DUBLIN’S PEARSE STREET and Tara Street train stations will be closed this weekend in order for works to take place as part of a project to replace the roof at Pearse Street.

Separately, engineering works will also take place between Kildare and Portlaoise, leading to a number of route time changes; and Enterprise services between Newry and Belfast will be replaced with a bus transfer service.

Pearse and Tara stations will be closed this Saturday and Sunday for roof repairs at Pearse Station, which means Darts and trains will be suspended between Connolly Station and Grand Canal Dock. Dublin/Rosslare Europort services will operate with bus transfers between Dublin Connolly and Bray.

Separately, two other train service disruptions are to take place.

Due to Translink engineering works, there will be bus transfers between Newry and Belfast for all Enterprise services on Saturday and Sunday. Bus transfers from Belfast will depart 10 minutes earlier than standard train departure times.

Kildare to Portlaoise works will take place on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Here’s how that will affect those services.

For Saturday:

• 7.45pm - Dublin Heuston to Portlaoise is advanced to 7.05pm
• 9.05pm - Dublin Heuston to Portlaoise will operate to Kildare only, bus transfers from Kildare to Monasterevin, Portarlington and Portlaoise
• 9pm - Dublin Heuston to Cork will be bus transfers from Dublin Heuston to Portlaoise
• 10.10pm - Dublin Heuston to Portlaoise will operate to Kildare only, bus transfers from Kildare to Monasterevin, Portarlington and Portlaoise
• 10.36pm - Limerick Junction to Limerick is deferred to 11.15pm.

• 6.15pm - Westport to Dublin Heuston will operate to Portarlington only, bus transfers from Portarlington to Dublin Heuston
• 6.25pm - Cork to Dublin Heuston will operate to Portlaoise only, bus transfers from Portlaoise to Dublin Heuston
• 7.20pm - Galway to Dublin Heuston will operate to Portarlington only, bus transfers from Portarlington to Dublin Heuston
• 8.25pm - Cork to Dublin Heuston will operate to Portlaoise only, bus transfers from Portlaoise to Portarlington, Monasterevin, Kildare, Newbridge and Dublin Dublin Heuston
• 9.25pm - Portlaoise to Dublin Heuston will be bus transfers from Portlaoise to Portarlington, Monasterevin and Kildare, train from Kildare to Dublin Heuston
• 10.02pm - Kildare to Dublin Heuston is advanced to 9.46pm
• 10.30pm - Portlaoise to Dublin Heuston will commence from Kildare at 11pm

And for services on Sunday:

• 8pm - Dublin Heuston to Galway will be bus transfers from Dublin Heuston to Kildare and Portarlington, followed by a train from Portarlington to Galway
• 8.30am - Dublin Heuston to Tralee will be bus transfers from Dublin Heuston to Portlaoise, followed by a train from Portlaoise to Tralee
• 9.40am - Athlone to Westport is deferred to 10.06am
• 10.30am - Ballina to Manulla Jctn. is deferred to 10.55am
• 11.05am - Manulla Jctn. to Ballina is deferred to 11.32am
• 11.40am - Dublin Heuston to Galway will not serve Clara
• 11am - Galway to Dublin Heuston is deferred to 11.35am

Why the repairs are needed at Pearse

The roof dates back to the 1880s: the works will require the replacement of the existing roofing materials with new materials that will maintain the “external appearance and character” of the roof.

Iarnród Éireann says the current roof at Pearse Street station “is in poor condition”, and protective mesh netting has been in place in the station below roof level in recent years to protect customers and rail services, due to the corrosion which has occurred.

Extensive works worth up to €10 million are needed to upgrade the roof, which will take place sporadically up until June 2020. The project will be funded by the National Transport Authority.

There are 13 weekends in total that will be closed during this timeframe: the next weekend where these works will cause closures is Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 April.

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