New rail station opens in Dublin's Park West

A new rail station opened today will bring residents and workers in Park West, Dublin, to the city centre in as little as six minutes, Irish Rail said today.

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey officially opened Park West and Cherry Orchard station, the latest phase in the Kildare Route Project.

The station will be served by Kildare commuter trains with 25 services per day serving the station, according to the rail company.

“Commuters in Park West will see a dramatic increase in service on completion of the Kildare Route Project, in early 2010.”

The new building was designed by Iarnród Éireann architects and developed as a public-private partnership between Iarnród Éireann, Dublin City Council and Harcourt Developments. It is the third new station in the network to be developer-built and it is now owned and operated by Iarnród Éireann.

Chief executive of Dublin Chamber of Commerce Gina Quin said the new station was a welcome piece of infrastructure for commuters.

“The Kildare Route Project, being delivered under the Transport 21 €34 billion capital investment framework, will dramatically improve the transport of goods and the movement of people across and around the Greater Dublin Area,” she said.

But she said It was critical that the Government allocated funding to deliver the interconnector project on time so that the full value of the new stations is realised.

The interconnector was the "single most important rail project", Ms Quin said.

“For many commuters using Heuston Station, this is not their final destination. By delivering the interconnector, passengers using the Park West and Cherry Orchard station, or indeed any of the other railway stations under construction, will be able to continue their rail journey through Heuston station onto their end destinations around the city centre including St. Stephen’s Green, Pearse Street, Docklands, or Connolly.”

Speaking at the new station after he arrived by train from Heuston, Mr Dempsey said it would have the capacity to handle up to 3,000 passengers at peak hour.

“Like Adamstown this station has been built in advance of the completion of the Kildare Route Project and it will be able to accommodate the tripling of passenger numbers that the project will deliver by 2010.”

Irishtimes.com

www.buckplanning.ie