Status of Luas to Cherrywood/Shanaganagh

sliabh

Does anyone know what the current status is with the Luas extension from Sandyford to Cherrywood and beyond?

The RPA site mentions "The RPA is currently preparing a detailed scheme in anticipation of a Light Rail Order application in 2004."

Is the "Light Rail Order" the official green light (with funding) for this to start?

And does anyone know has Dun Laoighaire Rathdown council ring fenced the money they have been collecting for the Luas development levy?

Victor

sliabh wrote:

Does anyone know what the current status is with the Luas extension from Sandyford to Cherrywood and beyond?

Not sure. It would have to go to public consultation with a draft light rail order, with drawings, EIS, etc., judicial hearing and the go to the minister for apporal (in principle).

Is the "Light Rail Order" the official green light (with funding) for this to start?

It is the legal power to go ahead. However, it would not be obligatory to go ahead. Funding is a matter for government, as I doubt the levies and donations from developers would be enough.

And does anyone know has Dun Laoighaire Rathdown council ring fenced the money they have been collecting for the Luas development levy?

That money is, by definition, ringfenced.

Hecate

Shouldn't be too much of a problem to construct, the old harcourt st. alignment is still pretty much intact as far as shangangh no? (where it would link in with the DART).

Victor

Hecate wrote:

Shouldn't be too much of a problem to construct, the old harcourt st. alignment is still pretty much intact as far as shangangh no?

It's intact as far as Shankill and there are apparently two house built on the track bed there. However, as the land between the race course and Foxrock is quite sparsely populated they are diverting along (I think) Ballyogan Road.

sliabh

Has anyone got (or know the location of) a route map?

Victor

Info:

http://www.dlrcoco.ie/planning/LUAS_AD_JAN03.HTM
http://www.dlrcoco.ie/planning/LUAS03_scheme.HTM

Details of the Scheme (including Map) may be purchased at the County Council offices at a charge of €5.

Details of the Scheme (excluding Map) may be viewed on the County Council website through this link: - Scheme.

Of course, the planning department gave me a photocopy of most of the map for €0.20 :rolleyes:

sliabh

Everything but the map on the site. So much for transparent government [sigh]

dmeehan

did the Bray-Shankill By-Pass not fill in a section of the old harcourt street line with concrete

uberwolf

can some one please explain the term ring fenced for me, I'd been looking it up at the start of the summer as well and hadn't satisfied myself with the definitions I read

sliabh

uberwolf wrote:

can some one please explain the term ring fenced for me, I'd been looking it up at the start of the summer as well and hadn't satisfied myself with the definitions I read

The money has been put aside for it's intended purpose only. Dun-Laoighaire Rathdown council can't use it for anything except the Luas extension. No dipping in for pot hole repairs, junkets etc.

i.e. there is a fence around it, or it is "ring fenced"

BrianD

Ring fenced generally means that something is guaranteed and won't be changed as other things around it do. If there is money "ring fenced" off for something means that it is safe even if money is needed for other expenditure. Somehow, in terms of goverment expenditure the ring fence might be more a few traffic cones and a bit of safety tape ... :rolleyes:

Flukey

Well they should remove the fence and start extending the line the whole way out to join up with the Bray line. They should also extend the other way, having a line that would be more or less like a rail M50. It may even be possible to run some of the track down the centre of the M50. It would be nice for people coming from right down into Wicklow to be able to go by rail to any of the industrial areas like Sandyford, Tallaght, Walkinstown, Clondalking etc., without having to go into the city centre.

seagizmo

Hey,


Anyone seen any more details on the Cherrywood extension? I saw an ad in the paper ages ago that they had release more details but can't remember where?

SG

Zaph0d

seagizmo wrote:

Anyone seen any more details on the Cherrywood extension? I saw an ad in the paper ages ago that they had release more details but can't remember where?

A couple of months ago there was an article in the Irish Times saying that the Luas extensions to the Point and Cherrywood were on hold. This article was accompanied by a map showing a route from the terminus in Sandyford, cutting across the centre of the Leopardstown roundabout, then down along the South West of the racecourse along by the Ballyogan housing estates, then across the North end of Glenamuck road, close to the M50 and on South across the Jackson Way land bank ending up in Cherrywood.

As DLR CoCo has been adding a special Luas extension tax to the developers all along the proposed line and allowing apartment developments based on this rail link, they will be under severe pressure to actually build it.

God knows how the line will take the increased capacity.

BrianD

Extra trams I assume. While the green line may be busy at peak times it is not capacity loading. Irish people seem to think that because you can't get a seat means that the system can't cope. Having said that, there is obviously a point where it will no longer be practical to extend the line. The trick here is have branches off the line rather than extending it linearly.

iceman_2001_ie

This is a cut-out from the Platform11 website

www.platform11.org

It shows the propsed extension to Cherry wood and to the Point, and a number of notional extensions that Platform11 are proposing.

P11 Comms

The RPA has secured a finance bridging loan for construction of the Cherrywood and Point lines - hot rumour is that the Government is going to announce all 4 new lines to be built at the same time before June 2005. A PPP to pay for the Citywest branch. The Government will pay for the city centre link up. How many of these actually get the go-ahead it is impossible to say, but 2005 could the year that Luas really takes off.

jd

P11 Comms wrote:

Government is going to announce all 4 new lines to be built at the same time before June 2005.

Excuse me for asking, but if you could clarify, these would be the lines to where..??

jlang

jd wrote:

Excuse me for asking, but if you could clarify, these would be the lines to where..??

Appears to be extensions to Cherrywood, the Point and Citywest and the Red/Green link-up in the middle. I make that 4, but can't see where the extra people are going to fit on the trams. Citywest to the Point would be a very long trip to stand.

P11 Comms

The general feeling is that Citywest will be a branch from Red Cow with direct services to The Square, with city bound passengers change at the Red Cow.

P11 Comms

Connolly - Point
Stephens Green - Connolly (via Pearse/Matt Talbot Bridge seems to be gaining favour within the DoT)
Sandyford - Cherrywood
Red Cow - Citywest

How they will be operated in actual service terms nobody is saying yet. Although with such a combination of lines there are many possibilities.

However, as it would appear that Monica Leech is the current de-facto Minister for Transport I would not count on any sensible decisions being made. Remember what happened the Spatial Strategy when they ran the Dept. of the Environment?

So do not be surprise if Minister Cullen comes on TV and announces that the DART is being moved from Dublin to Connamara in the interest of regional balance because the East Cost is too is overpopulated and falling in the sea...The IFA will welcome the move...etc.

Happy Christmas Folks.