Draft:DART+

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  • Comment: I think you could incorporate and expand the existing article. If Dart+ is finished maybe then a separate article can be created?
    I do really encourage you to expand the existing DART article though as the content you have written here is good. Qcne (talk) 17:10, 10 December 2023 (UTC)

DART+
A map of the proposed DART+ network, along with the existing DART and Luas lines, and proposed Metrolink
Type of projectCommuter rail
LocationGreater Dublin Area
Country Ireland
StatusIn progress
Websitedartplus.ie

DART+ is a proposed commuter rail project in the Greater Dublin Area in Ireland, aimed at expanding the existing Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) network. DART+ consists of five main sub-projects: DART+ West, DART+ South West, DART+ Coastal North, DART+ Coastal South (each servicing distinct areas of County Dublin), and DART+ Fleet.[1] As of late 2023, Iarnród Éireann have lodged planning applications for DART+ West and South West[2], while public consultations on DART+ Coastal North have concluded.[3]

Background[edit]

The Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) is an electrified commuter railway established in 1984 that runs along the coast of Dublin, from Greystones to Howth and Malahide. Prior to DART+, several extensions of the DART network had been proposed, including an underground line, which was eventually put on hold.[4] The DART+ project is funded by the National Development Plan 2021 to 2030 of the National Transport Authority of Ireland.[5]

Overview[edit]

The DART+ Project is divided into four lines:

and DART+ Fleet, a project aimed at adding new, electrified rolling stock to the DART network.[1]

Timeline[edit]

Pre-2021[edit]

A DART expansion programme resembling the current DART+ programme was first mentioned as the "DART Expansion" in the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016 - 2035 document, published in 2016 by the National Transport Authority.[6]

In August 2020, the project was formally launched by the NTA under the DART+ name alongside the opening of public consultation for the DART+ West sub-project.[7]

2021-2023[edit]

In August 2023, Iarnród Éireann ordered 95 new carriages (65 battery-electric carriages, 30 electric carriages) for DART+ Coastal North, running between Drogheda and Dublin, which are due to enter service in 2025.[8] The French transportation company Alstom was awarded the contract to build charging facilities in Drogheda by the end of 2024 to support the carriages.[9]

In November 2023, as part of DART+, works began on the new Woodbrook Station, located between Shankill and Bray. The station is due to open in 2025.[10]

Criticism[edit]

Several proposed lines of the DART+ project have been criticised for missing stations, as well as their potential impacts on nearby communities.[11][12]

See Also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "About Dart+". dartplus.ie. DART+.
  2. ^ McCarron, Jamie. "New DART+ prototype unveiled, first carriages to enter service in 2025". thejournal.ie. TheJournal. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  3. ^ McCabe, Donald. "Iarnród Éireann launches second public consultation for bringing DART to Louth". dundalkdemocrat.ie. Dundalk Democrat. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  4. ^ Bardon, Sarah (8 September 2015). "Government abandons Dart Underground project". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 10 Dec 2023.
  5. ^ Hussey, Sinéad. "Rail capacity between Dublin, Drogheda set to double". rte.ie. RTE. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  6. ^ Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016 - 2035 (PDF), National Transport Agency, retrieved 10 December 2023
  7. ^ "Radical new DART+ Plan for Dublin Launched". National Transport Authority. 26 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  8. ^ Nevin, Emma (11 August 2023). "Drogheda to Dublin DART+ trains to be battery-electric powered in just two years". DublinLive. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Fast-charging facilities for new DART+ trains at Drogheda Station as contract awarded". The Irish Independent. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  10. ^ Galvin, Tom (10 Nov 2023). "Irish Rail says work on 32nd DART station to begin this month near Shankill". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  11. ^ Deegan, Gordon. "Hearing to be held over planned DART+ West upgrade after 158 submissions received". breakingnews.ie. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  12. ^ Dalby, Claudia. "A Planned DART Line May Pass Through Ballyfermot Without Stopping". dublininquirer.com. Dublin Inquirer. Retrieved 10 December 2023.