Departing Chief Executive, David Franks, discusses a positive outlook for Irish Rail with TONY MILES
Significant rail improvements – including suburban electrification, main line upgrading and new rolling stock – are included in the Irish Government’s 2018-27 National Development Plan, published in February.
An expansion programme valued at €2 billion lists a series of enhancements for the Dublin suburban DART network, ahead of creation of the long-planned cross-city ‘DART Underground’ tunnel, which is to see a preferred route safeguarded.
Infrastructure improvements and resignalling of Iarnród Éireann’s existing routes to accommodate enhanced services are the main points of the initial investment. One beneficiary will be the link recently opened between the Kildare line and Grand Canal Dock, via the Phoenix Park tunnel and Dublin Connolly.
Electrification at 1.5kV DC is to be extended to the Northern line between Malahide and Drogheda, the Kildare line as far as Hazelhatch & Celbridge, and the Sligo line to Maynooth along with its branch to M3 Parkway. An extension from M3 Parkway to Dunshaughlin and Navan, initially assessed in 2016, is to be reappraised before 2021, taking into account the scale…
