Local Dublin North East Labour T.D. Tommy Broughan has expressed severe disappointment that there will be just two trains an hour stopping at the new Clongriffin DART station, Dublin 13 which is set to open early in the New Year.

Deputy Broughan has long supported local constituents and commuters in the more than eight year long campaign to get this much needed new DART Station. In fact, the huge North Fringe residential and commercial development was built on the basis that a new DART station would be available and open to meet the transport needs of the perhaps 50,000 plus new North Fringe residents.

Deputy Broughan said, "I welcome the fact that Clongriffin Station has been added to the new DART/Commuter rail timetable but I hope that there will be no more slippage and that the station will open as planned by March 2010."

However, Deputy Broughan continued, "The new Iarnrod Eireann timetable valid from 29th November until further notice has just been published. The timetable clearly shows that there will be at best two trains stopping per hour in Clongriffin even though there will be three to four trains per hour at Portmarnock which is the next station."

"Given the long and massive struggle to get this station open, it is incredibly disappointing for my constituents and for commuters in Clongriffin, Donaghmede and the wider North Fringe that there will be at most two trains per hour stopping at the station", added Deputy Broughan. ""This station based in the new Clongriffin Town Square has potentially a massive catchment area of commuters across the new North Fringe. Commuters may be reluctant to or simply not use the station if the frequency of trains is too low. And with such a low frequency of trains there is a strong fear that the planned Park and Ride facility at Clongriffin Station may, in fact, become a white elephant."

Deputy Broughan has immediately contacted the CEO of Irish Rail Mr. Dick Fearn, Senior DART Manager Mr. Tom Devoy and Transport Minister Noel Dempsey and asked them to urgently review the new timetable for Clongriffin DART station and to ensure that adequate rail services are put in place for local commuters.