Kishoge station, located on the Kildare route amid Clondalkin and Adamstown, has finally been inaugurated after remaining underutilised for a decade and a half. A massive €6 million was invested in its establishment 15 years ago, followed by a refurbishment costing €3.8 million.
This West Dublin railway halt was initially constructed to cater to the population of the forthcoming suburb of Clonburris, positioned west of Dublin right after Adamstown, which was established two decades ago. The station was forced into temporary closure with the touchdown of a property market crash. The first residences were built in the previously mentioned suburb just in the preceding year, which is predicted to have the same populace as Newbridge of 23,000 by the end decade.
A daily total of 48 trains are scheduled to service the station initially, providing both inbound and outbound services. Commutes to Heuston are anticipated to span 14 minutes. Having been identified as a crucial component in the suburb’s sustainable growth, the railway line is expected to undergo significant improvements in the coming years, under the Dart+Programme. The goals of this undertaking include amplifying the capacity and reducing journey times to Heuston to 10 minutes upon the successful electrification of the rail line.
South Dublin County Council proposed building a “eco-district”, a high-density assemblage of roughly 15,000 homes at Clonburris, during the mid-2000s. The concept was given a green light by An Bord Pleanála in 2008. By that time, the construction of Kishoge station was well ahead, much before the approval of the Clonburris Strategic Development Zone (SDZ). This is a swift planning initiative granting the council permission for the unappealable approval of plans.
The initial plan was for the station to open in sync with the completion of series of new apartment buildings. However, the station was finished in 2009, before any work had started on the housing project due to the property crash.
As the nation started to recover from the economic downturn, the council revised its initial plans for Clonburris, a largely untapped expanse of 265 hectares located on both sides of the railway line. In 2019, the council approved a more conservative, low-density Special Development Zone (SDZ) plan for building just above 8,400 houses.
Houses from the revised scheme were finished last year, and 1,000 houses are set to be completed annually until 2030.
The Kishoge station was due to be launched by Irish Rail in December 2022, however, a representative announced that substantial renovation and enhancement works were required at the station. He estimated the cost of these repairs to be around €3.8 million, more than half the original construction cost of €3.8 million. Refurbishments associated with the project include lifts, replacements and updates to all mechanical, electrical fire, and telecoms systems, structural work on the internal and external walls, new floorings, repairs to damaged ramps and tactile paving, and the overhaul of the station signage and furniture.
At the station’s opening, Jim Meade, the Irish Rail CEO, remarked that the Kishoge station took longer than usual to build. He acknowledged that the delay originated in the short run because of the economic decline. However, he stated, it was crucial to continue building such infrastructure as rail infrastructure is a long-term, multigenerational operation, in place for centuries.
Promoting the project, the Transport Department’s State Minister, James Lawless, claimed that, despite some initial hiccups and delay in the station’s delivery, investment in public transportation and capital infrastructure should always be viewed as a good spend.