New Navan rail link could be open to traffic by 2030

THE Navan rail link will be open by 2030, Iarnród Eireann CEO Jim Meade told the Irish Parliament’s joint Transport committee on January 26.

He also said that other projects, if given the goahead by Government, such as a heavy rail link to Dublin Airport and the reopening of the Athenry to Claremorris line, could be delivered within five years.

Route

The committee heard that the Navan rail line would be a new 40km line running north from the M3 Parkway to Navan, largely following the former MGWR route closed in 1963. A design team is expected to be appointed in the summer and the final route options agreed by the end of 2025. The committee was told that subject to Government approval, a railway order would be applied for in 2026 and it would take four years to deliver the line.

Asked about the possibility of building a DART line to the airport given that building the Metro North rail line is expected to take 10 years, Mr Meade said it was up to the Government to decide if it wants to do it. He noted the ambition of the European Commission to connect all major city airports with traffic of more than 12 million passengers with the heavy rail network by 2040. He said a heavy rail link to the airport would complement not compete against the proposed Metro North line.

Other schemes

Turning to the subject of reopening the Athenry to Claremorris, Mr Meade said: “We recently started doing some de-vegetation works on it to keep the line clean and open. The Department’s view is that it is very viable for a freight corridor. We would probably do it in stages from Athenry to Claremorris. Beyond Claremorris, we would certainly support the ambition to keep it for rail traffic rather than anything else, and in time, if a decision is made to connect to Collooney (near Sligo), so be it.”