Dunboyne railway line reopens

One of three new rail stations on the reopened Dunboyne railway line is to remain closed until a road is built linking it to the nearest town.

The €160 million, 7.5km service links to the existing Maynooth line at Clonsilla and new stations have been built at Hansfield, Dunboyne and the M3 Parkway, just north of Dunboyne.

The service will open to the public tomorrow morning.

However, Hansfield station will remain closed despite being completed. According to Irish Rail, a road linking the station – which is part of a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) ‑ has not been provided by the developers of Hansfield.

Irish Rail is also seeking amendments to the Hansfield zone to include a car park at the station for commuters. A car park was provided as part of the Adamstown development on the Kildare line, which was opened in 2007.

The new service will transform commuting for residents of Dunboyne and for commuters from across Co Meath, who will use the new M3 Parkway Station, a 1,200 space park and ride facility which allows direct access from the end of the M3.

The service will operate from the new M3 Parkway and Dunboyne stations to Docklands station from Monday to Friday and to Connolly at weekends.

The new service offers peak journey times of 31 minutes from M3 Parkway to Dublin and 27 minutes from Dunboyne, with services operating every half hour in each direction at peak times.

Some 300 pay-and-display car parking spaces are available at Dunboyne, with a further 1,200 spaces at M3 Parkway. The M3 Parkway will be the largest public transport park-and-ride site in Ireland.

Bus Éireann coaches on the Granard-Athboy-Trim-Dublin route will also serving M3 Parkway station

Dunboyne has not been served by rail since 1947 when the station closed. Trains to Navan ceased in 1963.

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said  people deserve reliable public transport options. "That’s what this new service will provide here in Meath. I have no doubt that it will be a very popular service."

He also reaffirmed his commitment to the reopening of the line as far as Navan, although this was not mentioned in the recent launch of the Government’s infrastructure investment priorities to 2016.

The Minister said planning permission for the line was due to be submitted to An Bord Pleanála in May 2011. “The development and construction of the Navan rail line is a key part of the Government’s infrastructure investment programme,” he maintained.