DART+ (DART Expansion)

The current order will be here and in use long before Kilcock gets built. They can’t order any new trains until it’s built though. That doesn’t include any replacements for the 8100 fleet.

Its not part of DART+ West. It might, but probably won't, appear with the Kilcock DART+ stuff

Why do one very minor project when you can do two right over twice the time, right?

Sound be included now. But this being Ireland…

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/news/The-DART-is-40%21

First of the new Dart fleet to be unveiled in October.

Interesting it specifically mentions a Dart to wicklow, saying that an option and feasibility study is due to report in the autumn.

Costal south says that ‘Proposals to enhance capacity to/from Greystones being developed’, which seems to confirm what others have said about other elements of the project being scrapped - and still no date for consultation.

Interesting to see that 20% of energy is recouped through regenerative braking.

It isn't, it returns the regenerated power to the grid

will believe when I see.

Would have to be entirely new build lines; and to where?

Only "suburb" of Waterford is Tramore; which only ever had a direct, unconnected to anything, line. South Wexford line notably served nowhere of scale, Dungarvan line is a very successful greenway and none of the towns close by are particularly big

Guys there is an election coming soon. Even if entirely unplausible to have DART in Waterford, these guys will say anything to get votes. A Tramore luas would be good, but I'm pretty sure the bus service does an alright job already.

Jesus wept, this is a DART+ thread and all of a sudden we are on about Waterford and Tramore!

A planning inspector with An Bord Pleanála submitted their report on
Dart+ West to the planning authority’s board for a decision nearly 180
days ago, but the board still has yet to approve or reject the project.

Irish Rail submitted the Railway Order, a type of planning
permission, for the project just under two years ago on July 29, 2022.
Different sources said it is felt that the board would rule on the issue
soon but expressed frustration at the length of time the project has
spent in the planning system.

The main element of the project includes electrifying the Maynooth
line and closing level crossings. It will allow the line to go from six
trains per hour with a capacity of five thousand passengers to 12 trains
per hour with a capacity of over 13,000 passengers.

But Dart+ West is seen as a critical project for Dart expansion,
especially given the inclusion of a large depot on the route. Additional
orders of Dart carriages, beyond what’s planned for the Northern Line
expansion using hybrid battery/overhead electric trains, are on hold
until the planning decision is made.

Cllr Feljin Jose (Green Party), a Dublin City-based councillor and
former chair of the Dublin Commuter Coalition, said An Bord Pleanála
told him that the inspector’s report was submitted to the board over 170
days ago.

Cllr Jose said: “The staffing issues at An Bord Pleanála are well
documented, but we’ve seen very little improvement on the time it takes
for large transport projects to be approved by An Bord Pleanála. Dart+
West has been with An Bord Pleanála for almost two years now, of which
six months have been spent waiting for final approval of the planning
inspector’s report.”

He said: “This is a major source of delay for projects like Dart+,
MetroLink and BusConnects and won’t improve until we see a massive
increase in the size and resources available An Bord Pleanála.”

Mark Gleeson, a spokesperson for Rail Users Ireland, said: “The big
constraint [with Dart expansion] now is the lack of the new depot in
Maynooth. Until that is done, there will be no more orders to expand the
fleet, and Irish Rail is still awaiting the railway order. They could
replace the existing 1984 fleet, but no more.”

Rail Users Ireland also recently raised concerns about An Bord Pleanála’s 37-month approval process for a “relatively straightforward” level crossing removal project on the Cork-Dublin train line near Buttevant and Charleville. This
raises concerns about the planning system’s ability to deal with rail
projects in a timely manner.

https://irishcycle.com/2024/07/25/an-bord-pleanala-board-received-its-inspectors-report-for-dart-west-project-nearly-180-days-ago/

Eamon Ryan came out publicly and said that DART+W was due a railway order 'any day soon' so I'd imagine he's putting pressure on ABP. Again, objectively speaking the best transport minister we've ever had, albeit not that media or people friendly. It's a shame that ministers for government departments have to also win a popularity contest, it tends to exclude the type of personality that actually delivers things.

I think a station does make sense. But it's only a single track over the Boyne viaduct. Does the northern line over the viaduct have the capacity for extra DART trains without impacting commuters to Dundalk and Enterprise services to Belfast?

DART+ is already a massive project, scope creeping it further is only going to further slow it down. That's not to say that Louth County Council, Irish Rail and the NTA shouldn't designate and protect a site for a future train station on the north side as part of some later project

I was wondering yesterday about what the DART expansion will mean for Dundalk, will they still run diesels from Dundalk to Dublin? Or has that been mentioned at all?

Incredible for an inspectors report to be sitting waiting for consideration for so long. Staffing levels at ABP must be bad.