--- title: "Train Stations in Dublin: Which One You Need" date: 2026-06-20 author: "Johan E. Johansson" featured_image: "https://everyrail.com/wp-content/uploads/image_57ed2c0d91854fb41dbcec7ea9017e69.jpeg" categories: - name: "Destinations" url: "/destinations.md" --- # Train Stations in Dublin: Which One You Need Dublin does not have one main train station. It has three, and the right one depends on where you are going. Heuston, on the west side of the city, sends trains to Cork, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, Killarney, Waterford, Ballina, Westport, and Ennis. Connolly, on Amiens Street in the north-east of the centre, handles the Enterprise to Belfast, the Sligo line, and most Rosslare and Wexford trains. Pearse, on Westland Row near Trinity College, is the south-side DART station, and a few intercity services to the south-east start or stop there rather than at Connolly. Check the station name on your ticket before you pay. Check it again before you travel. ## Dublin’s train stations at a glance On a booking page, the city shows up as “Dublin”. The station name tells you which part of Dublin you actually need. StationWhere it isMainly used byBest forDublin HeustonWest side, Dublin 8, by the LiffeyIntercity to the south, southwest and west of Ireland; Commuter; Luas Red LineCork, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, Killarney, Waterford, Ballina, Westport, EnnisDublin ConnollyNorth-east of the centre, Amiens Street, Dublin 1Enterprise to Belfast; Intercity to Sligo and to Rosslare/Wexford; DART; Commuter; both Luas linesBelfast, Sligo, Rosslare, WexfordDublin PearseSouth of the centre, Westland Row, Dublin 2DART; Commuter; some Rosslare/Wexford intercity servicesTrinity College, south Georgian core, DART along the coastTara StreetCity centre, between Connolly and PearseDART and Commuter onlyLocal DART hops; not for intercityThe two main hubs, Heuston and Connolly, are not next to each other and they are not linked by train. We will come back to how to move between them. ## Dublin Heuston, the western intercity hub Heuston sits in Dublin 8, on the south bank of the River Liffey, west of the city centre. It is Irish Rail’s main station for the south, the southwest, and the west of the country. Trains from here run to Cork, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, Killarney, Waterford, Ballina, Westport, and Ennis. If your destination is on that list, this is the only station you can leave from. A few practical anchors. Heuston has nine platforms. It opened on 4 August 1846 as Kingsbridge Station, designed by the English architect Sancton Wood, and was renamed Heuston in 1966 after Seán Heuston, who was executed for his role in the 1916 Easter Rising. The Luas Red Line tram stops right outside, which is how you reach the rest of the centre. Coach services from Dublin Airport, including Dublin Express route 782, call here, so for many arriving travellers Heuston is the first Dublin address you actually use. There is no DART at Heuston. If your hotel is on the coast and you are travelling onward by DART, the Luas Red Line will take you across town to Connolly. ## Dublin Connolly, the northern and eastern hub Connolly is on Amiens Street in Dublin 1, north-east of the river. It is the city’s other big intercity station, and the one to choose when you are going north or east. The Enterprise to Belfast leaves from Connolly, run jointly by Iarnród Éireann and Translink, and reaches Belfast Grand Central in around two hours. So do most trains to Sligo, Rosslare Europort, and Wexford. Connolly opened on 29 November 1844 as Dublin Station, was renamed Amiens Street in 1854, and became Connolly Station in 1966, named for the trade unionist and 1916 Easter Rising leader James Connolly on the rising’s 50th anniversary. It has seven platforms behind an Italianate facade. Both Luas lines reach it; the Red Line stop opened in 2004, and the Green Line cross-city extension means Connolly is now well linked to St Stephen’s Green and the south side too. Connolly is also a major DART and Commuter station. The DART here heads either north toward Howth and Malahide or south down the coast to Bray and Greystones. Belfast and Sligo trains do not stop at Heuston, so if either is on your ticket, do not go there. ## Dublin Pearse, the DART and Rosslare line stop Pearse is the elevated city-centre station on Westland Row, just behind Trinity College. Its Irish name, *Stáisiún na bPiarsach*, appears on platform signs. The station opened on 17 December 1834 as Westland Row, making it one of the oldest in the country, and was renamed Pearse in 1966. It has two platforms and three tracks. Most of what stops here is DART, running between Howth or Malahide in the north and Greystones in the south along the Irish Sea coast. Pearse is also where some Iarnród Éireann intercity services to Rosslare Europort and Wexford start or terminate, instead of Connolly. The two stations sit on the same Loop Line viaduct, so the platforms feel similar, but the boarding station printed on your ticket is the one to follow. If your ticket says Pearse, board at Pearse. ## Getting from Heuston to Connolly (and back) There is no Iarnród Éireann train between Heuston and Connolly. The link is the Luas Red Line tram. Pick it up at the stop directly outside Heuston, ride it across town past Smithfield and Jervis, and step off at Connolly. The trams run frequently during the day and the ride takes around twenty minutes, plus the walk on each end. Allow at least thirty-five minutes door to door. Make it more with luggage or at rush hour. Dublin Bus routes and taxis also do the trip. Walking is possible, at roughly three kilometres along the quays, but it is not a serious option with luggage and a deadline. Plan the cross-city leg into your itinerary, not on top of it. ## DART, Commuter, and Intercity: which is which Iarnród Éireann runs three different things on Dublin’s tracks, and the brand on your ticket matters. The **DART** is the green electric service that hugs the coast from Howth or Malahide in the north to Greystones in the south. In the city centre it calls at Connolly, Tara Street, and Pearse. You pay with a Leap Card or a single ticket. **Commuter** is the suburban diesel network around Dublin, running to places like Drogheda, Maynooth, Newbridge, Hazelhatch, and Gorey. Commuter trains use Connolly, Pearse, and Heuston depending on the line. Leap Card works on these too. **Intercity** is the long-distance brand. These are the trains to Cork, Galway, Belfast, and the rest of the country. Intercity tickets are bought through Irish Rail at irishrail.ie, not with a Leap Card. The departure board will show the train type; if you see “Intercity” or a Belfast or Cork destination, you are on the right kind of service. ## Getting to Dublin from the airport (no train) Dublin Airport does not have a rail link. There is no train, no DART, no Luas connection to the terminals. To reach the city you take a coach: Dublin Express, Aircoach, or Bus Éireann’s airport routes. Dublin Express route 782 calls at Heuston, which is useful if your onward train leaves from there. The others mainly serve the city centre and the Connolly side of town. If you have a tight onward train, factor in the coach time honestly, and confirm the drop-off station before you book. ## Tickets, Leap Card, and rail passes Three different ticket systems serve Dublin’s stations, and they are easy to mix up. The **Leap Card** is the stored-value smartcard for local transport. It works on DART, Commuter, Luas, and Dublin Bus. It does not work as your fare on an Iarnród Éireann Intercity train to Cork or Belfast. For **Intercity travel**, buy a ticket directly from Irish Rail at irishrail.ie. Advance fares can be cheaper than turning up on the day, especially on the busier routes from Heuston. Reservations are not strictly compulsory on most domestic Intercity services. Pre-booking a seat is sensible at weekends and on Friday evenings. For pass holders, both the **Interrail Pass** and the **Eurail Pass** are valid on Iarnród Éireann, including the Enterprise to Belfast. You will still need to make a reservation for the Enterprise where the booking system requires one, but the journey itself is covered. The DART and Commuter networks are also included when using a pass. ## Which station name to check before you pay Booking sites usually show only “Dublin” at the first step. Open the train details before you pay and look for the specific station: Dublin Heuston, Dublin Connolly, or Dublin Pearse. These are three different parts of the city, and they sit on three different sides of the centre. The mistake that costs people happens on departure day. They go to the wrong station because it sounds more familiar, and only then check the ticket. Twenty minutes by Luas across town, plus walking, is not a disaster if you have spare time. It is a missed train if you do not. Check the station when you book, not when you arrive. ## A note on Dublin’s older stations Dublin used to have more termini. Broadstone served the Midland Great Western Railway and closed to passengers in 1937, with rail use fully ending in 1961; today the same site is a Luas Green Line stop. Harcourt Street, the south-side terminus of the line to Bray and Wexford, closed in 1958. Tara Street is still in service for DART and Commuter on the Loop Line through the city centre. So when older guides or maps refer to Dublin’s “seven termini”, they are counting history; today, the three working city-centre stations are Heuston, Connolly, and Pearse.