Fingal / North Dublin Transport Study

You'd think they would go for something like HR8, HR9 or HR8+ with a bit more ambition. Maybe there's small chance of Irish Rail getting the guts of €6 billion to complete Dart Underground AND that.

Also a piece in the Irish Independent detailed IR's ambitions as having a second line also from the Northern line via Swords to the airport which would allow for trains coming from that line to also reach the airport directly.

Whatever happened with this?

Vardakar signals Irish Rail shake-up

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar is to look at a restructuring of Irish Rail, after the Government decided not to look for an extension of Ireland's derogation under EU legislation dealing with rail market access. The derogation will expire on March 14 2013.

After a Cabinet meeting, Minister Varadkar announced plans for a consultation process which will look at how best to restructure Irish Rail following the decision.

The department said the end of the exemption meant that a separate body would have to be set up to decide on charges for access to the rail system, and how capacity should be allocated.

"Ireland is the only country in the EU which has been allowed to retain a single operator which regulates, operates and maintains its mainline rail network," Minister Varadkar said.

"European law supports greater competition and freer access to the rail network sector across Europe, principally in the area of freight. I would like Ireland to be well prepared to avail of any such opportunities in future," he said.

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Timber: Ballina & Westport - Waterford
Containers: Ballina - Waterford & Ballina - Dublin

Has a route been published for the proposed link to Dublin Airport? I can't quite figure out a route that could work out at €300 million, seems cheap.

jd wrote: »

There is a meeting tomorrow about this in The Comet, Santry, organised by Noel Rock. I believe Rory O Connor, acting CEO of the RPA, will be there. I've taken the liberty of attaching a flier.
<snip>

For the sake of posterity, is Noel Rock a member of FG? I know he campaigned as a council candidate for that party.

Aren't submissions still being accepted until next Monday? I thought the transport minister said submissions would still be accepted until Monday. It does seem silly to arrange it like this in any case.

Aard wrote: »

What's the point -- this should have been set up before the official closing date of the consultation. Now it's just teasing people.

Dropped him a line on this and I got back

it wasn't logistically possible to get on before 19th. Barry Kenny from Irish rail just confirmed too FYI

Bit more at https://www.facebook.com/events/831262796896895/?pnref=story

When you say "heavy metro" does that encompass "heavy rail" as well -- ie a heavy rail tunnel from Glasnevin to the Airport / Swords?

Hmm. Going by Irish Rail's recent "airport Dart" announcement in the papers, and given what you've said above -- it appears that IR know something the rest of us don't and so are canvassing for the crumbs of the Clongriffin spur.

You're right that it's good that at least DU seems to be taken as a given going forward.

jd wrote: »

Just looking through the handout from the RPA. Nothing about the metro. I told Rory I'm refusing to call it an "optimised" metro
It's just about the Luas from Cabra under Glasnevin cemetery and up the Ballymun road.
It also mentions Luas phase 2 (Rory mentioned a future tunnel in passing) - underground from Stephen's Green to Cabra, with underground stops at Jervis and SSG.

I think the Metro is dead, lads. Rory seemed to love this project.

Could you expand on the above, first I've heard about it. Any more info on that flyer?

jd wrote: »

Scanned this for ye.

Legend!

I was just thinking recently, its a shame that the Broadstone alignment - Harcourt alignment aren't a single segragated line joined under the city. This project proposes exactly that. Wow, interesting.

Am I a sucker for empty promises or what

jd wrote: »

Just looking through the handout from the RPA. Nothing about the metro. I told Rory I'm refusing to call it an "optimised" metro
It's just about the Luas from Cabra under Glasnevin cemetery and up the Ballymun road.
It also mentions Luas phase 2 (Rory mentioned a future tunnel in passing) - underground from Stephen's Green to Cabra, with underground stops at Jervis and SSG.

I think the Metro is dead, lads. Rory seemed to love this project.

Most of the BRT proposals seemed to be very lacking. Offering 3 poor BRT options without accurate estimated costs, a mythical "no environmental or planning etc. impact" and an asymmetrical appraisal of the BRT options compared to say LRT doesn't show AECOM in a very good or competent light and also smells of govt "suggestions", looking for the right answer.

Why should anyone accept this spoonfed crap for what the best options are from the appraisal when the appraisal itself has methodological issues and indeed blatant leaps of logic? It's not just about the airport, the people of Swords and in the north of Dublin city deserve better, and the taxpayer and the wider Dublin region also deserves better than pursuing back-of-envelope BRT plans that conflict with existing services and indeed with the future Swords Swiftway. Not to mention, why not provide traffic priority for Dublin Bus services in general and be done with it? I don't believe €200 million will get anything more than bendi-buses, ticketing machines and kerb access facilitated, and some new lines painted on a road new bus lanes.