Calls for confirmation on DART services to this Kildare region
Cllr Rupert Heather (LAB) has called for confirmation on when construction funding will be provided for DART services to Hazelhatch
Labour councillor Rupert Heather in Celbridge has called on the government to confirm when construction funding will be provided for extending DART services to Hazelhatch, North Kildare.
The latest National Rail Census recorded 2,980 passenger movements at Hazelhatch Station in November 2025, with boardings increasing approximately 72% since 2022.
Despite growing demand, construction of the €1 billion-plus DART+ South West project has been deferred to 2030 or later.
In May, Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressed confidence that funding would be found and suggested the project could be accelerated.
However, in October, the Taoiseach confirmed that funding had been allocated for planning, design and procurement between 2026 and 2030, while expressing hope that the Minister for Transport could confirm delivery.
Cllr Heather said: "That statement should concern everyone waiting for the DART to reach Celbridge. Funding the preparation of a project is not the same as funding its construction. Where is the money to actually build it?
"We have heard repeated assurances that DART+ South West is a priority, that funding will be found and that construction could be brought forward. Yet we still have no confirmed construction funding or start date.
"Celbridge has experienced enormous residential growth, and our transport infrastructure has failed to keep pace. DART+ South West would quadruple peak passenger capacity along the corridor from 5,000 to 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
‘’The Government must now identify the construction funding, explain when it will be allocated and publish a credible delivery timetable.
''Celbridge residents deserve a funded DART connection, not another five years of planning and promises."