Latest news with #DART+
Dublin Live
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Dublin Live
Major boost for DART+ West project as legal challenges withdrawn
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Works for the Dart+ West project are now expected to begin next year after the withdrawal of two judicial reviews. The Railway Order for the project, which will expand the DART network to Maynooth/M3 Parkway, was approved by An Bord Pleanála in July 2024 but has been delayed due to the court action. An Bord Pleanála also approved a Railway Order for the DART+ South West - Hazelhatch to Heuston / Phoenix Park Tunnel - in November 2024. The DART+ will double the passenger capacity for rail services in the Greater Dublin Area, from 26,000 passenger journeys per direction per hour to 52,000. The DART network will increase from 50 kilometres to 150 kilometres, extending to Maynooth/M3 Parkway, Hazelhatch and Drogheda. Enabling works are expected to commence in 2026 for DART+ infrastructure. Contract awards are targeted for the end of 2026. In addition to the infrastructure development, 185 carriages have been ordered for the DART+ Fleet, with up to 750 in total possible under a framework contract with French fleet manufacturer Alstom. The first ten carriages, made up of two five-carriage trains, have been delivered, and have commenced the testing, commissioning and regulatory process, and are expected to begin entering service during 2026. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
The Journal
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Plan to expand DART to Kildare and Meath gets go-ahead after legal challenges dropped
PLANS TO EXTEND DART rail lines into Kildare and Meath can now go ahead, as legal action against Irish Rail's expansion project have been dropped. An Bord Pleanála had granted a Railway Order, meaning that they had approved the plans, in November 2024, but two Dublin city businesses had delayed the project with court action. Two separate judicial reviews were scheduled for hearing in the High Court this week relating to the Dart+ West plan, though the court heard yesterday that the cases had been withdrawn. The project is now free to proceed – pending government funding. A Department of Transport spokesperson would not confirm that the project will receive funding – but said that it is under consideration as part of the National Development Plan, a long-term government strategy aimed at improving infrastructure and enhancing public services. 'The National Development Plan is currently under review by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service and Reform, including funding for DART+,' the spokesperson said. If this funding is granted, the DART+ West project will see the expansion of the DART network from Connolly station in Dublin to Maynooth, Co Kildare and the M3 Parkway in Bennetstown, Co Meath. According to Irish Rail, the project will increase train capacity from the current six trains per hour per direction up to 12 trains per hour per direction, and will increase capacity from 5,000 to 13,200 passengers per day. Advertisement It's one of four parts of the DART+ project, which will see the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) network grow from 50km in length to over 150km. Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann / Iarnród Éireann Currently, The DART only runs along Dublin's coast, from Malahide or Howth in the north to Greystones in Wicklow in the south. The ambitious plans will also double hourly passengers numbers from 26,000 in each direction to 52,000, and will treble the electrification of the Greater Dublin Area rail network. In addition to the infrastructure development, 185 carriages have been ordered for the DART+ Fleet, with up to 750 in total possible under a framework contract with French fleet manufacturer Alstom. A carriage from the new DART+ fleet. Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail / Iarnród Éireann / Iarnród Éireann The first fifteen carriages, made up of three five-carriage trains, have been delivered, and Irish Rail have confirmed that they have commenced the testing, commissioning and regulatory process. These carriages are expected to begin entering service next year. Irish Rail said it hoped to award contracts for construction of the Maynooth and M3 Parkway lines by the end of next year. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
23-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
DART expansion plan gets boost after High Court hears objections withdrawn
Two separate judicial reviews were originally scheduled for hearing in the High Court this week relating to the DART+ West element of the plan. The court heard that the cases, taken by two businesses in the west of Dublin city, had been withdrawn. The move means that the project, which last July was granted a Railway Order, the equivalent of planning permission for rail developments, is now free to proceed – pending Government funding. Preliminary works are expected to begin next year with contracts for the more major construction projects to be awarded by the end of 2026. DART+ West will expand the high-frequency electric train service from Dublin city to Maynooth in Co Kildare and the M3 Parkway park and ride station in Bennetstown, Co Meath. It is one of four elements of the DART+ project which would collectively triple the length of the existing service from 50km to 150km and double hourly passenger numbers from 26,000 in each direction to 52,000. DART+ West is expected to see some of the biggest increases in passenger numbers with a doubling of train services along the Maynooth line. For that to happen will require works that include provision of a new station at Spencer Dock in the city centre and developments at Connolly Station, including a new entrance at Preston Street. One other part of the project, DART+ South West, was granted a Railway Order last November. It will extend the service from Heuston Station to Hazelhatch in Co Kildare and from Heuston to the city centre via the Phoenix Park tunnel.. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more An application for a Railway Order for DART+ Coastal North, which would extend services from Dublin to Drogheda, is awaiting a decision from An Bord Pleanála. DART+ Coastal South would see increased frequency on the existing Greystones to city centre route and an application is expected to be made for it shortly. The overall project also involves the provision of 185 new rail carriages, currently on order, with the option to order 750 in total if all aspects proceed. The first ten carriages have arrived and are due to be put into service next year. Early cost estimates for the complete project were put at around €3 billion several years ago but it is expected that figure will rise. The Government has only approved funding up to contract award stage and will have to make a decision at that point whether to back the project's further progress. The judicial review proceedings against DART+ West were taken by businesses on the Navan Road in Dublin, near Ashtown railway station. A sitting of the High Court heard the cases had been struck out after an agreement had been reached that was satisfactory to all sides. A spokesperson for Irish Rail said the terms of the agreement were confidential.
RTÉ News
20-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Atm and Alstom join forces to bid for Luas maintenance contact
France's Alstom and Italy's Atm Group (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi) have announced a strategic joint venture to bid for the upcoming renewal of the Luas Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract in Dublin. The companies said their proposal would be built on "pillars of operational excellence, customer satisfaction, sustainability and innovative technology integration". The partnership brings together two of Europe's biggest transport providers. Atm Group has been operating public transport networks in Milan in Italy, since 1931, in Copenhagen in Denmark, since 2008, and in Thessaloniki in Greece, since 2023. Recently, the company expanded its presence to Paris, France, where it was awarded the management of 18 key bus lines in the Croix du Sud area. It transports about 3 million passengers daily and has 11,000 employees. Alstom has been working in Ireland for over 20 years and manufactured the entire fleet in service with Dublin Luas. It also currently producing battery electric trains for Dublin's DART+ network. The company is present in 63 countries, employs over 86,000 people, and is at the forefront of low-carbon mobility. Its portfolio spans high-speed trains, metros, monorails, trams, signalling, infrastructure, and integrated digital systems. Paolo Marchetti, Business Development Director, Atm Group, said that combining the strengths of Alstom and Atm will bring together a powerful blend of technical expertise and operational excellence. "Leveraging Atm's century-long experience managing Europe's largest tram network in Milan - comprising 15 lines and three Light Rails over 157 km and serving more than 300,000 passengers daily - our joint venture is committed to delivering innovative and user-friendly transit solutions to support the future of Luas operations in Dublin," he said. Piers Wood, Managing Director for Ireland, Alstom, said the companies' shared commitment to reliability, sustainability and innovation is at the core of its joint venture. "We look forward to bringing our knowledge and our proven expertise in light rail systems to support the long-term success of Dublin's Luas network," he added Luas carried an estimated 54 million passengers in 2024, representing an increase of over 12% on the 2023 figure of 48.2 million. It started running in 2004.
