250px|right|thumb|Pearse Station sign - ()

Pearse railway station () or Dublin Pearse is a railway station on Westland Row on the Southside of Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's busiest commuter station and second busiest station overall (behind Dublin Connolly railway station) with 9 million passenger journeys through the station in 2016.

Facilities

The station has two through platforms, 1 and 2, the former on the Boyne Street side for northbound "up" services towards Connolly station, the other on the Pearse Street side for southbound "down" services towards Bray and Wexford.

History

Origins

The station building originated from a design by Charles Blacker Vignoles. As the lines from the south were elevated above street level, tracks were laid on the first floor of the building.

Bay platform removal

The bay platforms have been used as a set for movies including Johnny Nobody, Michael Collins, Angela's Ashes, Nora and the 2005 remake Lassie. Until 2007 the former platform 2 was occasionally used for special services. The former platform 1 continued to exist but was unsuitable for modern passenger trains and was used as a siding before conversion to a car park. Platform 5 had also been unused for some time. By 2008 all the bay platforms had been removed or filled in.

Station renovation

Major renovation commenced in 2007 with publicity erected in the station for this in March 2008. As part of phase 1, automatic ticket validation machines were installed on platforms 1 and 2. The front entrance of the station was changed. The former Spar shop was completely taken out of the station and the old ticket barriers were removed. Platforms 3, 4 and 5 were removed. New signage and CCTV cameras were added on both active platforms and, on Platform 2, a larger waiting area for passengers was provided.

An additional Southbound entrance (Pearse Street and Trinity Bio Science) was opened on 9 April 2013.

Signalling improvements

The completion of the Irish Rail City Centre Re-signalling Project has seen an increase in the number of Northern and Maynooth line suburban trains stopping. Trains from Newbridge now also serve Pearse station. This was made possible by increasing the ability of the signalling system in the city centre to operate 20 trains per hour in both directions instead of the previous 8. The project began in March 2015 and was commissioned on 17 July 2016.

Roof renovations

The roof structure comprises two main sections - the main station area roof has 40 barrelled roof trusses, each spanning 28 metres, over 38 bays, with additional gable end structures at both ends. Adjacent to the main station roof there is a second similar roof, which covers a car park and station infrastructure area. This is smaller and comprises 19 trusses over 18 bays.

Pearse Station was closed for 13 weekends over the two years to facilitate the replacement project. During these weekends, northside DART, Maynooth and Drogheda services operated to and from Connolly Station, with southside DART and Rosslare services operating from Grand Canal Dock. stops for which are located just outside the station on Westland Row and around the corner at stop number 399 on Pearse Street.

Proposed underground station

The National Transport Authority proposed a DART Underground connecting Heuston Station to the northern DART network via the Docklands railway station. As part of this project, an underground station would have been constructed beneath Pearse station. The proposed project was shelved in 2011, and, as of 2024, not scheduled for any development or funding until "after 2042".

<gallery>

File:D&KR3.jpg|First service departs over Cumberland Street for Kingstown in December 1834

File:Dublin Pearse Station - geograph.org.uk - 2238139.jpg|Pearse Station in 1993 looking north. The through platforms are numbered 3 and 4

File:Loop Line Railway entering Pearse Station in Westland Row, Dublin.jpg|Train crossing Westland Row and entering the station building in 2003

File:Pearse station 053152.jpg|The interior of Pearse Station in 2006

File:Pearse Street Railway Station - geograph.org.uk - 599491.jpg|DART electric train on platform 1 in 2007

</gallery>

See also

  • List of railway stations in Ireland
  • Rail transport in Ireland
  • History of rail transport in Ireland

Notes and references

Notes

References

</references>

  • Irish Rail Pearse Station website
  • Video explainer of Pearse Roof replacement project
  • DART Underground
  • Video tour of how Pearse Underground station might appear