Boost for commuters as work commences on new train station

WORK has commenced on Ireland’s newest train station at Pelletstown, between Ashtown and Broombridge.

The event was marked last week by the new Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Tom Brabazon, who was joined by chief executive of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, and the CEO of Iarnród Éireann, Jim Meade.

The newest station on the Iarnród Éireann network will serve Ashington as well as the new community at Royal Canal Park, with a journey time of just 12 minutes to the city centre. This is the first new station to open on the Iarnród Éireann network since Oranmore in 2013 and will be the 145th station in total.

The station is funded by the National Transport Authority and from levies collected by Dublin City Council for the new development at Royal Canal Park and is being constructed by Sisk on behalf of Iarnród Éireann. 

Pelletstown was designated as a ‘Key Development Area’ in the Dublin City Council Development Plan (2011 to 2017).

The new station will comprise two platforms, a footbridge and accessible ramp between platforms and to the railway, as well as a second footbridge and accessible ramp over the canal. 

Iarnród Éireann says it will promote greater public transport options for residents in the area, reducing reliance on the private car and giving a more sustainable commuting option for the community.

The footbridges are designed to improve connectivity between the two communities of Ashington and Royal Canal Park and will also provide a new pedestrian and cycle access to the Canal Greenway, promoting multi-modal transport.

It is envisaged that the station will open in the summer 2021 and will be served by Maynooth and M3 Parkway services. This line will also be electrified as part of the DART Expansion Programme, for which detailed design is underway. Once the electrification is completed, Pelletstown will have increased frequency and will be served by electric DART-type trains.

 The construction process will involve the burial underground of an existing ESB power line, which traverses the canal. As part of this construction process, a portion of Ashington Park will be occupied to complete the underground work, but this area of the park will be fully restored for the community once the cables have been buried.

The station at Pelletstown will be fully self-service. 

 Speaking at the sod turning ceremony last week, chief executive of Iarnród Éireann, Jim Meade said: “I am delighted to be here  today to mark the start of construction of Pelletstown Station. As a railway operator, it is our goal to serve as much of the community as possible and we look forward to serving the communities of Ashington and Grand Canal Park for many generations to come.” 

 Anne Graham, chief executive of the National Transport Authority, said: “The construction of Pelletstown Station is among the measures provided for in the NTA’s Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area, and the commencement of construction is a very positive development.

This station will be particularly useful for communities of Ashington and Royal Canal Park and will provide residents of this up-and-coming area with a much-needed public transport option that allows them to make sustainable transport choices.”

 The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Tom Brabazon, added: “The provision of a new station at Pelletstown will be of great benefit to the citizens of this area. Levies collected as part of the new development at Royal Canal Park will contribute to the building of this station. This is an excellent way of funding infrastructure provision and will greatly enhance the quality of life for the community here at Royal Canal Park and Ashington.”