Frequently Asked Questions

DART+ Coastal North

The majority of proposed works and interventions are expected to be carried out within the existing railway corridor boundary. Some works relating to the provision of new electrical substations, bridge modifications, and construction compounds have been identified as being required outside of the existing boundary.

Details of locations where works are required outside of the existing railway corridor, such as at substations or construction compound locations, can be found in the Public Consultation No.2 published supporting documentation available through the project website www.dartplus.ie. Relevant documents include:

DART+ Coastal North Brochure;
DART+ Coastal North Option Selection - Preferred Option Report; and
Annex 1 Schematic Layout Drawings.

If your property is likely to be directly affected by the works you should already have heard from us. Our Community Liaison Officer will be available throughout the process to ensure you are regularly updated on the current proposals and your views are taken into consideration as we progress the design.

A detailed construction strategy has been prepared, which includes programming, phasing and construction methodologies for the proposed DART+ Coastal North project works and information in respect of the proposed construction strategy is provided in the Public Consultation No.2 supporting documentation, available on the project website at www.dartplus.ie. This strategy has been developed in close consultation with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) team, to ensure that construction impacts are clearly identified and avoided or minimised where possible. A Construction Environmental Management Plan and Traffic Impact Assessment is being prepared to accompany the RO application, setting out the measures to be taken during construction to ensure against significant effects on the environment. The construction impacts will be comprehensively analysed and assessed in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and in the Appropriate Assessment documentation, to provide sufficient information for the competent authority to reach its reasoned conclusions on the potential effects of the project on the environment, and on European sites.

The proposed changes to the Howth Branch will facilitate an increase in both DART service frequency and capacity, along with improvements to the reliability of timetabling and service operation. Operational benefits linked to the infrastructural upgrades will allow for greater operational flexibility and optimisation of services on the Howth Branch.

The current level crossing barrier opening and closing timings have been used to inform a traffic model assessing the effects on vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Detailed assessment of the four existing level crossings along the Howth Branch Line has concluded that these level crossings can continue to operate and provide an appropriate level of cross connectivity and accessibility whilst still meeting the increased DART service frequency requirement. The increased frequency of level crossing closures will result in a greater likelihood of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists being required to queue at the crossings, however, the traffic modelling and sensitivity analysis has shown that queue lengths are likely to remain within the available queueing road space in all cases. Based on the assessments carried out to date, additional infrastructural interventions at the four level crossings are not considered necessary.

The impacts on traffic surrounding the Howth Branch level crossings have been assessed using LinSig modelling software. LinSig is an industry standard software tool which allows traffic engineers to model traffic signals and their effect on traffic capacities and queuing. This was used to investigate the impacts of the barrier closures on the surrounding road network and further details are included in Annex 3.7 Appendix B of the published material which is available through the project website https://www.dartplus.ie/en-ie/projects/dart-north.

The traffic data used in the level crossing assessments was based on surveys carried out in May 2022. These included classified vehicle junction turning count surveys over a 14-hour time period between 0600 and 2000 at the junctions within the study area and also at the level crossings within the study area. The data also included queue length surveys and pedestrian count surveys. The AM peak hour was determined to occur between 0800 and 0900 and the PM peak hour between 1730 and 1830 (refer to Annex A). These are the busiest periods on the road network and the impact of the proposed level crossing closures was therefore assessed for these time periods. Historical traffic data (2018/2019) was available at some of the junctions adjacent to the Kilbarrack and Sutton level crossings and a comparison of the most recent traffic data (2022) and the historic traffic data (2018/2019) has shown that traffic levels observed in the recent surveys have, to a large extent, returned to pre-Covid levels in the study area. The most recent 2022 traffic count data were therefore considered a suitable data source for the assessment.

The effects of any changes to traffic patterns will be fully assessed as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) and it should also be noted that the EIAR accompanying the Railway Order application will include a comprehensive assessment of potential air quality and climate impacts resulting from the proposed DART+ Coastal North development.

DART+ Coastal North is seeking to increase the frequency and capacity of train services between Drogheda and Dublin City Centre, inclusive of the Howth Branch Line. This can be achieved by introducing electrified, high-capacity DART trains and increasing the frequency of these trains. Delivery of this project will support the existing communities along the railway and support future sustainable development. DART+ Coastal North will serve all existing stations along the route using electrical power that has a lower carbon footprint than the existing diesel trains. The frequency and quality of service will provide a viable transport alternative to communities along the route and will encourage people to switch from private car use. This will assist in Ireland reducing transport related greenhouse gas emissions and help combat climate change. The electrification of the rail line will predominantly follow the existing railway corridor and works will mostly be carried out within the extents of the existing railway corridor.

It is important to note that the DART+ Coastal North Project will deliver rail infrastructure which will enable the proposed increased frequency and capacity of rail services between Drogheda, Howth, and Dublin City Centre. The project will also deliver improved reliability of services on both the Northern and Howth Lines.

Whilst the technical characteristics of the new DART+ Fleet are still being finalised, modelling completed to date suggests expected DART journey times between Drogheda and Dublin Connolly during peak periods would take circa 53 minutes. It is worth noting that the DART+ Coastal North project will deliver the infrastructure to enable the maximum level of service on the Northern Line and future journey times and/or timetables have yet to be developed and will be sensitive to a variety of influencing factors.

Timetables will be developed based on some DART trains stopping at all stations between Drogheda and Dublin City Centre, and others operating on a skip stopping pattern, similar to the existing stopping pattern on Northern Commuter services. Also, there will be different phases of timetable development that will be gradually introduced as the project builds towards the maximum level of service. The operational detail behind each of these phases will be determined through the timetable decisions at those times. Any substantial timetable change will go through a Public Consultation process of its own organised by the NTA known as the Timetable Customer Consultation Process.

Actual journey times, and timetables, for DART services originating from Drogheda will vary depending on the stopping patterns of DART services implemented in the future, of which there are many variations and options to consider. Timetables will be developed based on some DART trains stopping at all stations between Drogheda and Dublin City Centre, and others operating on a skip stopping pattern.

At certain times, operating an Enterprise service during a peak period may result in an extended journey time for Enterprise services. This does however allow Iarnrod Eireann to maximise the Northern Line track capacity, through the implementation of the DART+ Coastal North project. Factors including the output from the ongoing Enterprise Fleet Replacement Project, the improved acceleration and braking provided by the new DART+ Fleet, and the stopping patterns of DART services implemented on the Northern Line will all influence and inform future journey times.

This consultation is our way of asking you, as potential users of the service or those likely to be affected by its development, for your views on our plans. Your local knowledge will inform the emerging design, help us to improve the scheme and ensure it will be a beneficial for you and the communities the route will serve.

If your property is likely to be directly affected by the works you should already have heard from us. Our Community Liaison Officer will be available throughout the process to ensure you are regularly updated on the current proposals and your views are taken into consideration as we progress the design.

You can engage with us via the following means:
Website | www.dartplus.ie
Email | DARTCoastalNorth@irishrail.ie
Phone line | 01 233 4515

The Railway Order application is essentially an application seeking statutory consent (planning permission and acquisition of land) for the DART+ Coastal North railway infrastructure. The project is categorised as a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID) and Iarnród Éireann applies directly to An Bord Pleanála for permission. The Railway Order application process is set out in the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 as amended by the Strategic Infrastructure Act 2006. Following the proposed two phases of non-statutory public consultation, Iarnród Éireann will submit the Railway Order application. Any person or body may make a submission or observation in writing to An Bord Pleanála in relation to the application. The Railway Order application will include a number of technical documents and project drawings as well as an Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Appropriate Assessment documentation (AA screening / Natura Impact Statement (NIS)). All these documents and drawings together with any feedback/submissions received from the public as part of the statutory public consultation process will be reviewed and considered by An Bord Pleanála before a decision on the application is made. We expect that An Bord Pleanála will conduct an Oral Hearing before a decision is made. At an Oral Hearing the authors of relevant reports and experts will give evidence on the submissions received and will be available for questioning. Further information on making a submission / observation in writing to the Board and Oral Hearing procedures are available from the An Bord Pleanála website.

The primary objective of the DART+ Coastal North project is to deliver the infrastructure to enable increased train frequency and capacity between Drogheda and Howth and Dublin City Centre.

To support this objective, the project is proposing infrastructure that would enable the operation of both a DART shuttle service on the Howth Branch line as required, and/or a direct through service to/from Dublin City Centre, allowing for the capacity and frequency of DART+ services on both the Northern, and Howth Branch, lines to be maximised. This proposal has been developed to remove the crossing conflicts currently experienced at Howth Junction & Donaghmede Station which limit the frequency and capacity that can be achieved on the Northern Line. The proposed infrastructure will not prevent a direct service running on the Howth Branch.

Final operational decisions will be made at a later stage and are subject to passenger demand and train frequency on the Northern Line and Howth Branch.

The scale of increase in services will vary across the extents of DART+ Coastal North and will be directly dependent on passenger demand over time. However, to provide the maximum level of service envisaged by the project, the following increase in services is currently expected to be delivered by the DART+ Coastal North project across the duration of 3-hour peak AM peak period for inbound / southbound services to Dublin City Centre:

Drogheda to Malahide: 11 to 24 trains
Malahide to Clongriffin: 20 to 30 trains
Clongriffin to Howth Junction & Donaghmede: 20 to 36 trains
Howth Branch: 9 to 18 trains
Howth Junction & Donaghmede to Connolly: 29 to 36 trains

This overall increase is inclusive of DART, Commuter and Enterprise services. The AM and PM peak periods will be extended from 1 hour to 3 hour periods (i.e. 7-10 AM and 4-7 PM).

It is important to note that the proposed increases in services are not something that will come into effect immediately upon the delivery of the DART+ Coastal North project. There will be different phases of timetable development that will be gradually introduced as the project builds towards that maximum level of service. The operational detail behind each of these phases has not been worked through at this stage in the project planning and development. Any substantial timetable change will go through a Public Consultation process of its own organised by the NTA known as the Timetable Customer Consultation Process where members of the public will have an opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed changes.

As a direct result of feedback received during Public Consultation No, 1 in addition to further project consideration and requirements, significant upgrades to Howth Junction & Donaghmede Station are now proposed to provide a more accessible, user friendly and customer focused station for all rail users. Full details of the proposed plans are shared in the Public Consultation No. 2 project documentation.

The proposed works will involve modifying the entrances to provide a more accessible, user friendly and customer focused station for all rail users, as well as improving the connection to the surrounding areas of Donaghmede and Kilbarrack. Upgrades to the existing footbridge and connections to the centre platforms will also be carried out, as well as upgrades to lighting, signage, and finishes throughout.

Customer experience, accessibility, safety, and security will be central to the development of Howth Junction & Donaghmede Station, and we also acknowledge the feedback we have been given to date about this station experience and its current facilities. These concerns are something the DART+ Coastal North project is taking very seriously, and the project team is looking at what solutions can be provided for in both the long and short term.

The commencement of construction is contingent on the timely securing of the Railway Order. DART+ Coastal North remains in the later stages of the concept phase; this will be followed by the preliminary design phase and statutory planning approval phases. When the necessary permissions have been granted, the detailed design and procurement phases will be undertaken. Pending further approvals, the contract award for the construction phase is anticipated to be in 2025/26.

The delivery of new stations is not included as part of the DART+ Coastal North project and will be progressed by Iarnród Éireann as separate projects. The ‘Preferred Option’ will not preclude any future development of any potential new stations, such as that proposed at Bettystown in the East Meath Local Area Plan, along the Northern Line. As a direct result of feedback received during Public Consultation No. 1, the DART+ Coastal North project will now deliver some signifcant station enhancements at Howth Junction & Donaghmede Station. These significant modification works are proposed to both improve the passenger experience generally, and to develop the station to better serve as an interchange station. The works will involve modifying the entrances to provide a more accessible, user friendly and customer focused station for all rail users, as well as improve the connection to the surrounding areas of Donaghmede and Kilbarrack. Upgrades will also take place to the footbridge and connections to the centre platforms, as well as the lighting, signage, and finishes throughout.

Construction Phase
Given that the line between Connolly and Howth is already electrified, potential construction impacts (from limited interventions) will likely be minimal. Some site-specific interventions will be required between Howth Junction & Donaghmede and Drogheda stations, associated with increasing the rail capacity. Between Malahide and Drogheda, DART+ Coastal North will involve the erection of overhead line infrastructure to facilitate the running of electric trains. In order to maintain services for our customers during the day, the majority of the construction works along the railway line itself will take place at night. Works outside of the live railway corridor can progress during the day i.e. modifications to bridges, construction of substations, construction compounds. Every effort will be made to avoid, reduce, and/or mitigate negative impacts, however, there is likely to be some disturbance experienced for those near the railway line caused by noise, lighting or erected fencing/hoarding associated with the construction activities.
The types of construction work required at each specific location will determine the type of impact that may affect the area/your property. However, there will be general linear works required, such as:
- Overhead electrification equipment along the full extent of the railway line from Malahide to Drogheda. This will be similar in style to that currently used on the existing DART network.
- Modifications to the existing rail bridges such as modifications to the structure, track lowering or a combination of both.
- Substations will be required at intervals along the rail line to provide power to the network.
- Signalling upgrades and additional signalling will be required as part of the upgraded infrastructure.
- Interfaces with existing utilities, roads, boundary treatments, drainage works, vegetation management and other ancillary works will be required. Prior to the commencement of construction works, a dedicated Community Liaison Officer will be appointed to communicate details of all upcoming works and to oversee the implementation of all required mitigation measures, thereby minimising any potential disruption resulting from the works.
During the construction phase, residents living in close proximity to any planned works will receive ongoing communication in advance of significant works - i.e. piling or ground penetrating surveys.

Operational Phase
During the operational phase, levels of greenhouse gas emissions are likely to reduce significantly, with a positive impact on climate change. The engine noise from an electric train is also significantly quieter than a diesel train. At certain locations, existing bridge parapets will be raised to prevent people from accidentally or otherwise falling onto Overhead Line Equipment. All likely significant effects during both the construction and operational phases will be identified and detailed in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report. This will include a detailed schedule of mitigation measures identified to reduce those potential effects.

A specialist Environmental Impact Assessment team has been engaged as part of the overall Multi-Disciplinary Consultant contract. This team will collaborate with the engineering design team during the design development. The environmental team will contribute to assessing the various project options. Prior to the submission of the Railway Order Application, the design development will also be presented to the public at two public consultation events during the project, this is the first of these consultations. This will enable the general public to review and comment on the proposals and provide meaningful feedback on the project, including any environmental issues that they consider important. A comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be prepared based on the Preliminary Design. The project will also be subject to Appropriate Assessment consideration, as required under the Habitats Directive, which will assess any potential effects on the conservation objectives of European sites. Therefore, at Railway Order Application stage, the project will have assessed the impact of the project on the environment and will provide avoidance, remedy, and mitigation measures to reduce environmental impacts during the construction and operational phases.

Additional parking facilities at stations are not included as part of DART+ Coastal North's project scope, which is focussed on the development of infrastructure to facilitate the increase in train frequency on both the Northern and Howth Branch lines. However, separately to the DART+ Coastal North project and outside the railway order, Iarnród Éireann are progressing a number of projects including the Multimodal Interchange Project, DART Station Enhancement Project and, Carparks Programme aimed at developing stations to support future needs.

The Multimodal Interchange Project will assess all stations throughout the network with a view of implementing its strategy at stations where there is need for modifications that will have an impact on multimodal travel and station access. The project will assess a variety of multimodal options at stations including but not limited to the provision of secure bicycle parking and shared mobility services. Iarnród Éireann are working to progress and finalise the Multimodal Interchange Strategy before the end of Q4 2023 with a view to developing an Implementation Plan subject to funding constraints.

Additionally, the DART Station Enhancements Project, currently out to tender for consultant support, will review the future requirements at DART stations and the first phase of this project (design principles guidelines and strategy and implementation plan) is scheduled for completion in Q2 2024. Further stages and roll out of the project will be subject to funding.

It is important to note that the DART+ Coastal North Project scope includes the construction of infrastructure to enable a planned increase in service, capacity and frequency on the Northern Line, inclusive of the Howth Branch Line. The development of timetables will progress separately to the DART+ Coastal North Project under the responsibility of Iarnrod Éireann Operations Division.

The development of service timetabling is an entirely operational procedure, which will be carried out separately to this DART+ Coastal North Project. Future timetables will be directly determined by future passenger demand.

Every substantial timetable change goes through a public consultation process of its own, organised by the NTA, known as the Timetable Customer Consultation Process. Iarnród Éireann are required by the National Transport Authority (NTA) to publish timetable proposals online for customers to comment on and input to the service proposals. This process is usually live for approximately 3 weeks and takes place a number of months in advance of the proposed timetable changes. Once all inputs are received, they are compiled and reviewed in conjunction with the NTA.

Iarnród Éireann will provide updates on changes to timetables as they are developed over the coming years.

The preliminary design process for DART+ Coastal North has Identified a variety of locations which may be used as construction compounds to allow for the construction of the project. Details of compound locations are included in Annex 1: Schematic Layout Drawings, and in Annex 3.2 Technical Optioneering Report: Electrification of the Northern Line between Malahide and Drogheda, available through the project website www.dartplus.ie

If your property is likely to be directly affected by the works you should already have heard from us. Our Community Liaison Officer will be available throughout the process to ensure you are regularly updated on the current proposals and your views are taken into consideration as we progress the design.