Iarnród Éireann today unveiled a €350 million investment in commuter rail lines between Dublin and Kildare.
The project is designed to increase the frequency of train services on the Kildare to Heuston Station corridor.
Heuston station: the project is designed to increase the frequency of train services on the Kildare to Heuston Station corridor.
The revamp aims to add seven million extra passengers on the route each year by increasing the number of tracks from two to four.
Spokesman Barry Kenny said: "We will have two dedicated tracks for commuter services from Hazelhatch and Cherry Orchard and two for intercity and regional routes.
"It will mean we will be able to operate commuter services every 15 minutes along this stretch. We hope we will be on construction stage towards the end of next year."
This week, Iarnród Éireann starts the project by placing advertisements for the Railway Orders process for its Kildare Route Project in both national and local newspapers.
The orders process is equivalent to the planning permission process for new rail schemes.
It provides for a public inquiry to establish the final scope of the project and covers compulsory purchase order powers for Iarnród Éireann. Final costs of the project will only be fully known after the planning stage is completed.