The Rail Interconnector
Iarnród Éireann has commenced work on a new underground second DART line through the heart of the city centre. The DART Underground rail line, from Docklands to Heuston Station, will complete the quadrupling of the Greater Dublin area’s rail service capacity from 25 million passenger journeys annually now to 100 million passenger journeys.
DART Underground - Dublin’s Interconnector will be the single most important piece of infrastructure in the state to ensure a modal shift from private to public transport, and free future generations from the gridlock which cripples the Greater Dublin area today. It is a central part of the Government’s Transport 21 ten-year transport investment plan. It also links all rail modes - DART, Commuter, Intercity, Luas and Metro - to form an integrated cohesive network.
The line will dramatically change Iarnród Éireann’s DART and Commuter network. Northern line DART services from Balbriggan and Howth will branch off the existing DART line after Clontarf Road, going underground at:
- Docklands Station where the line will connect with the Red Luas. It continues to
- Pearse, connecting with what will be the Maynooth/ Dunboyne (M3) to Bray/Greystones DART line; then at
- St Stephen’s Green it connects with the Green Luas and the Metro to the airport before continuing to
- Christ Church and
- Heuston, linking with Red Luas, and Iarnród Éireann’s Intercity and Commuter services before continuing above ground to Hazelhatch.
Iarnród Éireann is already working with the Rail Procurement Agency to develop plans for key interchanges such as St Stephen’s Green, which will see DART interchange with Luas and Metro with the opening of the Interconnector; and other key interchanges around the network associated with Transport 21.
The Docklands to Heuston Interconnector will deliver:
- A second high capacity DART line through the heart of the city centre, a 5.2 kilometre underground line
- Significantly increased frequency and capacity for services on the Northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines - the three fastest growing population corridors in the country
- A fully integrated rail network for the Greater Dublin area, linking all modes - DART, Commuter, Intercity, LUAS and Metro - and ensuring that suburb to suburb as well as suburb to city centre journeys can be made by a frequent, high capacity public transport network
- Two high capacity DART lines proposed as Balbriggan/Howth to Hazelhatch; and Maynooth/Dunboyne(M3) to Bray/Greystones, with DART extensions to some routes likely to be delivered in advance of the Interconnector
- A quadrupling of the number of passenger journeys by DART and Commuter rail annually - up from 25 million today to 100 million
- A critical piece of urban, regional and national infrastructure
Current Status
Following the identification of station locations and route alignment, Iarnród Éireann is commencing the preparation for the Railway Order application. As well as the design, engineering and technical aspects of this phase, an extensive programme of public consultation is planned, up to and including the formal public consultation which will precede the Railway Order application in Autumn 2009.
