The
Trans-Dublin is a railway route serving the city of
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
and its surrounding areas. The route is used primarily by the
DARTThe Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
service, and runs north-south along the east coast of
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
. The route is divided into two parts over two different railway lines:
- Belfast to Dublin main line
The Dublin-Belfast main line is a major international railway route in Ireland that connects Dublin Connolly station in the Republic of Ireland and Belfast Central station in Northern Ireland.-History:Three separate railway companies constructed the line...
- This runs from Dublin ConnollyDublin Connolly, commonly called Connolly station , is one of the main railway stations in Dublin, Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. The ornate station facade has a distinctive Italianate tower at its centre...
to Belfast CentralBelfast Central is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.Located on East Bridge Street in the city, Central is the northern terminus of the inter-city Enterprise service to Dublin Connolly, which runs every two hours...
. The northern section of the Trans-Dublin operates between Dublin Connolly and Howth JunctionHowth Junction & Donaghmede railway station serves the area of Donaghmede, and parts of Kilbarrack in Dublin. It is located where the Dublin-Belfast railway line and Dublin-Malahide line separates from the Dublin-Howth line. It is located in Donaghmede....
, where it branches off.
The
Trans-Dublin is a railway route serving the city of
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
and its surrounding areas. The route is used primarily by the
DARTThe Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
service, and runs north-south along the east coast of
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
. The route is divided into two parts over two different railway lines:
- Belfast to Dublin main line
The Dublin-Belfast main line is a major international railway route in Ireland that connects Dublin Connolly station in the Republic of Ireland and Belfast Central station in Northern Ireland.-History:Three separate railway companies constructed the line...
- This runs from Dublin ConnollyDublin Connolly, commonly called Connolly station , is one of the main railway stations in Dublin, Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. The ornate station facade has a distinctive Italianate tower at its centre...
to Belfast CentralBelfast Central is a railway station serving the city of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.Located on East Bridge Street in the city, Central is the northern terminus of the inter-city Enterprise service to Dublin Connolly, which runs every two hours...
. The northern section of the Trans-Dublin operates between Dublin Connolly and Howth JunctionHowth Junction & Donaghmede railway station serves the area of Donaghmede, and parts of Kilbarrack in Dublin. It is located where the Dublin-Belfast railway line and Dublin-Malahide line separates from the Dublin-Howth line. It is located in Donaghmede....
, where it branches off. The main line continues to MalahideMalahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland...
, while a short branch terminates at HowthHowth is an area in the Fingal County Council administrative area of County Dublin, Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village and surrounding rural district, Howth is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside...
.
- Dublin to Rosslare main line
The Dublin-Rosslare railway line is a main rail route between Dublin Connolly station and Rosslare Europort, where it connects with ferry services to the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The line between Dublin and Greystones is electrified and forms the southern part of the DART service....
- This runs from Dublin Connolly to Rosslare EuroportRosslare Europort railway station is a railway station serving Rosslare Europort in County Wexford, Ireland. There is only one platform. The station is owned and operated by Iarnród Éireann and is served primarily by the mainline from Dublin Connolly station, although there is also a single daily...
. The southern half of the Trans-Dublin runs as far as GreystonesGreystones is a coastal town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on Ireland’s east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin , with a population in the region of 15,000....
in County WicklowCounty Wicklow is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the town of Wicklow ....
.
The two sections of the route are connected through the centre of Dublin by the
Loopline BridgeLoopline Bridge is a railway bridge spanning the River Liffey and several streets in Dublin, Ireland. It joins rail services from south of Dublin to Connolly Station and lines north....
over the
River LiffeyThe Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
between Dublin Connolly and
Tara StreetTara Street is the 3rd busiest railway station in Ireland , with over 25,000 passengers using it daily. The station is arguably the closest station to the Dublin city centre and certainly is the closest to O'Connell Bridge....
.
Future
The Trans-Dublin route will see significant changes over the next decade with the construction of the
InterconnectorThe Interconnector , also known as DART Underground, is a planned railway tunnel in Ireland, expected to run under the city centre of Dublin...
. This is a railway tunnel that will be built under the centre of the city to connect
Dublin HeustonDublin Heuston, commonly called Heuston station , is one of Ireland's main railway stations, serving the south, southwest and west. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann , the national railway operator...
,
Dublin PearseDublin Pearse, also known as Pearse Station , located on Westland Row in the Southside in Dublin, Ireland, is Ireland's busiest railway station and is an important commuter terminus for the Dublin area....
and
DocklandsDocklands Station is a new railway station serving the Dublin Docklands area in Ireland owned by Córas Iompair Éireann planned as part of the Government Transport 21 initiative....
. This will be used to create two "new" DART lines. The northern section will be diverted away from Dublin Connolly to Docklands and then through the new tunnel calling at new underground stations at Dublin Pearse, St Stephen's Green, High Street and Dublin Heuston, where it will connect with the lines to the south and west of Ireland, terminating at
HazelhatchHazelhatch is an area on the border between County Kildare and County Dublin in Ireland. It is located approximately halfway between Celbridge and Newcastle. It is located on the R405 regional road. The Grand Canal passes through the area, and Hazelhatch is one of the places of recreational...
. The southern section will continue on its existing route as far as Dublin Connolly, where it will then be diverted via the
Western CommuterThe Dublin Suburban Rail network, , is a railway network that serves the city of Dublin, Ireland, most of the Greater Dublin Area and outlying towns...
route via Drumcondra to terminate at either
MaynoothMaynooth is a university town located in north County Kildare, Ireland, home to both a branch of the National University of Ireland and a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, or the new
Pace M3Pace M3 is a planned railway station in County Meath on the planned Clonsilla-Navan railway line. It will mainly serve as a large Park and Ride site, with 1,200 spaces...
Park and Ride station on the re-opened
NavanNavan is the largest town and county town or administrative capital of County Meath, Ireland. It is thought to be one of the few places in the world to have a palindromic name .-Name:...
branch.
See also
- Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station route in the British railway system running north to south from Bedford to Brighton through the Snow Hill tunnel in Central London. It is an important commuter route and serves the airports at London Gatwick and London Luton...
- a similar north-south route through Central London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...