THERE WILL BE significant disruption to public transport services around the country this weekend, as major works are carried out and events force road closures.

Dublin commuter trains will be worst affected, with a large portion of the Southside Dart line closed for three days.

Rail Users Ireland, an advocacy group for passengers, has said that while the disruption is no doubt frustrating for those who had plans for the bank holiday, the works are essential for the maintenance of the rail system.

Irish Rail has urged passengers to check its website or app before travelling, saying a revised timetable will operate across all routes.

Dart services

There will be no Dart service between Grand Canal Dock and Bray, and Howth Junction and Donaghmede, on Saturday, Sunday or Monday, due to engineering works on that part of the line.

Trains will only go between Malahide and Grand Canal Dock.

The following Dart stations will be closed: Bayside, Sutton, Howth, Lansdowne Road, Sandymount, Sydney Parade, Booterstown, Blackrock, Seapoint, Salthill and Monkstown, Dún Laoghaire, Sandycove and Glasthule, Glenageary, Dalkey, Killiney, Shankill and Woodbrook.

Mark Gleeson of Rail Users Ireland said while the disruption is “not ideal”, it is necessary for the improvement of the lines.

Roughly every 20 years certain wiring and tracks must be replaced. Additionally, the new fleet of commuter trains will have built-in ramps so that people won’t have to ask an attendant at the station for one. The ramps will pop out onto the platform automatically. However, the height of some platforms has had to be changed to allow for this new feature.

“This work is of a nature that it cannot be done overnight,” Gleeson said.

“There isn’t enough time between half past midnight and 5.30 in the morning.”

Leinster v Munster

Lansdowne Road station will be closed when Leinster play Munster at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

Before the match, Darts will operate between Malahide or Howth Junction and Grand Canal Dock.

Between 7.30pm and 9pm, services will instead operate between Pearse Station and Malahide or Howth Junction. Supporters travelling north after the match have been advised to walk to Pearse Station.

Dublin Marathon

Irish Rail will run additional early services for people travelling to the Dublin Marathon on Sunday.

These include trains from Dundalk at 6am, Kildare at 6.25am, Maynooth at 6.50am and Malahide at 7am, all travelling to Dublin Pearse.

Bus Éireann has separately warned that road closures for the marathon will affect services entering and leaving Dublin over the weekend.

Some routes will begin or end at alternative locations, while a number of stops will not be served.

The routes expected to be most affected are the 100X, 133, 2, 22, 115 and 245X.

Passengers have been advised to check for updates before leaving home, as the impact on individual services will change at different stages of the weekend.

A Sunday timetable will operate on Dart and commuter routes on bank holiday Monday, alongside alterations to Intercity services.

Passengers travelling early on Sunday have also been reminded that the clocks go back by one hour at 2am.

Limerick 

Engineering works will take place between Limerick and Limerick Junction on Saturday 24, Sunday 25 and Monday 26 October.

Services between Limerick and Dublin Heuston will also be disrupted.

Some journeys have been cancelled, while others will be replaced by buses.

Details for specific services can be found here.

On Monday 26 October, a few services between Waterford and Limerick Junction are cancelled. They are as follows:

• 07.20am Waterford to Limerick Junction
• 4:25pm Waterford to Limerick Junction
• 09.45am Limerick Junction to Waterford 
• 6.40pm Limerick Junction to Waterford