This closure, which will take place between 5.30pm and 11pm, is part of a trial operational exercise ahead of the Aviva Stadium’s hosting of four games during UEFA EURO 2020 next summer.
DART services will continue as scheduled, but passengers will be required to disembark at either Grand Canal Dock DART Station or Sandymount DART Station during the closure.
The matches at EURO 2020 will have different profiles, requirements, mobility patterns, and ticketing systems to a normal game at Aviva Stadium. Following reviews at UEFA Tournament and Finals, UEFA has made a recommendation to increase the size of the Outer Perimeter in order to ensure there is no congestion in all areas around the Aviva Stadium.
It is expected that the countries participating in the EURO 2020 games in Dublin will bring a lot of supporters to the city, some of whom will not have tickets. The change in the access systems allows the Match Operations team to prevent ticketless supporters accessing the inner cordon of the stadium thus creating a safe environment and queuing system at the turnstiles and staying within the safe holding capacity of the approach roads to the turnstiles.
The decision to hold a trial closure of Lansdowne Road DART Station on the evening of the Republic of Ireland vs Denmark game was taken jointly by the Dublin UEFA EURO 2020 Local Organising Structure (LOS) made up of Dublin City Council, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Aviva Stadium, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, the National Transport Authority (NTA), and Iarnród Éireann.
The purpose of the exercise is to examine logistics, mobility, safety, security and stadium access prior to next June’s matches. The Republic of Ireland versus Denmark match was chosen for this exercise as the spectator numbers are anticipated to be similar to a UEFA EURO 2020 Finals Tournament match.
A comprehensive communications plan will be implemented in the lead-up to November 18th to inform regular users of Lansdowne Road DART Station, Irish and Danish supporters and local residents about the temporary station closure. On match-night there will be additional directional signage and dedicated volunteers in place on the walking routes from both Grand Canal Dock and Sandymount Stations. Additional stewards will also be located at strategic locations to guide supporters to the stadium. Supporters are encouraged to allow extra time than normal for their journey to the stadium.
Regular users of Lansdowne Road DART Station and Republic of Ireland vs Denmark match ticket holders are encouraged to visit www.euro2020.fai.ie where detailed FAQs on this exercise and maps of the Access Routes can be found. Passengers with restricted mobility, who typically use Lansdowne Road Station but will not be attending the match, should contact access@irishrail.ie for assistance.
UEFA EURO 2020 will be the biggest sporting event to ever be held in Ireland, with an expected global audience of 5 billion and an estimated economic impact of €106m for Dublin and Ireland.
Cathal Dervan, Director of Communications, FAI: “EURO 2020 is the third biggest sporting event in the world and we are expecting that the countries we welcome here for our games will bring a lot of supporters, some of whom won’t have tickets. The matches at EURO 2020 will have different profiles, requirements, mobility patterns, and ticketing systems to a normal game at Aviva Stadium. Ireland has never hosted an international event of this magnitude before and we are testing additional stadium access, mobility, safety and security measures, one of which is the temporary closure of the Lansdowne Road DART/Train Station. Following this trial, a joint review will be undertaken in advance of EURO 2020.”
Barry Kenny, Head of Corporate Communications, Iarnród Éireann: “We are working closely with An Garda Síochána and the UEFA EURO 2020 Dublin Local Organising Structure (LOS) to prepare for the trial closure of Lansdowne Road DART Station on 18th November, to assist the LOS and the city generally in its preparations for UEFA EURO 2020. In the coming weeks we will inform all regular users of Lansdowne Road Station of the temporary changes on this day and will limit any disruption where possible. Any passengers with restricted mobility concerns about the temporary closure of Lansdowne Road should contact Iarnród Éireann as soon as possible on access@irishrail.ie”
Tim Burke, Superintendent, Donnybrook Garda Station: “This is a trial exercise to examine logistics, mobility, safety, security and access procedures ahead of the four games in the Aviva Stadium during UEFA EURO 2020 next year. We would encourage match-goers and regular users of Lansdowne Road DART Station to familiarise themselves with the temporary changes and plan their routes accordingly to and from Grand Canal DART Station and Sandymount DART Station. Our advice for match-goers would be to allow extra time to get to and from the Aviva Stadium, plan your routes and meeting points and follow the advice of stewards, security, Gardaí and volunteers.”
Advice for supporters:
- Use the official spectator maps to select the most appropriate route to take
- Arrive at the stadium early, turnstiles open at 18:15
- Follow Iarnród Éireann, FAIreland, Aviva Stadium, An Garda Síochána, and Dublin City Council social media channels
- On match day follow the advice from Gardaí, stewards, volunteers and the directional signage