Transport chiefs consider double tracking rail line south of Bray too costly

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

It’s emerged no cost-benefit analysis has been performed on the estimated costs of providing a double rail track between Greystones and Rosslare Europort stations.

The proposal was reviewed as part of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which was undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Following two public consultations, the review’s final report was published in July 2024.

The report sets out 32 strategic recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050, aligning with net carbon zero commitments in both jurisdictions.

The recommendations aim to transform the quality of the rail system for the benefit of passengers and wider society on the island, through additional track capacity, electrification, increased speeds, higher service frequencies and new routes.

The review considered interventions to enable faster and more frequent journeys between Rosslare Europort and Dublin, including adding passing loops and tunnelling through Bray Head.

In response to a parliamentary question, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has confirmed a cost analysis of double tracking the route will not take place, as many of these solutions would be considered too costly and unlikely to be justifiable, as the line would not be expected to support more than one or two trains per hour in each direction.

The current focus is centred around the DART+ Coastal South project, which involves improving Dart services on the existing line south of Dublin city, with the aim of enhancing services between Bray and Greystones to a frequency of every twenty minutes.

The NTA's GDA Transport Strategy 2022-2042 also includes a recommendation to extend the Dart service to Wicklow town by utilising battery-electric Dart carriages.

These are currently undergoing testing and are due to enter service on the northern line in 2026.

The NTA is currently examining this proposal with a view to progressing the extension around 2029.

However, this timeline is subject to funding and the relevant planning applications being approved.