Pelletstown Train Station: Complete Corrosion Protection

The newest Pelletstown train station on Ireland’s rail network has recently been opened in North Dublin. The steel elements were hot dip galvanized then painted with Galco’s Galvacoat paint system, the perfect way to ensure that the project will serve the community corrosion-free for decades.

The Pelletstown Station is situated between Ashtown and Broombridge stations on the Dublin to Maynooth/M3 Parkway line.

It comprises two platforms, a footbridge and ramp access between platforms, along with a second footbridge and accessible ramp over the canal.

The station represents an investment of €10.5 million, funded by the National Transport Authority and levies collected by Dublin City Council from the development at Royal Canal Park, and has been constructed by Sisk on behalf of Irish Rail.

With 94 trains serving the station every day and only 12 minutes to the city centre, it delivers meaningful options for public transport, that will improve people’s quality of life, accessibility to work, leisure and education.

“This new station will greatly benefit the communities of Ashington and Royal Canal Park by providing much-needed public transport options as well as cutting journey times in and out of the city,”

Eamon Ryan, Minister for Transport

Galvanized For Years

Given the high social role of this project and the high volume of traffic, hot-dip galvanizing of the steel elements was a natural choice for corrosion protection.

Toughness and durability of the galvanized steel mean that it can deliver a maintenance-free life far above the normal 50 years design life.

Atmospheric corrosion data obtained in the Zinc Millennium Map project of 2000, suggests an annual corrosion rate of 0.5 microns in the greater Dublin area, giving galvanized steel a potential lifetime of 140-170 years.

On the Pelletstown train station project over 61 tonnes of steel were hot dip galvanized and over 1300 square meters of railings were also coated with Galvacoat – a specially formulated paint system that adheres to non-ferrous metals.

Galvacoat Duplex System

The combination of hot dip galvanizing and painting often referred to as a duplex coating has numerous advantages and ensures long-lasting corrosion protection with a high quality, aesthetically pleasing finish.

One of the great advantages of Galvacoat is its durability. This system has been widely used in Ireland for over 40 years and we have many recorded cases where it has not lost its adhesion even after 20 years.

Unlike many other paints that need to be removed completely from the galvanized steel before being repainted, Galvacoat is easy to recoat. All it requires is a simple clean down and then a fresh coat can be applied without further pre-treatment or removal of previous layers.

Project Details

Pelletstown Train Station, Ashington Park

Client: Irish Rail

Local authority: Dublin City Council

Main Contractor: John Sisk & Sons

Steel Fabricator: Dungarvan Precision Engineering