'You’ll be an expert in devaluing homes' – warning over DART+ noise concerns
"You may not be an expert in valuing properties, but you’ll be an expert in devaluing them," warned Councillor Daniel Ennis, as Central Area representatives were briefed on the latest updates for the DART+ West Project.
While DART+ Programme Manager Ricardo Santos reassured councillors at the most recent Central Area Committee meeting that consultation with affected residents will be ongoing, concerns around noise pollution and the effect on the value of surrounding property were key issues brought up. Full construction on the enhanced rail line is not expected to begin until 2028, but locals and representatives have already been vocal about the problems that may appear down the line.
DART+ West aims to have twice as many trains along the line, up from six to 12 per hour, with a DART service every five minutes. This involves the full electrification of trains 40 km from City Centre to Maynooth/M3 Parkway, level crossing replacements, an upgraded Connolly Station with improved access, and a new Spencer Dock station.
The initiative to improve DART services has been widely welcomed by representatives but consultation has continually brought up concerns related to noise levels, the implementation of safety barriers, and nuisance caused by night works. Social Democrats Cllr Ennis was particularly vocal about the effects works could have on locals.
He said North Strand residents who live directly beside the rail line, some of whom “can almost touch” the trains from their back window, worry they may bear the brunt of increased noise levels and have their properties devalued in the process. Cllr Ennis called for a forum to be set up “immediately” and for increased consultation and engagement on these issues.
Cllr Ennis explained that the DART+ West project is welcome and will benefit the city, but stressed this “cannot be at the cost of existing communities.” He said those in North Strand have been “good neighbours for generations” and they should expect the same in return as the project progresses.
Mr Santos spoke at length about the complexities of DART+ West and said to meet safety standards there must be barriers of at least 1.8 meters, and while there are no statutory noise or vibration limit values in Ireland for construction works it has been proposed to raise 3.5m high noise barriers to address those concerns.
With regular freight trains currently standing out as the noisiest of all services on the rail line, Mr Santos said “the peak noise will remain the same.” “The noisiest train operating will continue to be the freight train, so if we are putting in noise barriers as requested by the inspector, we will be, in our opinion, improving the impact of peak noise level,” he said.
“What in reality will happen is more noise per hour particularly during rush hour mornings and evenings. But, if we replace five diesel trains with ten electrical trains and raise noise barriers that currently do not exist, we are fully convinced we are giving the residents better conditions than they currently have,” he said.
Mr Santos stressed that they are committed to delivering a rail line that satisfies the concerns of the public to the best of what the rail order permits. There are some non-negotiable aspects, such as a 1.8m safety barrier, but that all designs and planning will progress with full consideration of the residents' concerns.
For the DART+ South West Project, Mr Santos explained they went as far to carry out “one on one meetings” at concerned residents' homes and they will continue to do this for DART+ West if needed. “We invite residents to come to the discussion table and express their concerns now and be involved in discussion while contractors are on board,” he said.
Community Liaison Officers will be assigned for every contractor on the project and will serve as a point of contact for the community. DART+ West are “currently finalising tender packs” and anticipated the “boots on the ground” construction work will not begin until the beginning of 2028.
Green Party Cllr Janet Horner said that North Strand residents have been “disproportionately” affected by the impact of noisy construction works and, although the project may ultimately reduce noise, they have already experienced “lads shouting over one another” in the middle of the night.
“I’m frustrated on behalf of the residents who are getting letters almost weekly saying every effort is being made to mitigate noise and let’s be honest, not every effort is made,” she said. With people’s “quality of life” suffering as a result, she asked for more done to mitigate noise concerns.
Referencing the large portions of land across Dublin owned by Irish Rail, Cllr Horner also pushed for the potential of green spaces, infrastructure, and all-round aesthetic improvements to be given more attention. She cited the multitude of areas around the Inner City that are “starved” for open, nature, and green spaces.
These kinds of projects offer an opportunity to improve infrastructure according Cllr Horner who said railway stations should stand out as a testament of industrial architecture and the heritage of the area. She expressed hope that places like Drumcondra Station could be more than “bird poo, empty buildings, and high luminosity lighted up advertisements.”
“I’m pressing on property owned by Irish Rail in the Inner City area because I want it to look its best and something the communities in the area look at and feel proud of. Connolly Station is fabulous to look at, you get great views of it from outside the station, it's a fantastic piece of infrastructure. We should be looking at it and seeing the best of it. We shouldn't be looking and seeing the semi let-down, slightly shabby state of it,” she said.
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