New docklands train station.

Final planning permission has been granted for the new docklands mainline train station, as part of the governments plans to upgrade the docklands area. The new station will provide interconnecting services with DART, Luas and metro services. Work starts at the beginning of July and the new station should be operative by the middle of 2007. Total construction costs are estimated at around 28million.

Irish railways says the new station will help it deliver a much improved service on the Maynooth-Dublin commuter line. It will also allow passengers to transfer to and from the proposed extension of the Luas red line to the financial services centre.

It will be the first new mainline station in Dublin since Tara Street opened in 1890.

It is one of several projects planned for the docklands and financial area under the government's transport 21 plan.

The docklands station will pave the way for an underground DART interconnector, which is planned to link the DART to Intercity, Luas, commuter and metro services.