Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 March 2022
241. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the steps that can be taken to accelerate the programme to upgrade the Hazelhatch to Sallins railway line; if plans are being advanced to connect the Maynooth line with Hazelhatch; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12280/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the DART+ Programme is a programme of projects for the development of rail in the Greater Dublin Area.
As well as DART+ South-West which the Deputy refers to, the Programme comprises of DART+ Fleet, DART+ West, DART+ Coastal (South) and DART+ Coastal (North) projects. Collectively these projects will extend and enhance the current DART system and services west to Maynooth and Hazelhatch/Celbridge, south to Greystones and north to Drogheda. In consultation with Iarnród Éireann, the National Transport Authority (NTA), which has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure including rail in the Greater Dublin Area, is progressing the various projects which are at different stages of planning and development.
Further extensions to DART services in the years ahead are being considered as part of the NTA’s review of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area for which a public consultation recently concluded. The revised Strategy does propose extending DART services beyond Hazelhatch; however, the focus is on completing the delivery of the DART+ Programme, as it must be, in order to allow for later consideration of further extensions to the Programme.
