There have been long-running issues with capacity and infrequency of services on the Dublin to Rosslare train line, which stops in Bray, Greystones, Kilcoole, Wicklow town, Rathdrum and Arklow.
Having informed Transport Minister Darragh O’ Brien how north and southbound trains are regularly full, with commuters often left standing for the full journey, Minister of State Christopher O’ Sullivan came back to Deputy Malcom Byrne with a reply from both the Department and the National Transport Authority, (NTA) which he circulated in the Dáil recently.
“In relation to overcrowding currently being experienced on the Rosslare line, Iarnród Éireann is operating all available fleet at the busiest times to meet record demand it is experiencing on all routes. As a result, there is currently no additional fleet available to further increase capacity on the Gorey-Wicklow to Dublin commuter services.,” the correspondence reads.
“There is potential to examine the deployment of new rail fleet as it becomes available, including fleet released as a result of the entry into service of the new DART+ fleet. Iarnród Éireann will keep options for future fleet deployment under review subject to NTA approval.”
The correspondence also explains how Iarnród Éireann is continuing work to extend the Dart line towards Wicklow town.
“The NTA greater Dublin area transport strategy 2022-2042 adopted in 2023 included a recommendation to extend the DART service to Wicklow town. Extending the Dart to Wicklow is also supported in the all-island strategic rail review published in July last year. This extension can be facilitated through utilising the new battery-electric carriages which arrived in Ireland in late 2024 and are currently undergoing testing.
“The new battery-electric carriages will first be deployed on the busy northern commuter line from Dublin Connolly to Drogheda from 2027. As more carriages arrive, they can be deployed to extend services to and from Wicklow from around 2029 onwards. This should provide an improvement in capacity to the people of Wicklow.”
Reference is also made to the ongoing work to expand the Dart network.
“As part of this programme, DART+ coastal south involves an improvement to services on the existing line south of Dublin city with the current focus on enhancing services between Bray and Greystones.”
Stage 1 of the project will increase train frequency from two to three trains per hour from Bray to Greystones, while stage 2 will boost train frequency from six to 12 trains per hour between Dublin Connolly and Bray.”
Last month, Iarnród Éireann commenced a non-statutory public consultation on the emerging preferred option for stage 1 of DART+ costal south which will run until December.
Deputy Malcolm Byrne.
Responding to the update Deputy Byrne said there is little that would instil confidence that anything will change in the short term.
“When it comes to challenges, we will face in the future, Irish Rail is spending huge sums of money on dealing with coastal erosion. Why not invest that money in ensuring that we have a proper rail line, even if we must move it further inland?
Deputy Byrne referenced the high volume of people who depend on the service every day.
“Based on CSO statistics, 2,170 people commute from Gorey from Gorey daily for work purposes, from Arklow, 2,723, from Courtown, 1,050 and from Rathdrum, 544. That is 6,500 people commuting primarily along the M11 to Dublin every day for work purposes.
“For those who have to commute an hour or more to get to either their place of work or study every day – significant numbers go to Dublin for study – as a proportion of the overall numbers moving, in Gorey, it is 19.2pc, in Arklow, it is 17.6pc, in Rathdrum, it is 23.8pc and in Courtown-Riverchapel, it is 25.1pc. We have a significant commuting population.”
Deputy Byrne indicated the current service is not fit for purpose.
“From Gorey, Arklow and Rathdrum, there are only six daily rail services. For towns equidistant from the capital such as Carlow, there are 11 services, from Drogheda or Dundalk, there are 16 and from Portlaoise there are 32.
“When I posed a question to Irish Rail, even though there are plans to extend to the DART to Wicklow, on what plans it had for the rail service south of Wicklow town, which would service Rathdrum, Arklow and Gorey, it only answered what it is doing in terms of the DART extension.”
The Wicklow Wexford TD is seeking an urgent meeting with the Transport Minister to discuss the matter.
“The clear message coming back to people in Wicklow and Wexford who commute by rail is that there is no plan in place whatsoever to try to alleviate the continuing problems.” he added.
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