Labour’s Cllr Angela Feeney has said that the release today of the NTA Heavy Rail Census for 2023 underlines the need for urgent delivery of DART+ to Maynooth and Celbridge Hazelhatch; and particularly emphasises the case for DART extension to Kilcock to be delivered alongside this.
There has been a 14% increase in usage on the Hazelhatch commuter line, and an 18% increase on the Maynooth commuter line.
Maynooth line services are within 10% of their record pre-pandemic usage figures, with limited if any ability to add additional capacity without the full delivery of DART+.
Cllr. Feeney added that DART+ is the quickest way to deliver longer, more suitable trains to Hazelhatch; and with better integration of bus timetables at Hazelhatch there is significant scope for growth in usage – once there is more capacity for people to use.
Kilcock has seen a one third increase in daily passenger numbers in a single year (from 621 to a record figure of 831), despite the existing limited service, proves that demand exists for the delivery of DART+ to Kilcock.