Pelletstown Archives - THE HEADLESS PHOTO BLOG

30 JULY 2025 – PHOTOGRAPHED USING A SONY A1 II

The Ashtown and Pelletstown Railway Stations

Ashtown is served by two distinct railway stations: the older Ashtown station and the newer Pelletstown station.

Ashtown station, which opened in 1902, is the more historic of the two. It was originally part of the Midland Great Western Railway. A key feature of this station is its long-standing level crossing, which has been a source of both traffic congestion and safety concerns. The ongoing DART+ West project is set to bring significant changes, including the potential removal of the level crossing and its replacement with a new footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as general station upgrades to accommodate the future DART service.

In contrast, Pelletstown station is a modern addition, having opened in September 2021. Its development was a direct response to the large-scale residential projects in the area, such as Royal Canal Park, and was funded by the National Transport Authority and development levies. This new station includes a footbridge over the Royal Canal, which has significantly improved connectivity for the surrounding communities and provided new access to the Royal Canal Greenway.

Anti-Social Behaviour and Safety Concerns

Both stations and the areas around them have faced issues with anti-social behaviour and safety, particularly for pedestrians travelling at night.

Pelletstown station has been a specific focal point for these problems since its opening. Public records and community discussions have highlighted reports of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage at the station and on its new pedestrian and cycle bridge. Concerns about these issues have been raised at a national level, with discussions in the Oireachtas about the need for measures to address the problem.

The safety of the walk from the Broombridge Luas tram stop to either Pelletstown or Ashtown is also a significant concern, especially at night. While a new walking and cycling route, the Royal Canal Greenway, connects these areas, the path is often described by residents as feeling isolated and poorly lit after dark. This is a common issue for many urban greenways and can create a sense of unease. For this reason, the journey between the stations and the Luas stop is often considered impractical by train; walking, despite the safety concerns, is often the more direct option, as the train journey is extremely short and would involve waiting for a service.

The long walk from Broombridge to Ashtown along the canal path shares similar safety concerns, which are amplified by the longer distance. Residents have previously reported feeling unsafe due to the lack of adequate public lighting and the desolate nature of parts of the route during the night.

In summary, while the new Pelletstown station has been a boon for local transport, it has also brought with it issues of anti-social behaviour. At the same time, the older Ashtown station is set for upgrades to improve safety. For all residents, the safety of walking along the connecting routes, particularly at night, remains a significant and ongoing concern that is hoped to be addressed by future infrastructural improvements.

A WALK ALONG THE ROYAL CANAL WAY

I am getting lazy. The last time I walked from Broombridge to Ashtown and before that I actually walked as far as Maynooth. Today I only walked to Pelletstown and then got a train back to the Broombridge tram stop.

Work began on the construction of the 146 km long Royal Canal, to connect Ireland’s capital city, Dublin, with the upper River Shannon in 1790, and the canal was completed in 1817. It operated in competition with the Grand Canal which ran an almost parallel route never more than 30 km to the south, and with the Grand, was made redundant by the advent of the railways in the mid-19th century.

The Royal Canal was officially closed to all navigation in 1961, but like the Grand Canal, much of the Royal has been restored in recent decades.

The Royal Canal Way is a 144-kilometre (89-mile) long-distance trail that follows the towpath of the canal from Ashtown, Dublin to Cloondara, County Longford. It is typically completed in three days. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Waterways Ireland.

In 2015, Dublin City Council began extending the walking and cycling route along the Royal Canal from Ashtown to Sheriff Street Upper. The Royal Canal Way connects with the Westmeath Way west of Mullingar, and will eventually form the eastern end of the Dublin-Galway Greenway, the final part of EuroVelo Route 2, a cycling path from Moscow across Europe to Galway.

The Royal Canal Greenway is the greenway encompassing the Royal Canal Way between Maynooth and Cloondara, with a branch to Longford. It was launched in March 2021.