More than €35 million has been spent on Dart+ South West to date, despite construction not due to begin on the project until 2030.

Figures released by the Department of Transport show €28 million has been spent on service providers and programme management contracts, €5.6 million on project management and €1.6 million on lookouts, property, legal and railway order costs.

Dart+ South West, which would bring Dart services to Celbridge and Hazelhatch in Co Kildare, was granted planning permission in November 2024, with construction expected to start this year.

However, the National Development Plan (NDP) review, published last November, gave a construction date of “2030+” with the procurement timeline set for “2028-2029”. The review set the cost of the project at more than €1 billion.

The line would see a quadrupling of passenger capacity from 5,000 to 20,000 each way during peak hours. This would cater for a rapidly increasing commuter population in large new housing developments planned for west Dublin and north Kildare.

The upgrade will see the electrification of 20km of the line from Hazelhatch and Celbridge to Heuston, as well as the Phoenix Park tunnel branch line. The line capacity would be increased from two tracks to four between Park West and Cherry Orchard stations. In addition, two new stations would be constructed: Heuston West (close to Islandbridge) and Kylemore, which would serve Ballyfermot.

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin described the delay of the project as “incredibly frustrating” and said traffic in areas such as Lucan and Clondalkin had “reached a level of density I’ve never witnessed”.

“This is a project for which there’s been planning for a very long time. There have been no legal challenges and there is a huge public demand and indeed need for this project to go ahead as a matter of urgency,” the Dublin Mid-West TD said.

“The train line runs through two strategic development zones, Clonburris and Adamstown, and while there isn’t enough housing being built, particularly new social affordable homes, along this stretch of rail line there has been significant residential development.”

[ Funding approval for Dart+ South West could be brought forward to pre-2030Opens in new window ]

Speaking before Christmas, the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, indicated that while the new service is not due to commence construction until after 2030, the timing was not set in stone.

However, he said there were issues around train storage and how the service would interact with another proposed service, Dart+ West.

Mr O’Brien added there was “flexibility” within the NDP with regard to delivery and that it was “a very important project” he wanted to see delivered.

“Time frames in the NDP are indicative. It is a scheme that I would like to see us advance and I think that we can advance it,” he said.

The department said funding secured under the NDP will see construction start before 2030 on the Dart+ programme, beginning with Dart+ West, which is the “crucial enabler” of the rest of the programme, and in particular Dart+ South West.

“Dart+ West must be advanced as it will provide the depot capacity for the new fleet to be used on South West and also will provide the capacity in the city centre to allow for South West services to proceed,” it said.

The compulsory purchase orders (CPO) processes for Dart+ South West will begin this year.

Aspects of the procurement frameworks put in place for Dart+ West will be available for use on South West when its main construction works commence, which the “department hopes to accelerate through the additional NDP funding made available in 2028 onwards”, it said.

“The department will also explore any EU funding which may become available to accelerate public transport projects,” it added.