Dart Lines

Dublin possesses a large network of old heavy rail lines, most of which have some type of commuter services. In the 1975 DRRTS plan, it was planned to begin electrifying them, in response to very poor service levels and the desire to create a more modern, better integrated network. In 1984, the first DART line opened along the coast from Portmarnock and Howth down to Bray.

In the PFC plan, the long-awaited expansion of the DART network was incorporated. A tunnel would be dug to connect the isolated Heuston Station to the rail network surrounding Connolly Station to the east. This would allow the creation of a 2-line DART network that would tie up all the lines, bypass bottlenecks, and improve service frequencies.

In the T21 plan, a somewhat reduced version of this plan was included. It was the same plan except that the DART would only extend as far as Balbriggan instead of Drogheda, and as far as Hazelhatch (south of Celbridge) instead of Kildare.

These DART lines don't have official names or colours assigned yet, but in this document, they are referred to as Lines 1 and 2 and assigned two shades of green.

Line 1 will run from Maynooth to Greystones with a branch to Navan. There is currently a diesel service from Maynooth to Connolly Station which will be electrified. The rest, from Connolly to Greystones, is already complete and no further work is required. The line will intersect Line 2 at Drumcondra and Pearse.

Line 2 is the line from Balbriggan to Hazelhatch with a spur to Howth. Of this, Malahide to Clontarf is already electrified and complete, and Heuston to Hazelhatch has a diesel service with a low frequency. This latter section was expanded to four tracks and had new stations added between 2006 and February 2010. The missing section, from Heuston to Clontarf, will be underground and construction is due to commence in 2012, with completion in 2018. This will intersect the Metro North line at a large underground complex at Stephen's Green, and the other DART line at Pearse. Line 2 also foresees electrification of the line from Malahide to Balbriggan, and the Heuston to Hazelhatch section.

Of the Line 1 Navan branch, the first phase from Clonsilla to Pace (a Park and Ride on the M3) opened on September 2nd, 2010. The second phase as far as Navan town will open by 2015.

Update 21/04/2021: The new plan is now called DART+. This no longer involves the building of the Interconnector tunnel for DART under the city but just the electrification of remaining lines and extension of the DART up to Drogheda. The plan is not to consolidate into Line 1 and Line 2 but to keep all lines separate, meaning the existing coastal line will be unchanged. The Maynooth and Kildare lines will be separate lines. However, the Kildare line will run some services into Heuston but many others through the Phoenix Park tunnel, which reopened in 2016.
Planning permission for the conversion of the Maynooth and Kildare railway lines to DARTs is expected to be requested by late summer.
The Navan rail line will not proceed.

Update 26/09/2021: Pelletstown train station on the Maynooth line in Dublin has opened. The next project for this line is to electrify it. Planning permission for this is expected to be lodged in Q1 2022.

Update 18/07/2024: After 2 years of consideration planning permission has been achieved for DART+ West, which comprises the Maynooth railway line, the spur to Dunboyne and M3 Parkway, and to a new station in Docklands called Spencer Dock. However, the depot was refused permission as it is proposed to be built on a flood plain! TII have indicated that they will alter this plan accordingly and submit a new application for it as a standalone project in order to avoid delaying the main works. Since a year of tendering, procurement and construction ramp-up is usual, it looks like work will begin in July or August next year.

Wikipedia page on DART

PICTURES OF DART LINES: (none yet)