Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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191. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a proposed tunnel through Bray Head was included in the cost analysis of double tracking the Rosslare-Dublin rail line; whether more cost-effective alternatives, such as double tracking north and south of Greystones, adding a second platform at Wexford O'Hanrahan station, and increasing speeds in south Wicklow, are being considered as part of plans to expand DART services to Wicklow town 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50329/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, as Minister for Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport in Ireland, including, in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann, in relation to the rail network. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).

The All-Island Strategic Rail Review was undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Following two public consultations, the Review’s Final Report was published in July 2024.

The Review's Final Report sets out 32 strategic recommendations to enhance and expand the rail system in Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050, aligning with net carbon zero commitments in both jurisdictions. The recommendations seek to transform the quality of the rail system to the benefit of passengers and wider society on the island, through additional track capacity, electrification, increased speeds, higher service frequencies and new routes.

The Review considered interventions to enable faster and more frequent journeys between Rosslare Europort and Dublin, including adding passing loops and tunnelling through Bray Head. Many of these solutions would be very costly and unlikely to be justifiable as the line would not be expected to support more than one or two trains per hour in each direction. As these interventions were not further assessed under the Review, there was no cost-benefit analysis performed.

You may be aware the DART+ Coastal South project involves an improvement to DART services on the existing DART line south of Dublin city, with the current focus on enhancing services between Bray and Greystones.

In addition, the NTA's GDA Transport Strategy 2022-2042 includes a recommendation to extend the DART service to Wicklow town. I understand this extension can be facilitated through utilising the new battery-electric DART carriages, which are currently undergoing safety testing. The NTA is currently examining this issue with a view to progressing the extension by around 2029, subject to funding and approvals.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.