DART+ Costal North expansion on track for 2026

The expansion of the DART+ Coastal North is on track for 2026.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has secured Cabinet approval for a 37km expansion of the DART+ Costal North service, which will now see DART services go as far as Drogheda in County Louth.

The extension of the overhead electric wires will start at Malahide and expand out to Drogheda, which has quickly become a commuter town for Dublin.

The population of Drogheda grew 13% between 2016 and 2022 as the housing crisis bites for people working in Dublin.

Ryan said “Government’s approval of DART+ Coastal North today marks another milestone in our Commitment to develop sustainable public transport infrastructure for people and communities throughout the country. The DART+ Programme will see a major expansion in DART services across the eastern region, especially to the North, West and Southwest of Dublin.”

“The Coastal North scheme will improve rail links to thriving and expanding towns and communities like Balbriggan, Gormanston and Laytown on the way to Drogheda, itself a lively, growing town. This is about giving more people, more transport choices, so that they can choose to leave the car at home more often.”

Ryan said that people will “start to see changes quickly” as new battery-electric DART trains will be in place by 2026. 

Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority said “the DART+ Coastal North project is a key deliverable in the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy and will provide a major improvement to rail services for passengers between Dublin and Drogheda.”

“This project will be particularly beneficial to commuters living in growing areas such as Clongriffin and Donabate who will see more and better services as a result.”

Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty called for the project to be “fast-tracked,” as a quicker implementation of the project would make a “huge difference” to people.

“Currently the plan is for the extended DART to be in place three years after the approval of the planning application. However, we have seen the timelines for other major infrastructure projects such as Metro North repeatedly delayed; I do not want to see a repeat of such delays here,” she said.

“This project will make a huge difference to the lives of many people in the north county, in places such as Clongriffin, Donabate, Balbriggan and Skerries, leading to shorter commutes, less stress, and a better quality of life.”

“This project is long overdue. There is an onus to make it happen as soon as possible,” she stated.