Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Transport the proposals he has to increase passenger capacity on the Drogheda-Dundalk rail line. [11873/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by Iarnród Éireann that commuter capacity on the Drogheda-Dublin rail line has been significantly increased over recent years, with the introduction of additional services, lengthening of trains and rolling stock conversion to modern high-capacity rail cars.

I understand that they propose further to increase the capacity and frequency of services along the line to meet the projected growth in population and consequential demand for transport.

The capacity to add new services during peak commuting times is currently limited by the rail network capacity in the Dublin city centre area. Planning and design of an upgraded signalling system in the city centre area is in hand, and work is due to commence immediately after phase 1 of the DART upgrade has been completed.

In the meantime, incremental capacity improvements will be made where rolling stock availability and network capacity allow. I should add that there has also been a significant increase in capacity on bus services serving the same catchment area.