DART+ (DART Expansion)

Hopefully those merges will be minimized as the majority of Dart SW trains can solely use the PPT and the northern two tracks of the 4-track Kildare line. Emerging from the PPT, trains can only use the Drumcondra section and head to Spencer Dock or Connolly. The Maynooth Darts can merge onto either the Royal Canal or Drumcondra sections. If they use the Royal Canal section, they have to terminate at Spencer Dock.

It remains to be seen what service patterns are chosen, but if all Maynooth Darts use the Royal Canal and terminate at Spencer Dock, then there won't be any conflict between West and SW Darts.

But of course the addition of some Intercity and Commuter services will create conflicts. North Strand junction into Connolly will be the biggest issue, for which the only solution is a DU Tunnel.

The drawings that are on the railway order site will have all of the details you want.

https://www.dartplus.ie/en-ie/railwayorder/dart-south-west-railway-order

Book 1, Railway Works Plan is the one you need.

There is very little new land take for these works, but some retaining walls have been moved out in places.

I believe they’re upgrading northern two lines (ie. the up slow and up fast lines) so as to not require a crossover to access the PPT. They’ll be sunken slightly crossing under the South Circular Rd at Islandbridge Jnct so as to fit the wires but I believe that’s the only track work that’s being done, aside from adding the 4th track for the last 4km to Heuston - open to correction on that though

Most of the SW cortidor is already four tracks thanks to previous investments in the 2000s.. from looking at the drawings it seems that these works were done with future electrification in mind, and will just need installation of the necessary equipment.

However, because of space and cost constraints at the time, the 4 km or so coming in to Heuston was not expanded to four tracks (it currently has three tracks for most of the length): this will be changed to having four tracks all the way through. Also the two electrified tracks that will be assigned to DART will be changed in order to allow seamless running to the Phoenix Park Tunnel (currently, any trains for the PPT have to cross the path of trains bound for Heuston).

The drawings use a colour code to show which tracks require new construction (moving or new build), and which are just electrification of what's already there.

Have another look at the project drawings.

The overtaking problem will largely go away - it only exists now because slow and fast services are not segregated coming in to Heuston. The majority of Heuston-bound "slow" services are being replaced by electric trains - the electrification work also includes platforms 5,6,7,8 at Heuston, as well as the new West platforms and the PPT. That only leaves the regional commuter trains which I suspect will end up stopping only at Hazelhatch (change for DART) and Heuston: these services can use the fast lines in and out of Heuston without delaying inter city trains.

The current arrangement of slow tracks in the middle would make electrification works, and subsequent maintenance much more expensive. Placing both 1500 V tracks to one side allows pylons and cabling to be located at the outside of the railway corridor, rather than having to route it under or over the fast tracks.

Also does anyone know what the plan for Glasnevin is…? I assume a mix (about half and half) of the SW and W DARTs will go to Spencer Dock and the other half south to Bray, but does anyone know will Glasnevin be getting 4 platforms…? As in 2 spanning the line to Deumcondra and 2 for the Royal Canal branch straight to Spencer Dock…? I assume (and hope) so but you’d never know…

@oisinCooke The extra platform at Hazelhatch would allow a DART train to wait for an inbound regional service: ideally, when you get off one train, the connecting train is always waiting on another platform, even if your regional train was delayed.

The extra platform at Adamstown is useful if Hazelhatch becomes the only stop for regional services, as it will allow for a second inbound DART at times when the train from Hazelhatch is filled up with transfer passengers. (and in reverse in the evening peak)

Ahhh ok yes actually that makes a lot of sense I hadn’t thought about it from a perspective of DART services taking passengers off regional and some intercity services at Hazelhatch.

Speaking of which it might become useful in a post-metro world to have all inbound intercity services interconnect with DART services somewhere to allow transfer to Glasnevin and onward to the airport… Really this could be at any of the stations between Hazelhatch and Heuston however the addition of an extra 2 platforms would be ideal to minimise disruption and Adamstown or Kishogue are the best located places to construct these in terms of available space.

Outer up platform at all those stations is essentially emergency use only surely and I'd presume was basically always planned that way (as well as providing option flexibility when upgrading to Dart)

Just to be clear, there are four platforms at all of the stations between Parkwest and Hazelhatch, with one on each of the running lines.

Adamstown and Hazelhatch each have an additional turnback platform allowing trains to switch direction without blocking the running lines.

Without adding any additional through platforms, stopping every train at one of the stations along this section of the line would have a seriously negative impact on the line capacity.

If you are going to have every single train on the fast line stopping at Hazelhatch (for example), then that in itself reduces the number of trains that can be run on the line, as there won’t be any trains running through at line speed.

But if they all have to use the same platform then that just slows everything up even further, as trains would have to queue up to serve the station.

Say one train needed slightly longer than scheduled to stop then every train behind would have to wait. Having additional platforms allows another train to arrive while the first train departs.

The current set up works far better from a line capacity perspective as Cork trains benefit from the line speed all the way to Portlaoise, having the stopping service from Heuston feeding into them there.

Services are “flighted” to maximise line capacity - send out a couple of fast services together ahead of a stopping service.

Any news at all expected from Dart+West RO, any indications when we could get some news?

Just realised it's 2 years old already https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314232

😔

The two new tracks will be on the CIE Works side of the railway line. Some houses on Landen will lose the ends of their gardens. Its all online pardon the pun.

Critical infrastructure should have a simple 6 month path through planning in which its decided a)does it comply with all the regs, b)does it put anyone out

Most likely both is yes, so then some experts decide how much compensation is required for the people who are put out by the development, they are paid and that's it. No theatre required.