Grand Canal Dock train station
DART, South Eastern Commuter and South Western Commuter · Duga na Canálach Móire · Dublin
About Grand Canal Dock
Grand Canal Dock stands on industrial ground: the site was the locomotive works of the Dublin & Kingstown Railway and its successors, in use between 1840 and 1925. The station that occupies it opened in 2001, elevated above the street with steps and a lift down to Barrow Street in South Lotts, beside Google’s European headquarters. The Irish name is Stáisiún Dug na Canálach Móire.
It has three platforms, which is more than its size suggests and the result of a deliberate rebuild. Between November 2014 and July 2016 the station was refurbished to take South Western Commuter trains from Newbridge: platform 1, formerly a terminal platform, was rebuilt and became the northbound main line on 18 July 2016, platform 2 became the terminus for the Newbridge trains, and platform 3 remained the southbound main line. Platform 1 had no overhead wires at first and carried a sign reading “Do not board any trains at platform 1” until May 2015; the cables went up that November. A centre turn-back road was added at the same time. The new signalling was commissioned on 17 July 2016 and the Newbridge service began on 21 November 2016. The information office is staffed only during events at the Aviva Stadium, and the station usually closes for two hours afterwards to manage the crowds. Dublin Pearse is the call into town and Lansdowne Road the one beyond.
First and last trains from Grand Canal Dock
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last | Bank holiday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DART towards Bray (Daly) | 06:11 – 23:39 | 06:11 – 23:39 | 07:03 – 23:37 | 09:03 – 23:48 | No service |
| DART towards Howth | 06:14 – 00:14 | 06:14 – 00:14 | 06:51 – 00:10 | 09:30 – 00:10 | 00:11 – 23:45 |
| South Eastern towards Dublin Connolly | 07:39 – 15:47 | 07:39 – 15:47 | No service | No service | No service |
| South Western towards Hazelhatch and Celbridge | 07:26 – 23:30 | 07:26 – 23:30 | No service | No service | No service |
Departures from this station in the NTA’s published timetable for a representative week. A day type with no departures is shown as no service rather than filled in from another day.
From Grand Canal Dock: DART towards Bray (Daly), about one train every 10 minutes at the busiest times (99 departures on a weekday), DART towards Howth, about one train every 10 minutes at the busiest times (98 departures on a weekday), South Eastern towards Dublin Connolly, about one train every 61 minutes at the busiest times (4 departures on a weekday) and South Western towards Hazelhatch and Celbridge, about one train every 60 minutes at the busiest times (21 departures on a weekday).
Some of the 222 weekday departures are worked by trains that continue as InterCity services beyond the commuter zone. They run to Rosslare.
Next stops from Grand Canal Dock
Running times to the adjoining stops, from the operators’ own timetables.
| Line | Next stop | Time |
|---|---|---|
| DART | Dublin Pearse | 1.9 min |
| DART | Lansdowne Road | 2 min |
| South Eastern | Dublin Pearse | 2 min |
| South Eastern | Lansdowne Road | 2.3 min |
| South Western | Dublin Pearse | 2 min |
Connections and interchange
- Change here between the DART, South Eastern Commuter and South Western Commuter, on the same station.
- Iarnód Éireann timetables for the routes serving this station are published on its own station page.
Facilities
From Iarnód Éireann’s own station record. A facility that the operator does not list is left out rather than marked as absent.
Open for all services
Station Staffing Hours
This station is not staffed.
Station Booking Office
This station does not have a booking office. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket vending machine or a leap card can be used in applicable locations.
What is near Grand Canal Dock
This is office territory, and the biggest single influence on the platforms is the working day in the buildings around Barrow Street. Sir Patrick Dun’s Hospital is about 260 m away and the South Dock Street Park roughly 270 m, with Windmill Lane Recording Studios some 330 m off and Paul’s Garden at around 390 m. Match days at the Aviva Stadium change the character of the place completely, which is why the station has its own crowd-control routine.
| Place | Straight-line distance from the station |
|---|---|
| Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital | 260 m |
| Windmill Lane Recording Studios | 330 m |
| South Dock Street Park | 270 m |
| Paul's Garden | 390 m |
Named places from OpenStreetMap within 400 m of the station. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route.
Frequently asked questions
The locomotive works of the Dublin & Kingstown Railway and the companies that followed it, in use between 1840 and 1925. The station built over that ground opened in 2001, raised above street level with steps and a lift down to Barrow Street.
Crowd control. The information office is staffed only when there is an event at the Aviva Stadium, and the station typically shuts for two hours once the event ends so that the crowds leaving the ground do not all arrive at the platforms at once.