DART services to extend into Kildare with new depot location
Irish Rail will be extending DART services to Kildare as part of its new expansion plan.
A public consultation recently opened for a plane to build a new depot in Kilcock, which is scheduled to open in 2031.
The new depot could house a fleet of up to 750 new DART carriages, which are currently undergoing testing and safety approvals before entering service next year.
rish Rail will be extending DART services to Kildare. Pic: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
Irish Rail also confirmed that Kilcock Station is set for an upgrade, with a new platform being created and a second line of track connecting it to Maynooth.
Intercity services will continue to stop at Kilcock Station, which is currently served by nine trains each way daily, which go hourly at peak times.
The extension will create infrastructure to bring DART services up to a 10-minute frequency each way during peak time for Kilcock.
A public consultation recently opened for a plane to build a new depot in Kilcock. Pic: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said that over 50 sites for the new depot were looked at and assessed.
An area just west of Kilcock was eventually selected as the preferred option.
O’Brien described the town as a ‘big commuter area’ but added that it ‘does have public transport deficiencies’.
The new DART carriages will enter service next year. Pic: ABD/Shutterstock
The public consultation process opened on March 16 and will run until April 27.
The process is a key element to the delivery of major infrastructure projects.
Local knowledge and comments will lead to the preferred design for the new depot.
All feedback and submissions that are received will be reviewed as part of the next stage of the development.
The team will ultimately draft a Railway Order application, which will be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála later in 2026.
CEO of Irish Rail Mary Considine said: ‘This welcome announcement for Kilcock will transform public transport in the locality bringing DART services to a growing community.
‘A more sustainable, more frequent and more reliable rail system will support more people to get out of the car and on to the train, and will be a key enabler for housing development…
‘I encourage the local community and all interested parties to engage with the consultation process and provide their feedback to help shape the ongoing design development.’
