New Phoenix Park tunnel to help ease traffic congestion for thousands of Kildare commuters

With traffic the N7 and the M4 getting heavier each day, and with wintry conditions only likely to hamper the speed of the trudges of cars moving to and from Dublin, the opening of the Phoenix Park tunnel should come as a welcome relief to commuters. The National Transport Authority helped to fund a €13.7 million upgrade of the Phoenix Park Tunnel line which will see new services operate from Newbridge and Hazelhatch to Grand Canal Dock, via the Phoenix Park Tunnel, Drumcondra, Connolly, Tara Street and Pearse Stations. The new services will deliver new direct rail services from one of the country’s busiest commuter belts to the IFSC, South City Centre and Grand Canal Dock area. The grand opening of the new service will come on Monday morning, and it should provide welcome relief to those customers who regularly use the rail service to travel as far as Heuston Station before having to find alternative ways of getting to other areas of the city. Kildare North TD, James Lawless, has welcomed the opening of the new tunnel, and he is even looking forward to using the service himself. “Since being elected to the Dáil, lobbying for the opening of the tunnel was my number one objective. It is a matter I have been working on for over ten years since I first entered public life. It is a credit to Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority (NTA) for working together on this project. “I look forward to using the service myself when commuting into the Dáil and seeing this change significantly benefit the residents in Naas, Sallins, Maynooth, Lexilip and Kilcock. “This news comes shortly after I was delighted to announce that following meetings with the NTA they have reduced rail fares for commuters in Kilcock and Naas/Sallins by up to 50%. I am continuing to lobby for better commuter services for all residents in Kildare North.