Broadstone

New 20,000 student campus to adjoin Old Navan rail terminus

Press release: Wednesday, 7th December 2005

The Dublin Institute of Technology is set for a move to a new 65-acre campus adjacent to Navan's former rail terminus at Broadstone, Dublin. The DIT is currently spread over 30 different sites around Dublin, but is to be centralised in a new 20,000 student, multi-million Euro campus adjoining the disused railway station near Church Street in Dublin's city centre.

According to Education and Science Minister, Mary Hanafin, the Grangegorman DIT project will 'be the most ambitious educational building project ever seen in this country'. The new 'state of the art' campus is set to provide a dynamic environment for third level education in the heart of Dublin city centre.

Welcoming the announcement, a Meath on Track spokesperson pointed out that 'this announcement means that Meath's students may soon be able to take a forty-minute train journey directly to a third level campus. The days of exhausting commutes and costly 'digs' in Dublin may soon be but a memory for students from the county.'

Minister Mary Hanafin recently requested funding on behalf of the Meath on Track campaign for the Navan railway outline design study from Transport Minister Martin Cullen. The Education Minister has undertaken to respond to Meath on Track as soon as possible with feedback from Minister Cullen.

Broadstone, under Transport 21, would be linked by Luas to O'Connell Street and Stephen's Green. Rather than reopen Broadstone, the proposal is to extend the Luas along the old line, formerly used by Navan trains, up to the Clonsilla line at Liffey Junction. However, DIT Students travelling from Navan would incur additional Luas ticket costs under this option.

In light of the DIT announcement, Meath on Track has called for the former terminus to be reinstated for Meath rail services with a Luas transfer at there at Broadstone rather than Liffey Junction. Broadstone's location is seen as more central than the proposed station at Spencer dock near Dublin's Sheriff Street.

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