Proposed Closure of Porterstown Railway Level Crossing

The opening of the new Porterstown Link Road has greatly reduced the traffic levels on the Clonsilla section of the old Porterstown road. The new road combined with Dr. Troy bridge provides an alternative route for traffic in the general area to avoid delays at the railway level crossings.

 Fingal County Council and the National Transport Authority are now proposing to permanently close the level crossing at Porterstown. It is an objective of Irish Rail to close the level crossing for safety and operational reasons.


The closure will facilitate the future upgrade of the Maynooth line, including electrification and increased frequency of trains. The Porterstown Road will remain open both north and south of the Railway for local access.

The extension to Schoil Choilm and the new Luttrellstown Community College with their sports and community campus will bring over a thousand children to the area when they open in September. I have insisted that any road closure must make allowance for pedestrian access across the railway.

However, because of the limited space, the deep cutting at the canal and the protected structures at the crossing it is likely that only a footbridge will be constructed. Providing for disabled or cycle access would involve installing a long series of ramps on both sides of the canal, adding 350 meters to journey time and making it longer than the alternative route via Dr. Troy bridge.

The increased traffic from the new schools and the road closure will also have implications for St. Mochtas National School and for residents along the Porterstown road. For this reason I have suggested we delay any decision until we can better understand the impact of the new schools on the area. The scheme for the proposed closure and the alternative pedestrian crossings is going on public display soon and can be viewed here.