Ireland: Iarnród Éireann Launches FourNorth to Quad-Track Dublin–Malahide
Iarnród Éireann on 24 July launched FourNorth, a programme to expand the railway between Dublin Connolly and Malahide from two tracks to four on Ireland’s busiest rail corridor, the operator said.
Northside DART, Northern Commuter, Belfast Enterprise and freight services currently share the twin-track layout. Iarnród Éireann said that constrained layout limits peak capacity and lets small disruptions ripple across the network. FourNorth proposes additional tracks beside the existing railway between Connolly and Malahide to raise capacity, frequency and reliability.
The operator listed three core outcomes: more space for trains and passengers; more frequent and predictable peak journeys; and fewer delays through greater operational flexibility, including fewer maintenance closures. It said the corridor is the main gateway for North Dublin city-centre travel and a key link between Dublin and Belfast.
Chief Executive Mary Considine said FourNorth is “about more than new tracks” and about building “a resilient, high-capacity rail corridor that supports everyday journeys, strengthens regional connections and helps deliver a sustainable transport future for Ireland — making space today for the needs of tomorrow.” She said IÉ will develop and confirm the preferred option through the rest of 2026 with input from customers, communities and stakeholders.
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said Connolly–Malahide is “one of the busiest on the island” and that track capacity is a major constraint on frequency upgrades. He said FourNorth will support additional DART, Commuter and Enterprise services and improve reliability and speeds for services already operating. He also cited nearer-term Northern Line works: passing loops and turnbacks at Mosney, Skerries, Malahide and Clongriffin, backed by EU and Shared Island funding, plus battery-electric DART+ Coastal North services to Drogheda from mid-2027.
FourNorth is jointly funded by the Department of Transport and the EU Connecting Europe Facility Transport programme. Future capital packages will be set in the Preliminary Business Case. The project is in early design and optioneering; an Emerging Preferred Option will go to public consultation later in 2026, with online materials, mailings and public events planned.
The All-Island Strategic Rail Review (2024) identified Northern Line four-tracking as a long-term priority. That review estimated Dublin–Clongriffin four-tracking alone at about €700m–€1bn in 2021 prices. Iarnród Éireann said FourNorth also supports TEN-T corridor performance and longer-term review concepts such as airport heavy-rail links and a cross-Dublin tunnel connecting the Northern Line with Heuston.