Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 510: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine when the city centre resignalling project is expected to commence and be completed; and the additional capacity this will mean to services on the Maynooth suburban line serving north Kildare. [21034/07]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 511: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine the position in relation to the doubling of trains serving the Maynooth suburban line from four railcars to eight. [21035/07]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 512: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine when additional services will be put in place on the Maynooth suburban rail line serving the new Docklands station. [21036/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 to 512, inclusive, together.

The capacity and frequency of services on the Maynooth line have been substantially increased in recent years due to the doubling of the track and the provision of additional rolling stock. The opening of the Docklands station has also benefited passengers on the line with additional services from Clonsilla to Docklands. Services will be further improved when the remaining peak period services operating with 4 carriages on the Dublin-Maynooth line are extended to 8 carriages during 2008. This will be made possible by the reallocation of commuter railcars currently in use on the Sligo line when the new intercity railcars are introduced over the coming months on the Sligo line.

I understand from Iarnród Éireann that it is currently reviewing its plans for resignalling in the city centre area as part of its broader plans for the upgrade of railway infrastructure in the Dublin area and that in this context is considering the removal of level crossings and resignalling the Maynooth line as a means of substantially increasing capacity on the line. The project is expected to be completed in 2011.