Dublin-Navan railway line
Encyclopedia
The Dublin-Navan line was a commuter railway line between Dublin and the town of Navan
in County Meath
.
in Ireland
. The Dublin and Drogheda Railway
first constructed a branch from the Dublin-Belfast main line
through Navan to the town of Oldcastle
which opened in 1850. In 1862, the Dublin and Meath Railway constructed and operated a branch from Clonsilla
to Navan off the MGWR
main line to Sligo
. This line was extended to Kingscourt
in County Cavan
in 1865, operated by the Navan and Kingscourt Railway. Both of these lines were eventually purchased by the MGWR, while the Oldcastle line was eventually incorporated into the GNR(I)
. Navan railway station
itself was a small single platform stop on the Oldcastle line. The main station for the town was Navan Junction
, which had four platforms serving trains on both routes.
In the 1950s and 1960s, there was a large scale rationalisation of the railway network in Ireland, which saw Córas Iompair Éireann
close large sections of line. Passenger services on the Kingscourt line were ended in 1947, while on the Oldcastle line they continued until 1958. The lines from Clonsilla and Oldcastle to Navan was lifted in 1963, with the remainder remaining open for freight use following the withdrawal of passenger services - the Gypsum Industries plant in Kingscourt utilised the line as far as Navan Junction before transferring to the Oldcastle line to transport gypsum
to the Plantin Cement works just outside Drogheda
, while the Tara Mine
also uses the Oldcastle branch to transport lead
and zinc
. Following industrial action by Iarrnrod Eireann Train Drivers in 2001, Gypsum freight services from Kingscourt were transferred to road haulage, which led to the remainder of the line being mothballed. The line has been preserved however, with the then Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms. Mary O'Rourke, ordrering Iarnrod Eireann NOT to 'lift' the railway line, as it may be used in the future.
, added to the increase in the population of Navan, has led to calls over the past few years for a rail service to be reinstated from Dublin. As part of the Transport 21
plan announced by the Irish Government
in 2005, the line to Navan would be rebuilt in two phases as a branch of the Western Commuter
line. The first phase would see a 7.5 km stretch from the junction west of Clonsilla
. This would feature three new railway stations at Hansfield, Dunboyne
and a major park and ride
interchange next to the M3 motorway. This has become operational in September 2010. The second phase, was planned to be complete by 2015, would have seen the line extended from the Pace/M3 Interchange to Navan itself, with further stations at Dunshaughlin
, Kilmessan
and two in Navan itself.
The implementation of the proposal is hampered by the existence of the privately owned M3, tolled at two points, and capacity constraints on the Great Northern line into Dublin. is operating at the limit of its capacity and is allegedly unable to take the extra services envisaged by the Navan line. As a consequence of planning decisions, as part of the wider rail plan (which also involves changes to the DART
system), a new railway terminus in the Docklands area of Dublin was constructed. Docklands
currently serves as the terminus for services on the Western Commuter originating from Clonsilla. The proposal would have seen this station expanded to become the main terminus for Western Commuter services, including from Navan, as well as a stop for planned DART services through the Interconnector
. However, in 2007, Iarnród Éireann
announced plans to restore rail services to the long closed Dublin Broadstone
station - it was this that IÉ planned to use as its major terminus for commuter services from and Navan. However, in March 2008, the transport minister blocked these proposals in favour of utilising Broadstone for the Luas
system, instead encouraging IÉ to seek planning permission to keep in place as the terminus for the Navan line, as well as services from and . As part of the wider improvements to the commuter network around Dublin, the line will electrified as far as Pace and will form part of the planned DART
Line 1.
at Navan and the cement works outside Drogheda. However, Meath on Track maintain that, although it is alleged that it would need to be upgraded to allow passenger trains to run on it, this could be done relatively inexpensively and would provide an immediate commuter service taking approximately 75 minutes. The pressure group Rail Users Ireland
(formerly Platform 11) have estimated the cost of restoring this route for passenger trains at €64 million. Their proposal would see the relaying of the line to standards necessary for passenger trains, the installation of two new stations at as a park and ride
and Navan , together with the reopening of Navan station
. The line was fully relaid in the last couple of years, so this reason is only an excuse trotted out when required.
Criticism has also been levelled at Meath County Council
. Rail Users Ireland have pointed out that part of the rail alignment planned to Navan has been obstructed by the installation of a sewer main
, while there is indication that Meath County Council have also not ensured the protection of the route sufficiently.
Various groups have also pointed out that, given the two phase approach to implementing the plan, there will be little benefit to residents of Navan until the line is extended there, due to the planned positioning of the toll
collection points at Pace/M3. In addition to the planned station being 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from Navan itself, the toll point will be positioned before drivers reach the station.
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
History
Navan was originally a significant part of the expanding rail networkRail transport in Ireland
Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Dublin and Drogheda Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The D&D constructed the railway line between Dublin and Drogheda. The company presented the scheme to parliament in 1836 and received royal assent on 13 August 1836. John MacNeill was appointed as the line's engineer in...
first constructed a branch from the Dublin-Belfast main line
Dublin-Belfast railway line
The Dublin-Belfast main line is a major railway route in Ireland that connects Dublin Connolly station in the Republic of Ireland and Belfast Central station in Northern Ireland.-History:The railway line was built by three separate companies...
through Navan to the town of Oldcastle
Oldcastle, County Meath
Oldcastle is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is located in the north-west of the county near the border with Cavan, approximately 21 km from Kells. The R154 and R195 regional roads cross in the town's market square...
which opened in 1850. In 1862, the Dublin and Meath Railway constructed and operated a branch from Clonsilla
Clonsilla
Clonsilla is a suburb of Dublin in the district of Fingal, Ireland.-Location and access:Originally a small village in its own right, Clonsilla is now a large residential suburban area, with Ongar and other localities developing their own subsidiary identities...
to Navan off the MGWR
Midland Great Western Railway
The Midland Great Western Railway was the third largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railway in 1924. It served part of Leinster, County Cavan in Ulster and much of Connaught...
main line to Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
. This line was extended to Kingscourt
Kingscourt railway station
Kingscourt Railway station is a former passenger station in Kingscourt, County Cavan, in Ireland. It was created by the Navan and Kingscourt Railway in 1865. This was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway in 1888. The line ceased passenger services in 1947, and was then a freight only...
in County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1865, operated by the Navan and Kingscourt Railway. Both of these lines were eventually purchased by the MGWR, while the Oldcastle line was eventually incorporated into the GNR(I)
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
. Navan railway station
Navan railway station
Navan railway station served the town of Navan in County Meath. The station served the centre of the town, and was on the branch line between and Oldcastle, which was opened by the Dublin and Drogheda Railway in 1850 and became part of the Great Northern Railway in 1876...
itself was a small single platform stop on the Oldcastle line. The main station for the town was Navan Junction
Navan Junction railway station
Navan Junction was a railway station serving the town of Navan in County Meath. As the name suggests, the station was located at the junction of two railway lines. The first was a branch line off the main line between Belfast and Dublin, which connected Drogheda and Oldcastle, and opened in 1850...
, which had four platforms serving trains on both routes.
In the 1950s and 1960s, there was a large scale rationalisation of the railway network in Ireland, which saw Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann , or CIÉ, is a statutory corporation of the Irish state, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for most public transport in the Republic of Ireland and, jointly with its Northern Ireland counterpart, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, between the...
close large sections of line. Passenger services on the Kingscourt line were ended in 1947, while on the Oldcastle line they continued until 1958. The lines from Clonsilla and Oldcastle to Navan was lifted in 1963, with the remainder remaining open for freight use following the withdrawal of passenger services - the Gypsum Industries plant in Kingscourt utilised the line as far as Navan Junction before transferring to the Oldcastle line to transport gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
to the Plantin Cement works just outside Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
, while the Tara Mine
Tara Mine
Tara Mines is a zinc and lead mine near Navan, County Meath, Ireland. In the Navan ore body Tara is an underground mine where the orebody lies between 50 and 900 metres below surface....
also uses the Oldcastle branch to transport lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
and zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
. Following industrial action by Iarrnrod Eireann Train Drivers in 2001, Gypsum freight services from Kingscourt were transferred to road haulage, which led to the remainder of the line being mothballed. The line has been preserved however, with the then Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms. Mary O'Rourke, ordrering Iarnrod Eireann NOT to 'lift' the railway line, as it may be used in the future.
Proposal
The growth of the economy in County MeathCounty Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, added to the increase in the population of Navan, has led to calls over the past few years for a rail service to be reinstated from Dublin. As part of the Transport 21
Transport 21
Transport 21 is an Irish infrastructure plan, announced in November 2005. It aims to greatly expand Ireland's transport network. A cost estimate of €34 billion was attached to the plan at the time....
plan announced by the Irish Government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
in 2005, the line to Navan would be rebuilt in two phases as a branch of the Western Commuter
Dublin Suburban Rail
The Dublin Suburban Rail network, , is a railway network that serves the city of Dublin, Ireland, most of the Greater Dublin Area and outlying towns...
line. The first phase would see a 7.5 km stretch from the junction west of Clonsilla
Clonsilla railway station
Clonsilla railway station is a railway station that serves Clonsilla, County Dublin, Ireland.-Services:It lies on the Dublin to Longford commuter route. The level crossing here is still a gate crossing, operated from a wheel in the signal cabin. As of 2nd September 2010 the reopened Dunboyne...
. This would feature three new railway stations at Hansfield, Dunboyne
Dunboyne
Dunboyne is a town in County Meath in Ireland. For the most part, it is a dormitory town for the city of Dublin.-Location:Dunboyne is centred on the crossroads formed by the R156 regional road and the old Maynooth Road ....
and a major park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
interchange next to the M3 motorway. This has become operational in September 2010. The second phase, was planned to be complete by 2015, would have seen the line extended from the Pace/M3 Interchange to Navan itself, with further stations at Dunshaughlin
Dunshaughlin
-History:It is named after Saint Seachnall, who established a church there in the 5th century.Máel Seachlainn was ancestor to the principal family of Brega, Ó Maoilsheachlainn, is descended...
, Kilmessan
Kilmessan
-References:...
and two in Navan itself.
The implementation of the proposal is hampered by the existence of the privately owned M3, tolled at two points, and capacity constraints on the Great Northern line into Dublin. is operating at the limit of its capacity and is allegedly unable to take the extra services envisaged by the Navan line. As a consequence of planning decisions, as part of the wider rail plan (which also involves changes to the DART
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The 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...
system), a new railway terminus in the Docklands area of Dublin was constructed. Docklands
Docklands railway station
Docklands 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....
currently serves as the terminus for services on the Western Commuter originating from Clonsilla. The proposal would have seen this station expanded to become the main terminus for Western Commuter services, including from Navan, as well as a stop for planned DART services through the Interconnector
Interconnector (rail tunnel)
DART Underground , previously known as the Interconnector, is a planned railway tunnel in Ireland, projected to run under the city centre of Dublin. The tunnel would allow for the expansion of the electrified DART and the Dublin Suburban Rail network, and connect Heuston Station with Pearse Station...
. However, in 2007, Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
announced plans to restore rail services to the long closed Dublin Broadstone
Broadstone (Dublin) railway station
Broadstone railway station, , the former Dublin terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway, is currently the headquarters of Bus Éireann, housing most of their administration and also one of their main garages...
station - it was this that IÉ planned to use as its major terminus for commuter services from and Navan. However, in March 2008, the transport minister blocked these proposals in favour of utilising Broadstone for the Luas
Luas
Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...
system, instead encouraging IÉ to seek planning permission to keep in place as the terminus for the Navan line, as well as services from and . As part of the wider improvements to the commuter network around Dublin, the line will electrified as far as Pace and will form part of the planned DART
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The 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...
Line 1.
Criticism
Although the proposal to reinstate a rail service between Dublin and Navan has been welcomed, particularly in view of the comparison of cost with the M3 motorway (estimated to be €650 million against €90 million for the railway), there has been criticism over the details of the proposal. The pressure group Meath on Track have been vocal in their criticism of the timescale for reintroducing the full route, pointing out that a line to Navan already exists, the remaining section of the Oldcastle branch to . This line is only used for freight trains from the Tara MineTara Mine
Tara Mines is a zinc and lead mine near Navan, County Meath, Ireland. In the Navan ore body Tara is an underground mine where the orebody lies between 50 and 900 metres below surface....
at Navan and the cement works outside Drogheda. However, Meath on Track maintain that, although it is alleged that it would need to be upgraded to allow passenger trains to run on it, this could be done relatively inexpensively and would provide an immediate commuter service taking approximately 75 minutes. The pressure group Rail Users Ireland
Platform 11
Rail Users Ireland is a rail transport pressure group in Ireland whose agenda is centred on the idea that there is an economic case for expanding rail transport in Ireland through better utilization of existing infrastructure with only justified expansion of existing routes...
(formerly Platform 11) have estimated the cost of restoring this route for passenger trains at €64 million. Their proposal would see the relaying of the line to standards necessary for passenger trains, the installation of two new stations at as a park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
and Navan , together with the reopening of Navan station
Navan railway station
Navan railway station served the town of Navan in County Meath. The station served the centre of the town, and was on the branch line between and Oldcastle, which was opened by the Dublin and Drogheda Railway in 1850 and became part of the Great Northern Railway in 1876...
. The line was fully relaid in the last couple of years, so this reason is only an excuse trotted out when required.
Criticism has also been levelled at Meath County Council
Meath County Council
Meath County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Meath in Ireland. The Council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and the environment. The head of the council has the title of...
. Rail Users Ireland have pointed out that part of the rail alignment planned to Navan has been obstructed by the installation of a sewer main
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
, while there is indication that Meath County Council have also not ensured the protection of the route sufficiently.
Various groups have also pointed out that, given the two phase approach to implementing the plan, there will be little benefit to residents of Navan until the line is extended there, due to the planned positioning of the toll
Toll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
collection points at Pace/M3. In addition to the planned station being 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from Navan itself, the toll point will be positioned before drivers reach the station.