Is it really full steam ahead for a new Navan rail line?

After 63 years, the prospect of a train line returning to Navan, Co. Meath, appears to be moving full steam ahead. A public consultation recently opened for a proposed new route that would effectively extend the DART service to Navan.

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Will I ever get on a train from Navan to Dublin?

The €1 billion project is slated to take approximately 10 years to complete. The emerging preferred route involves constructing a 34-kilometer stretch of new tracks from the existing line at M3 Parkway near Dunboyne. It will also feature four new train stations: two within Navan itself, and one each in the growing commuter areas of Dunshaughlin and Kilmessan.

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It'll never happen. They've been talking about that the last forty years. It's all pie in the sky.

Despite lingering local skepticism, fueled by decades of unfulfilled promises, the project has garnered significant support. The announcement included a photocall with three government ministers, local politicians, and the heads of Iarnród Éireann, the National Transport Authority, and Meath County Council. Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien assured attendees that the train is indeed coming back to Navan for the first time since 1963, stating, "This is happening. This will be done."

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This is happening. This will be done.

The timeline involves applying for a Railway Order, akin to planning permission, in 2028, with construction anticipated to begin in 2030. The current plan aims to reuse much of the disused railway line that closed in the 1960s, though it will deviate in places to accommodate existing developments and serve Dunshaughlin. The first of two public consultations on the route is now open, inviting public feedback to inform the final 'Preferred Route'.

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This is happening. People can be sure of that. We've had great support from colleagues here in Meath, who have advocated for it. We ensure that it is in the NDP. The NTA and Iarnród Éireann are here. This project is happening and it is needed.