DART+ (DART Expansion)

It is a bit hard to say, but realistically pre-electrification there wont be a large, if any, increase in frequency. During the morning peak there are currently 3 services between 06:00 and 07:00 and 4 between 07:00 and 08:00, however that includes 1 Dundalk service for each hour. With the BEMUs, it may be possible to see an additional depature an hour for 4tph originating from Drogheda, however I wouldn't be surprised if they can't increase past 3 services because of charging and/or siding capacity.

However there should at least be some increase in capacity, because as the new units enter service, it should allow almost all services to use full length 8/10-car sets. Additionally the new units also can carry more passengers than the 29Ks, though with only 3-4 tph I am not sure if it would be a noticeable increase.

Thanks all. So likely the biggest beneficiaries in the short term in terms of capacity would be those travelling on the M3-Parkway to Docklands route as a result of BEMUs freeing up the 29000s?

It was more a question of whether the BEMU trains could carry more passengers than existing services, as I understood from the website that service frequency itself wouldn't increase for now.

Seems like there will be massive strain on the network there in the decade to come, as it would seem from the timelines that is how long it will take to get the northern line electrified. There is a phenomenal amount of building going on in North County Dublin.

The railway order for DART+ North is due to be decided on Monday (a bank holiday). So given that nothing has happened to day and no communication on the matter, it's safe to say that the 6 month duration is pure fiction/comedy. 2 years is the minimum time for a railway order, some recently have taken 4 years. Metrolink is coming up on 2.5 years, a total sh1tshow.

Service frequency might not increase, but with more 29000's available might they have longer trains?

Regarding capacity, the answer is “yes”, the new stock will carry more passengers. From official figures: 1102 passengers per 10-car BEMU formation (2x 5-cars, 164 m), versus 819 in an 8-car 29000 formation (2x 4-cars, 163 m)

Think Geoff Marshall measures the width on his video about the new fleet, fairly sure they’re wider than 9’4”.

Edit: 9’7” apparently.

Another one off the boat recently.

yeah

Would be great if anyone got a video of these out on the network…

It wasn't out on Saturday night/Sunday morning ☹️

ETCS signalling is now in place on the DART coastal line between Drogheda and Greystones, ready for the new trains.

Alstom completes one of Europe’s largest Level 1 ETCS installation for Ireland | Alstom

The signalling work actually extends beyond DART+ as far north as Dundalk, although I suspect that actually means as far as the NI border, ready for the new Enterprise rolling stock which is out for tender at present.

Goes all the way to the border, the new Enterprise fleet at tender phase currently will not have the legacy CAWS pulse code system

It also appears to cover Connolly-Glasnevin

The ETCS includes command balise's to trigger mode switches between 1500V DC and internal power modes

The high level design for the entire network has already been done and locations marked out. Fairly trivial, a few weeks at most to install and commission.

Its not just the ETCS the DART+ and new Enterprise fleets will not have the UIC 751-3 radio system, they will be GSM-R so you need GSM-R kit from border to Wicklow as well. The Malahide/Howth-Greystones section is already live with GSM-R,

Interesting video. Looking at the livery, I wonder how dirty the white lower carriage sides will look after a day out in the Dublin rain.

Iarnród Éireann have told Wicklow County Council that the DART will be extended to Kilcoole and Wicklow Town by the end of 2028.

https://wicklownews.net/2025/02/rail-improvements-expected-for-greystones-kilcoole-and-wicklow-town/

Some key points from the article include:

• Hourly service to Kilcoole and Wicklow Town.
• 20 minute service to Greystones.
• Extension of Kilcoole platform by 44 metres.
• Extension of both platforms at Wicklow Town by 40 metres.
• DART+ Coastal South will be done in two stages (Stage 1 - Greystones to Bray; Stage 2 - Bray to Connolly) and is expected to go to public consultation in Summer 2025.
• Double tracking "some areas" between Greystones Station and the long Bray Head Tunnel.

Good news but still a lot of questions to be answered. 2028 doesn't seem very ambitious considering the skeleton service that already runs past Greystones. The timetable won't have a lot of room for delays with a 20 minute service too. Will be interesting to see if the services from Rosslare continue to operate to Dublin or will they terminate at Bray/Greystones/Wicklow Town? There's still paths available for them, albeit, they'll continue to crawl along from Bray to Dublin as they currently do.

The platform extensions require planning permission, but not a full Railway Order, so nothing on that list would need to go near the single biggest source of delay in the DART+ programme, which is ABP.

“Double tracking” really means passing loops, and, like the platform extensions, I don’t think that these normally need ABP involvement. The Galway-Athenry passing-loop planning requests went directly to Galway Co.Co, and was granted within 5 months.

Signalling to support the new trains is only laid as far as Greystones, but extension to Wicklow isn’t going to be a big deal, and again, no planning is needed.

I think it’s do-able.

https://mmo.aiircdn.com/286/67c1c523b1193.pdf

Here’s the presentation, Q4 2028 completion.

There's politics at play though. The NTA done their usual, they let Irish Rail reach a point where they were ready for public consultation and then pulled it because they didn't fancy a fight with the D4 residents. But now that it's split into '2 phases' with phase 2 on the never never and simultaneously will be closing the level crossings on the Maynooth line there's grounds to rinse and repeat…and probably pull it again so as not to upset the well healed.

also of note - after 5+ years of planning, the upgrade plan for Bray to Pearse is basically "who knows"

They are not the only constant. The NTA and the Department of Transport exist. The existing structure has too many cooks in the kitchen right now. The NTA can be awful nitpicky about things but Irish Rail is also spending the NTAs money, that was given to it by the Department of Transport, which got it's money from the Department of Finance. Lots of checks all along the way to make sure "we're not wasting money" that honestly might all add up to slow down progress so much that it costs us more money in construction inflation and opportunity cost.

Irish Rail can't even go to consultation without NTA approval

Actually the constant here is the NTA and Dept of Transport. Irishbrail have tried to close those crossings multiple times and have been denied permission to do so multiple times from the higher ups.

If anything, Greystones would/should have been the most powerful place politically in the country during the last government term, with the Taoiseach and a Minister based in the town. Yet, no progress was made on the railway line.