Iarnród Éireann plan to develop a new rail station in the Kylemore area of Dublin, on the existing Cork main line, approximately four kilometres from Heuston Station to the east and approximately two and a half kilometres from Park West and Cherry Orchard station to the west.
There are plans for the ‘City Edge’ project which will bring up to 40,000 new homes and up to 75,000 jobs to the area in the coming years. The new Kylemore station would form part of a future public transport ‘hub’ for the area as the development comes to fruition. (source: City Edge Strategic Framework).
There is a residential area, Ballyfermot to the north of the rail line and the area to the south is primarily light industrial at present.
Given the levels of growth expected locally and across Dublin city as a whole, it is likely that multi-modal transport solutions (including the new rail station at Kylemore) will be required in order to meet transport demand in the area in the medium to long-term. The station at Kylemore has been proposed in the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy as a means of providing a new access to the rail network in this densely populated and growing area.
The emerging preferred location for the new station is to the west of Kylemore Road Bridge. The station entrance will be on the north (Ballyfermot) side of the railway. The railway line runs in a deep cutting in this area, therefore the new station will likely be hidden from view from the residential properties to the north and will integrate into the existing urban landscape.
There will be a station entrance plaza area to the north side of the railway which will lead to the station entrance. This area will be adjacent to the residential properties on Kylemore Road and will accommodate ticket vending machines and covered bicycle shelters and will provide a safe public realm space for rail users. Lighting and CCTV coverage will also be provided for in this area and lockable gates will enable this area to be closed off during non-operational hours.
What Will The New Station Be Like?
The new station will comprise of two platforms, one eastbound and one westbound on the existing Cork main line. The new platforms will be approximately 174 metres in length, to accommodate the new DART trains. In addition each platform will be 3.5 metres wide. Both platforms will have CCTV cameras, public information and public address systems, and passenger shelters.
Access to the platforms will be via stairs and a covered footbridge which will also contain fully accessible lifts. The station entrance area will be at the same level as the railway footbridge.
What Are The Benefits?
Provides a new access to the rail network for up to 16,000 local residents and numerous businesses within one kilometre of the new station.
Improves public transport connectivity for Kylemore / Ballyfermot residents with up to 11 trains per hour per direction once the DART+ programme is implemented (subject to demand).
Improves access to services, employment, and education opportunities for local residents through improved connectivity to the Greater Dublin Area.
Opportunities to interchange at the existing Connolly station and at the new Heuston West station for long distance services.
Better integration and interchange with existing modes of transport such as the BusConnects S4 orbital route, the number 60 and G routes, with the closest bus stop being only 110 metres away, providing residents with multimodal interchange options.
Station is well located to integrate with possible future Luas connections and planned active travel networks.
Encourages more sustainable travel choices, by providing an alternative to private car journeys, thus reducing transport related CO2 emissions as well as potentially helping to relieve traffic congestion in busy areas.
Supports compact, sustainable development in the area, including the City Edge Project, which has the potential for up to 40,000 new homes and up to 75,000 new jobs.
Although Kylemore Station is a project independent from DART+, Iarnród Éireann, CIÉ, and the NTA are working together to coordinate the delivery of both projects.
Further information on the DART+ Programme can be found on the DART+ Website
Project Funding
The new station will be funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority (NTA).
FAQ
The station at Kylemore has been proposed in the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy as a means of providing a new access to the rail network in this densely populated and growing area. The station will provide a new access to the railway for up to 16,000 residents and numerous businesses within 1 kilometre of the new station. In addition there are plans for up to 40,000 new homes and up to 75,000 jobs to be located in the area in the coming years as part of the ‘City Edge’ project which will regenerate and revitalise the area. It has also been developed in part as a result of feedback received during the public consultation on the DART+ Programme.
The emerging preferred option for the location of the new Kylemore station is just to the west of Kylemore Road Bridge. There is a residential area, Ballyfermot to the north of the rail line and the area to the south is primarily light industrial at present, however there are plans for the ‘City Edge’ project to regenerate and revitalise this area, bringing a very substantial increase in the housing and the number of businesses located in the area over the coming years. This location was identified after a robust option selection process during the Concept Development and Option Selection phase of the project. A multi-criteria analysis was undertaken on a shortlist of location options and this location was identified as the best performing option, in part because it provides the best opportunities for multi-modal interchange and future active travel links.
The new station will provide rail access for up to 16,000 residents of Ballyfermot to the north within 1 kilometre of the rail line. The area to the south is primarily light industrial at present, however there are plans for the ‘City Edge’ project to bring a very substantial increase in the housing and the number of businesses located in the area over the coming years. The new Kylemore station would form part of a future public transport ‘hub’ for the new City Edge area.
The NTA has a parking strategy for stations and Kylemore Station is not identified as a station with parking. The station is positioned to mainly attract pedestrians and cyclists from the surrounding area. The new Kylemore station would form part of a future public transport ‘hub’ for the new City Edge area.
Yes – Covered bike shelters will be provided in the station entrance plaza area.
The vast majority of journeys that are made on our services every day occur without any incident. However, security provisions will be provided for including; lighting and CCTV along access paths and the station platform. The station platform area will be live monitored from our security monitoring centre. When necessary, security announcements / warnings will be communicated over the PA system and if needed An Garda Síochána will be alerted. There will also be a customer help point on the platform. Design of the station is very open, so passive surveillance will also discourage anti-social behaviour. The station access, directly off Kylemore Road also makes this location attractive from a public safety point of view as the station would be visible from the road.
The entrance to the station is step-free and level with the street. Access to the platforms is via lifts or stairs. In addition Iarnród Éireann provides assistance for customers that require additional support. This can be accessed via our website.
Iarnród Éireann strive to make our services accessible to all passengers. The vast majority of our customers now use LEAP cards for travel, with their tag on tag off feature, meaning there is no need to purchase tickets individually. Ticket machines will be provided at the station entrance, therefore there are no plans for the station to be staffed.
The footbridge will be designed to include frosted panels, which allow light to pass through but commuters will not be able to see through and overlook any local properties. As the railway is in a deep cutting, the footbridge will be at street level, with the station platforms at a lower level.
As part of the DART+ project an Environmental Impact Assessment was carried out. This identified the need for noise barriers in the area adjacent to the railway line in the Ballyfermot area to help mitigate the additional noise impacts. Further assessment will take place specifically in regard to noise impacts of the station at the next stage.
In order to maintain services during the day, the majority of the construction works along the railway line will take place at night. Works outside of the live railway corridor can progress during the day (i.e. construction of the station entrance). Every effort will be made to avoid, reduce, and/or mitigate negative impacts, however, there is likely to be some disturbance experienced by those in close proximity to the railway line caused by noise, lighting or fencing/hoarding erected associated with the construction activities.
There is normally a 2.4m palisade fence on the boundary of Iarnród Éireann property approximately 5-6m from adjacent property boundaries. The proposed new sound barrier will be a similar height to the usual palisade fence. Therefore, there should not be a significant difference in the view.
Although Kylemore Station is a project independent from the DART+ Programme, Iarnród Éireann, CIÉ, and the NTA are working together to coordinate the delivery of both projects. Kylemore Road bridge will be replaced as part of the DART+ works.
Currently there are up to approximately 5 trains per hour per direction in the peak passing through the Kylemore area, and 3 trains off peak. Once the DART+ SW work is complete, depending on demand there will be up to 11 trains per hour in each direction, between Dublin Heuston / Connolly and Newbridge and Portlaoise. Timetables and stopping patterns for these services are yet to be determined and will be subject to a separate consultation in conjunction with the NTA, but it is anticipated that there will be a significant increase in services.
