from Irish indo 7Feb2007 : Railway chiefs look skyward

[Colm Donoghue]

IARNROD Eireann is to build a 14-storey office block above the busiest DART station in Dublin.

The rail company wants to build at Tara Street station and will seek planning permission in May.

Although permission has previously been granted for a development of a similar scale.

The company will submit revised proposals to allow the station to remain open during construction.

The previous permission assumed that the station would have to close for up to 18 months while building work was taking place. However, the new plans will not affect the seven million commuters who use Tara Street station station every year.

Consultants Faber Maunsell have been appointed to oversee the revised plan, and the total cost of the project is expected to be about €125m.

The company is also planning a major development at Connolly Station and is in discussions with Dublin City Council about developing the 'air rights' above Heuston Station.

This means that additional floors would be built above the existing buildings and rail tracks.

The company is hoping to maximise the potential of its prime city centre locations close to the Irish Financial Services Centre, and keen interest is expected in the office space because of its DART and nearby Luas link.

"Planning permission will be lodged in May," a spokesperson told the Irish Independent yesterday.

"It's a slightly revised plan and the changes are structural to the basement so the station can be kept open during the redevelopment.

"The plan in 2002 was to close for 18 months but now it will remain open.

"It's all office space, rather than a mix of office and retail."

About 25,000 people a day travel through Tara Street station.

When the redevelopment is complete, almost 15,000 passengers per hour will be able to travel through it in comfort.

The plans will feature around 13,000 sq metres of office space with a rooftop restaurant, a basement car park and a limited number of car parking spaces.

The company hopes the development will be "self-financing" and would also fund the cost of redeveloping the railway station.

No major works have taken place at Tara Street since the 1980s, and the new station is expected to be a landmark building to include some retail space to serve commuters.

Paul Melia




I think the "No major works on tara st" line is particularly revealing about how much salt to take this with. It's not as if the IT is there now or the station hasn't been extended twice in the last few years.