Rail Network Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-29 ============================================================ Thomas Byrne (FF), Meath East Ar son an Aire Iompair, gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú agus deis a thabhairt dom freagra a thabhairt air sa Teach inniu. The DART+ programme comprises five different rail projects in and around the greater Dublin area. It includes extending the existing DART network to Maynooth, the M3 Parkway and Dunboyne in my constituency, Hazelhatch and Celbridge, and Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda, also serving my constituents, and improving current DART services from Dublin city centre to Greystones. The programme will triple the length of the electrified rail network in the Dublin area and double peak city-centre capacity from 26,000 passengers per direction to 52,000. DART+ South West will extend DART train services from Dublin city centre to Hazelhatch and Celbridge. An Coimisiún Pleanála approved a railway order for DART+ South West in November 2024. In addition, procurement for DART+ South West and DART+ West is progressing with pre-qualification questionnaire notices for design and build works advertised in May last year. As the Senator said, the Government is committed to the delivery of major public transport projects. This is evidenced by last year’s review of the national development plan which allocated a total of €24.3 billion in Exchequer funding to transport projects from 2026 to 2030. Of this total allocation, Exchequer funding of €10 billion for public transport infrastructure is earmarked from 2026 to 2030, in addition to the €2 billion allocated for MetroLink. This represents an unprecedented level of investment in public transport infrastructure over the coming five years, which has more than doubled compared with the last five-year period. However, it is a simple fact that decisions are required in relation to sequencing and prioritisation. The funding under the NDP transport sectoral investment plan will allow advancement of various elements of the DART+ programme in the coming years, including DART+ West. The funding will also allow compulsory purchase orders to progress for DART+ South West this year and will provide for procurement progress for the project, with some of the framework contracts being established in common for DART+ West and DART+ South West. Following the investment in new DART+ fleet, DART+ West was always recognised as the critical step in the DART+ programme. That will then allow DART+ South West and indeed the other infrastructure projects of the programme to develop for a number of reasons. The new depot in the Maynooth-Kilcock area, to be delivered as part of DART+ West, provides essential stabling and maintenance facilities for the expanded fleet for the entire programme, which is a prerequisite for supporting service patterns across the entire network, including DART+ South West. DART+ West will deliver the critical electrification of the city centre rail network and the necessary city centre capacity upgrades. This is a prerequisite for future trains coming from DART+ South West to enter the city centre network at Glasnevin Junction from the Phoenix Park Tunnel. Upgrades delivered under DART+ West, such as resignalling and electrification, are also vital for accommodating increased frequency envisaged for DART+ South West. The new station at Spencer Dock, introduced as part of DART+ West, is a key node for future service integration, supporting the operational flexibility required for DART+ South West train services, helping to address the well-known capacity issues at Connolly Station. The plan for the development of Cabra station is currently being developed in parallel with the DART+ programme. It is at an early stage of development and is progressing towards the statutory planning phase. When and if statutory planning approval is secured, further consideration will be given to the timing of construction of this project. The Department will also explore any EU funding which may become available to accelerate public transport projects. I can confirm that this is part of the discussion I am involved in at an EU level on the multi-annual financial framework in terms of what funding might be available for public transport projects in general. The NDP will be reviewed around 2028 and updated then. This will also provide an opportunity to examine the potential to provide additional funding to accelerate the delivery of projects such as DART+ South West. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-29/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:34+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-01-29