IRELAND’S NEWEST DART station is opening next month, and it’s situated between Bray and Shankill.

Woodbrook Station will open on 10 August and will be the rail network’s 147th station.

It will be at the heart of a new residential community of up to 2,300 housing units.

Funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority, the hope is that the new station will reduce reliance on the private car and help Ireland reach its climate action targets.

Up to 191 DART services will run every weekday, with a journey time of about 40 minutes to city centre stations.

The station itself promises passenger shelter and seating for waiting passengers, as well as lighting, CCTV and bicycle parking.

The entrance to the station will be on Woodbrook Avenue.

Construction on the station began in November 2023, and it is opening as scheduled.

A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann said: “We look forward to welcoming a new community to our services, with Woodbrook serving both existing and new developments.

“This will ensure people living in the catchment area have fast, frequent and sustainable travel options available, as the community grows and develops.”

Just last month it was announced that a new DART station is going to be built in Cabra.

The station, located along the Phoenix Park Tunnel line and planned DART+ South West route, will serve an extra 26,000 people living within one kilometre.

It will offer frequent services into the city centre, as well as to the south and west of the country including Cork, Limerick and Galway.

These counties will be reachable via the new Heuston West station to be built under the expanded DART+ South West project.

The station at Cabra will improve connectivity to commuter stations located between ParkWest and Newbridge – Clondalkin, Adamstown, Hazelhatch.

Cork railways

In Cork, planning contract has been awarded for the creation of eight new commuter railway stations in Cork.

The new stations will spread across the Cobh, Midleton and Mallow lines. A new depot will also be built and the rail network will be electrified.

Ireland’s railway operator Iarnród Éireann, along with consultants, will design and develop the plan for the new stations, depot, electrification and infrastructure and will then apply for a Railway Order (the equivalent of planning permission) by the end of next year.

The plans include new stations at Blackpool, Monard, Tivoli, Carrigtwohill West, Waterrock, Ballynoe, Blarney and Dunkettle.