Application lodged to extend DART service to Drogheda

The extension of the DART to Drogheda has taken a step forward after Iarnród Éireann lodged a Railway Order application with An Bord Pleanála.

The application, listed as DART+ Coastal North, seeks permission to extend the electrified DART network from Malahide to Drogheda MacBride Station.

The project will increase the peak hourly capacity and frequency on the northern route between Dublin city and Malahide, Howth and Drogheda.

The section between Malahide and Drogheda will nearly double its capacity from about 4,800 to 8,800 passengers at peak times when complete.

Minister for Transport Éamon Ryan said that the application “further cements our commitment to develop a high-quality, sustainable public transport system in Ireland, providing more and more people with access to a far better alternative to sitting in traffic”.

He added: “This project will mean that we can almost double capacity at peak time, giving communities a quality, more frequent train service between Dublin and Drogheda, while supporting our decarbonisation goals.”

Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann Jim Meade said the new DART line will “transform commuting for existing and new communities along the Drogheda/Howth to Dublin railway corridor”.

Mr Meade added that it will assist in meeting Ireland’s climate action targets by reducing reliance on the private car.

New battery electric DART trains by early 2026

In advance of the construction of DART+ Coastal North, commuters will benefit from new battery electric DART+ trains.

These trains will run on electricity under wires from the city centre to Malahide and continue under battery power to Drogheda.

The first of these new trains will arrive in Ireland this autumn and after a period of testing and commissioning with the vehicles entering service on the Drogheda line in early 2026.

The trains are being manufactured by French firm Alstom at its factory in Katowice in southern Poland.

The new DART+ trains will have a top speed of 145km/h instead of the current 100km/h.

However, these higher speeds will only be used farther from Dublin city where the distance between stations is longer.

The improvement of Howth Junction and Donaghmede Station as well as the construction of a new platform at Drogheda MacBride Station are also included in the DART+ Coastal North plans.