Four new stations in plans for rail line to Navan

Four new train stations are to be built in Meath as part of plans for a new railway line connecting Navan to Dublin.

Navan is currently the largest town in Ireland that is not on the rail network.

The emerging preferred route for the 34km line was published by Iarnród Éireann this morning, as a public consultation on the project opens today.

The plan will extend the route from the existing line at the M3 Parkway near Dunboyne, with new stations proposed for Dunshaughlin and Kilmessan, along with two new stations in Navan - Navan Central and Navan North.

There will also be three "park and ride" locations in Kilmessan, Dunshaughlin and Navan North.

Under the plans, the journey between Navan to Dublin's Connolly station will take about 1 hour.

The line is set to provide direct DART services and will have capacity for trains up to every 15 minutes at peak times and carrying up to 4,400 commuters each way per hour.

The emerging preferred route follows a similar route to the original railway, which closed in 1963.

Iarnród Éireann said that it will make use of the disused railway corridor where possible, but that a "key revision" is a change in the alignment, to better serve the growing commuter town of Dunshaughlin and its environs.

The public consultation process for the project runs from today until 5pm on the 3 July.

A second non-statutory public consultation process will take place once the preferred railway route has been finalised.

"The knowledge and insight of communities, residents, and businesses adjacent to the route, as well as other stakeholders, will inform the design and help Iarnród Éireann to shape the project plans, ensuring that it will maximise benefits for customers and the communities it will serve," Iarnród Éireann said.

"As well as online feedback, a series of consultation events will be held for those who would like to learn more about the project."

Iarnród Éireann said that all submissions would be carefully considered by the project design team and would inform the subsequent design development for the preferred option.

The project is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority and is part of the NTA's Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy.

Campaigns for a Navan rail line have been ongoing for many years as the town and its surrounding areas continue to grow.

Meath's population grew by 13% between 2016 and 2022, and according to the last census, the county had the highest proportion of commuters travelling for over an hour to work.

At present, those commuting out of the county for work or study are reliant on cars and buses.

Bus services from Navan are also under increasing pressure, with passenger numbers of the three main Bus Éireann Navan to Dublin routes increasing by 21% in the last three years.

It is anticipated a planning application (railway order) for the new rail line will be lodged in 2028, with construction expected to begin in 2030.