Overview
The Dublin–Wicklow line is the coast run: it leaves the city and spends much of its length within sight of the Irish Sea before turning inland for County Wicklow. Iarnród Éireann runs it as two services on the same tracks. The DART, the electrified Dublin Area Rapid Transit, comes down from Howth and Malahide through the city to Greystones roughly every twenty to thirty minutes. Beyond Greystones, diesel commuter trains carry on through Wicklow town to Arklow and the southeast. The single best thing you can do with the line is ride to Bray, walk the cliff path to Greystones, and take the DART back.
The route and its stops
The line’s strength is that it links real destinations without a change of train. Heading south from the city stations:
- Bray – a seaside town with a long promenade and the northern end of the cliff walk. The station is a few minutes from both the main street and the beach.
- Greystones – the southern end of the DART, with a wide beach and a walkable centre. The obvious place to finish the cliff walk.
- Rathdrum – up in the wooded hills of central Wicklow, and the handiest stop for Avondale Forest Park, its Treetop Walk and the village of Avoca. Avoca’s own station closed in 1964, so Rathdrum is as close as the train gets.
- Arklow – a port town where the line runs inland, with bus and coach links on towards Glendalough and the mountain valleys.
- Wicklow Town – the end of the coastal stretch, with the town centre and the Wicklow Mountains beyond.
The cliff walk
For most people the line is worth taking for one walk. The Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk runs 8.5km (5.3 miles) along the old rail embankment above the sea: well-maintained, largely flat, dog-friendly, and passing Crab Rock roughly midway. It starts near Bray Daly station and ends near Greystones station, which is what makes it so easy – walk one way, DART back the other, no car and no loop to close. Cyclists can use it but have to dismount at a couple of narrow rock cuts.
A bit of history
The Dublin & Wicklow Railway opened the line to Bray on 10 July 1854, and reached Wicklow at Murrough in November 1855. Building along a soft, eroding coast was the hard part, and it still is – the sea has forced reroutes and constant sea-wall work ever since. The present Wicklow station opened in March 1884, on a new alignment when the line was pushed further south. Electrification of the Dublin to Greystones section in the 1980s created the DART and transformed how often trains run. The next chapter is DART+, which will extend electrified services out to Drogheda, Maynooth and Hazelhatch/Celbridge on other lines.
Views and wildlife
The scenic payoff is the stretch south of Bray. Sit on the seaward side – on your left heading south – for the cliffs and the open water; on a clear day you may catch porpoises or dolphins offshore and seabirds working the cliff edges. It’s a short section, but it’s the reason people put visitors on this train rather than a bus.
Tickets and practical tips
- Fares – buy singles, returns or day tickets through the Irish Rail Journey Planner, or use a Leap Card for pay-as-you-go across the DART and commuter network. Visitors can buy a Visitor Leap Card valid for 1, 3 or 7 days. A Family Day Pass gives up to two adults and four children a day’s unlimited travel for €20 on the DART and suburban network – note that’s the Dublin commuter zone, not the full intercity line.
- Dogs – leashed dogs travel free on DART and commuter services; some stations ask larger dogs to be muzzled.
- Wicklow station – has an 80-space pay-and-display car park and bike parking, and is staffed full-time. Bus Éireann route 133 stops at the nearby Tesco, about 550m away, with roughly hourly buses to Dublin city centre.
- On board – free Wi-Fi and power at most seats, but no trolley or catering on this route, so bring your own.
- Accessibility – trains carry a limited number of wheelchair spaces with step-free boarding at select stations; book these through the Journey Planner ahead of travel.
- Service updates – coastal defence and track works occasionally close sections at weekends, so check Irish Rail’s service updates before travelling, especially in summer.
Getting to the line
From the city centre, southbound trains leave Connolly, Tara Street and Pearse. From Dublin Airport, take a bus or coach into the city centre and pick up a southbound DART there. Book web fares at least seven days ahead for the cheaper prices, and pair the train with the local bus network to reach the inland valleys the line itself doesn’t touch.