Irish Rail begins track lowering work in Dublin this weekend
Construction on the DART+ West project starts Friday night, requiring bus replacements for weekend travel between Clonsilla and M3 Parkway.
By Nadia Khalil ·
Dublin rail passengers will face service changes this weekend as Irish Rail begins major construction on the DART+ West project. The first infrastructure work is scheduled to take place between Hansfield and M3 Parkway from Friday night, October 30, until Monday morning, November 2.
The operation involves approximately 120 Irish Rail workers who will lower the railway tracks beneath two road bridges. This adjustment creates the necessary vertical clearance for overhead electrical wires that will power future DART services. By lowering the tracks, engineers avoid the need to raise or replace the existing bridges.
Normal train services are expected to resume on Monday morning, following the final departure on Friday. However, passengers travelling between Clonsilla and M3 Parkway will find no train services running on Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1. Replacement buses will operate between Clonsilla, Hansfield, Dunboyne, and M3 Parkway during this period.
Irish Rail advises travelers to review revised timetables on its website before departing. The company states that this weekend marks the start of a larger improvement programme under DART+ West. The initiative aims to extend electrified rail services from Dublin city centre towards Maynooth, Kilcock, and M3 Parkway.
The project encompasses roughly 40 kilometers of electrification and signalling upgrades designed to increase service frequency and passenger capacity. Planned improvements include a new station at Spencer Dock, upgrades at Connolly Station, and the closure of six level crossings. A new maintenance depot west of Kilcock is also included in the plans, subject to separate approval.
The wider DART+ programme intends to triple the length of Dublin’s electrified rail network from 50 kilometers to 150 kilometers while doubling overall passenger capacity. Irish Rail has ordered 285 new DART carriages to support this expansion. The first of these new trains are expected to enter service on the Drogheda line in the second quarter of 2027.
