A PLANNING APPLICATION for the Dart+ West expansion is set to be formally submitted later this summer, after the consultation period for the project ended.

The proposal for Dart+ West, which was approved by the Government in December, would see infrastructure improvements to Connolly Station and Dublin’s Docklands alongside improved rail links to Maynooth.

Under the plan, a new station would be built at Spencer Dock as well as a new access point to Connolly Station from Preston Street.

A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann confirmed to The Journal that a so-called ‘railway order’ planning application would be filed to An Bord Pleanála “later this summer”.

It comes after the second round of consultations for the project closed last week and An Bord Pleanála recommended closing the pre-application process.

On the Dart+ website, Iarnród Éireann have said that feedback received during the consultation will now be used to help finalise the design of the project. A report of the feedback is also set to be published.

The final budget and delivery schedule for Dart+ West will not be known until later on in the planning process, however the Government has estimated that it will cost between €969 million and €1.1 billion.

Iarnród Éireann estimates that the capacity of Dart+ West would be approximately 13,200 passengers an hour, with 12 trains an hour compared to the six an hour currently.

The plan will see the modernisation of railways between Maynooth and Connolly stations, including track works like removing level crossings and electrifying the railway.

A new railway depot is also planned near Maynooth to house additional Dart trains.

A map of Dart+ West

The overall Dart+ project would see the rail lines to both Drogheda and Hazelhatch electrified to allow the Dart to run to both. Improvements to the Greystones Dart line are also planned, including the removal of some level crossings.

The public consultation for the extension of the Dart to Drogheda began in February. 

The ‘Coastal North’ line will extend the Dart from Malahide to Drogheda with an increased electrified network.

Dart+, which is funded under the National Development Plan, will see the overall length of the Dart network increase from 50km to 150km and the passenger capacity doubled to 52,000 people an hour.