Grand Canal Dock railway station

Grand Canal Dock railway station (Irish: Stáisiún Dug na Canálach Móire) serves the Grand Canal Dock area in Dublin, Ireland.

Grand Canal Dock

Dug na Canálach Móire
Iarnród Éireann
General information
Location44-47 Barrow Street, Dublin 4, D04 C3H6
Ireland
Coordinates53°20′23″N 6°14′16″W / 53.33961°N 6.23771°W / 53.33961; -6.23771
Owned byIarnród Éireann
Operated byIarnród Éireann
Platforms3
Tracks3
Bus stands0
Bus operators0
Construction
Structure typeElevated
ParkingNo
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Other information
Station codeGCDK
Fare zoneSuburban 1
Key dates
23 January 2001Station opens
November 2014Refurbishment commences
July 2016Refurbishment completed
Now withdrawn DART 8200 Class (8203) operating a southbound service at Grand Canal Dock
Iarnrod Eireann Class 201 at Grand Canal Dock's platform 1

Description edit

Like several stations in central Dublin such as Tara Street railway station, Dublin Pearse railway station and Clontarf Road railway station, it is elevated above street level, with steps leading down to Barrow Street in South Lotts, beside Google's European headquarters.

The information office is only staffed during events at the Aviva Stadium. The station typically closes for two hours after such events in the interest of crowd control.

The station has three platforms. Platform 1 is a former terminal platform, which became the Northbound main line on 18 July 2016. Platform 2 is the terminal platform for South Western Commuter trains to Newbridge.[1] Platform 3 is the Southbound main line platform. Platforms 1 and 2 are accessed by a footbridge with lifts and platform 3 has level access.

History edit

Grand Canal Dock was built on the site of a former locomotive shed at Canal Street, across from the engineering works of the Dublin & Kingstown Railway, which were in use between 1834 and 1925.

Between November 2014 and July 2016, the station underwent a major refurbishment to prepare it to serve South Western Commuter trains to Newbridge, which commenced operations on 21 November 2016.[2][3] Irish Rail rebuilt platform 1, resurfaced the other platforms, installed new destination displays, and provided a new evacuation bridge. Platform 1 lacked overhead electric cables and had a permanent sign reading "Do not board any trains at platform 1" that was removed in May 2015. Platform 1 was fitted with overhead cables in November 2015. Irish Rail also added a centre road terminating turn-back facility to accommodate southbound trains. The refurbishment of the station itself was completed in May 2015, although major resignalling and track work took place for one more year.

City Centre Resignalling edit

The new signalling was commissioned, along with platform 1, on 17 July 2016.[4][5]

The completion of the Irish Rail City Centre resignalling project has provided for

  • An increase in the number of Northern and Maynooth line suburban trains stopping at Grand Canal Dock
  • Trains from Newbridge terminating at Grand Canal Dock

This has been made possible by making available all three platforms at Grand Canal Dock and increasing the ability of the signalling system in the city centre to operate 20 trains per hour in both directions instead of 8.[4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Pope, Conor (21 November 2016). "Phoenix Park tunnel will open for commuters from Monday". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  2. ^ Healy, Catherine (5 September 2016). "Irish Rail publishes draft timetable for new connection through Phoenix Park tunnel". Newstalk. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Phoenix Park Tunnel services and minor Heuston revisions from Mon 21st November". Irish Rail. 14 November 2016. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b "City Centre Resignalling Project". Irish Rail. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  5. ^ Melia, Paul (8 August 2013). "Linking Heuston with city centre 'a priority'". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.

External links edit

Preceding station   Iarnród Éireann Following station
Dublin Pearse   Commuter
Northern Commuter
Peak times only
  Lansdowne Road or Terminus
  Commuter
Western Commuter
(City Branch)

Peak times only
 
Dublin Pearse   Commuter
South Western Commuter (City Branch)
  Terminus
Dublin Pearse   DART
  Lansdowne Road