M3 Parkway - you are on the ball !
Faster DARTs = less sets = same frequency = less crew = more passengers = less congestion
DART does not run at maximum line speed due to an inflexible control system which constrains running speed below the permitted track speed limit over much of the route.
This is a signifigant issue between Greystones and Bray, Killiney and Dalkey, Booterstown and Pearse and on the Howth branch, the latter two sections due to the presence of level crossings and the restrictive signal and ATP controls associated with them.
The other issue with DART is station dwell times which are longer than ideal for a n urban rapid transit system. Target should be no more than 45 secs for city centre stations and 30 secs for other stations.
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