Dart to close for Lansdowne's end

Dublin's Dart service will be closed between Connolly Station and Sydney Parade over the next August bank holiday weekend to allow for the final stages of demolition of the old Lansdowne Road stadium.

The last sections of the east stand were knocked down yesterday, leaving little more than the roof-less skeleton of the old west stand as all that remains of the world's oldest international stadium.

The old stadium, which was built in 1872 and hosted its first international rugby match between Ireland and England in 1878, is being demolished to make way for a €350 million 50,000-seater complex, due to open for matches in 2010.

Planning permission for the new stadium was granted by An Bord Pleanála last March and demolition of the old buildings began in May. The bulk of the demolition, including the removal of the west stand will be completed by the end of the bank holiday weekend with smaller scale demolition finishing by the end of August.

Following protracted negotiations with Iarnród Éireann, Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC) has secured two weekends, which must fall on a bank holiday, during which the Dart service can be closed to allow for work on the stadium.

The Dart has to be stopped for the demolition of the west stand which overhangs the line at Lansdowne Road stadium. The line will be closed following the last train on Friday, August 4th and will reopen on Tuesday morning August 7th.

Iarnród Éireann has decided to terminate southbound trains at Connolly Station and northbound trains at Sydney Parade for signalling reasons and to allow it complete its own maintenance work at Pearse Station.

In addition to the Dart closures, the Rosslare train service will terminate at Greystones, with a coach service running to and from Greystones and Connolly Station. Maynooth and Drogheda trains will terminate in Connolly Station.

Rail services will be disrupted again over the following bank holiday weekend in October to allow LRSDC complete any remaining work which could affect the rail lines.

A spokesman for LRSDC said yesterday that all work was going to schedule. The company is, however, still facing a legal challenge from local residents seeking a judicial review of the decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant permission for the stadium. The case will be heard next October.