[Article] Rail lines to Celbridge set to be doubled

darkman2

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0813/transport.html

Only to Hazelhatch?

Vorsprung

Yawn...old news.

MarkoP11

About the 7th or 8th time its been announced each time the cost goes up, the delivery date moves yet further distant and the scale of the works reduces, Thankfully the crew down in the Newbridge Rail Group know it means zlich for them since its all in Dublin

The fact civil works have been ongoing since March just goes to prove what as sad waster Cullen actually is making up news just to keep his mug in the papers, just remember Cullen came to the launch of the new Cork train in his ministerial car while everyone else took the train

The station building in Hazelhatch is very much in Dublin

lostexpectation

was more track into meath previously promised?

Navan Junction

Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, Irish Times 14/08/2006

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has made a railway order allowing Iarnród Éireann to proceed with plans to double the number of tracks on the Kildare line between Heuston Station and Hazelhatch, near Celbridge.


The order will permit the railway company to acquire some 30 hectares (75 acres) of land along the 13km (eight-mile) stretch for the Kildare Route Project, which is designed to separate inter-city and commuter services, greatly increasing their frequency.

Existing commuter services on the route have a capacity of 11,050 passengers. Completion of the project, now costed at €400 million, will steadily increase this to a potential capacity of 36,400 passengers a day in each direction.

Iarnród Éireann has said the project has the potential to generate up to seven million additional passenger journeys on the route every year. It also envisages that the line will be electrified as far as Hazelhatch to allow Dart-type trains to operate.

New stations are to be built at Kishogue and Adamstown in west Dublin, while Hazelhatch station will be upgraded. The existing station at Cherry Orchard is to be relocated to Parkwest and the station at Clondalkin relocated to Fonthill Road.

This new station will include a bus interchange and will also allow for integration with the proposed Metro West line between Tallaght and Ballymun.

Provision is also being made for park-and-ride sites at key stations along the Kildare route.

Several stone bridges are to be demolished and replaced with structures to enable the number of tracks to be increased to four. On completion in 2009, two tracks will cater for commuter services and the other two for inter-city and regional services.

This will double the frequency of trains between Hazelhatch to Heuston, serving all stations, and also the service frequency between Heuston and Kildare, as well as providing more trains to serve "outer commuter towns" such as Portlaoise, Athlone and Carlow.

The announcement made no reference to the fact that work on the project will involve extensive road closures along the route for periods of up to six months as well as speed restrictions and reductions in service during the three-year construction period.

The €400 million bill will be largely met by the Exchequer, but some contributions are expected to be raised from local authorities and property developers donating land to facilitate the project, as well as funding the construction of new rail stations.

According to the Minister, the project would significantly enhance the reliability and accessibility of rail services between Heuston and commuter destinations in the greater Dublin area as well as inter-city services for Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

It would complement other improvements in the railway network, including the upgrading of capacity and facilities at Heuston, expanding inter-city and commuter fleets, and developing a new station at Spencer Dock and a train depot in Portlaoise.

In making his decision to grant the railway order, Mr Cullen said he had considered all "relevant documentation" as required under the 2001 Railway Infrastructure Act, including the report of Pat Butler SC, the inspector who presided at a public inquiry into the project.

However, the order makes no reference to a case made at the inquiry - and accepted by the inspector - that there will be a peak hour deficit in onward public transport services at Heuston until the proposed rail tunnel to Spencer Dock is completed in 2015.

Seán Giblin, on behalf of the Lucan-based "Deliver It Right" campaign, estimated that 3,000 passengers would be left with no onward connection to the city centre - even after Luas trams are lengthened to 40 metres and the number of buses is doubled. Mr Giblin said he was "astonished" that this point had been ignored.

Platform 11, the rail campaign group, said yesterday: "We are extremely frustrated and angry that once again a positive step to deal with a public transport issue in Dublin has been blocked by a politician who appears to have very little grasp of the situation."

© The Irish Times

Victor

This page has been updated, nothing else yet. Any sight?

http://www.transport21.ie/PROJECTS/HEAVY_RAIL/Kildare_Rail_Project.html

JackieChan

There has been work going on here for a few weeks.
Some embankments have been cut back. New cabling is been laid around the the Hazlehatch area out to where the quad section will end.

On an aside, Adamstown station is well under way. If you pass it at the moment you can see the metal grid roof which is been put in place by the end of the month.According to http://www.adamstown.ie that its due to be operational by April 2007.Not sure why its going to take so long. The developer is obviously not in a major rush to have it up and running.

DerekP11

Adamstown station will be operational in 2007. It will be served by the existing commuter service. Obviously we expect IE to release details of the timetable changes nearer the date. The existing service, at peak, is bursting at the seams and will be made worse by the opening of Adamstown. This will only be alleviated upon completion of the KRP, but may prove problematic even then. It could be seen as an example of sensible development/transport planning, without any thought to the provision of actually having facilities to move people. The problem of moving people onwards from Heuston is very valid and has been ignored by the Minister and "passed off" by IE using the excuse of the Interconnector. That's 2015, if we're lucky. Up to 6 years of great infrastructure and pathetic services may await us. (And thats only if everything goes to plan)

In closing, IE are still short on rolling stock to service all these "new projects" , under T21 and I include the WRC in that. Redeployment of commuter railcars, after the delivery of the latest and last order of Inter City stock, still leaves the system, up to 40 carraiges short, for providing the expected services. There are currently no orders for new railcars. Only new DARTs have been requested. Unless they happen in conjunction with the electrification of the Maynooth line, then the shortage will prevail. IE appear to be planning on the basis of continued high end funding, that will continually allow them the "excuse" of forthcomning investment, to solve problems. If the funding drys up (and nobody here, in their right mind, can say that it won't, no more than we can say its guaranteed) then whats the back up plan to fill in the gaps left? Is there one?

While I would love to see the KRP and other plans realised to conclusion, I think the Park Tunnel may become an even bigger issue in the years ahead. You heard it here first. If Im wrong, then I hope Im around to admit it. But....

Fun times ahead