Docklands Station opening

Nevyn

http://www.dublin15.ie/pages/CV86/cv86n03.htm

New train service likely to cause major traffic congestion

Recent reports that a number of level crossings in the Dublin 15 area will remain closed for a half hour period during morning and evening rush hours have been described as “absolute rubbish” by a spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann.

The issue has arisen following the welcome decision by the company to introduce eight additional peak hour trains in their morning and evening schedules. The new services will operate between Clonsilla station and the new Docklands station commencing on Monday 12th March. The level crossing at Coolmine

With five level crossings in or adjoining the Dublin 15 area, the additional services will mean that the level crossing barriers will be closed with greater frequency at peak times resulting in delays for local motorists.

The affected crossings are at Westmanstown, Clonsilla, Porterstown Road, Coolmine and Ashtown.

Speaking to Community Voice, Barry Kenny, public relations officer with Iarnród Éireann, said “our first responsibility is to our customers and we make no apology for that. Everyone says that we need more trains so we have increased the capacity of the line to allow an additional 2,500 people use the service at peak time each day. Traffic management issues are the responsibility of the gardaí and the local authority and we have advised them of our proposals,” he said.

However according to a local garda spokesperson “we were not consulted on these proposals and there is no doubt that the closures will lead to significant local congestion and pressure on other roads leading into Dublin city.”

Mr Kenny points out that the new services will allow an additional 2,500 people in Dublin 15 switch from their cars to using the train to commute into the city. “This will reduce road congestion in the area,” he says. He also said that “level crossings work very effectively in other parts of the city serviced by DART which has a greater frequency than the Maynooth line.”

However local gardaí are not convinced. “We expect serious congestion on the Navan Road, Castleknock Road and Porterstown Road and down into Sandpits as a result of this proposal,” said the spokesperson. “We also advised Iarnród Éireann to put up signs about the changes, but they don’t see that as their issue.”

Meanwhile local county councillors also vented their frustration at a recent meeting of the Area Committee. A council engineer told the meeting “we haven’t had the opportunity to plan for this because we only became aware of the plans in the last two weeks.” This prompted Cllr Leo Varadkar to ask how they had only became aware of the situation “when the new timetable for the line was published nine weeks ago.”
While welcoming the new service, Cllr Ruth Coppinger suggested that “the operation of the level crossing gates should not mean people will be stranded in their cars for 20 minutes.”

However the Director of the Council’s Transport Division, Michael Lorrigan, while acknowledging the potential disruption for traffic said his real concern was “to ensure that pedestrians were not disrupted. I can’t see pedestrians standing in the pouring rain for 20 minutes at the level crossing barrier,” he told councillors.

According to Mr Lorrigan, “we will see a change in traffic patterns in the area such as a greater use of the Ongar Road. However we need to look at the overall picture. There are no quick fix ‘Bailey bridge’ type solutions available. One possible option was to connect the Diswellstown Road to Luttrellstown Road to bring the Canon Troy bridge into greater play,” he said.

Iarnród Éireann’s Barry Kenny stresses that the problem is not being caused by his company. “The major housing growth in Dublin 15 is being driven by development along the rail line and we have a statutory responsibility to meet the demand this is creating. We are currently planning a resignalling project along the line to allow more trains and we are carrying out works to improve the efficiency of the level crossings. We are also planning to electrify the line to bring the service up to DART standards.”

Unfortunately one of the side-effects of all the current recriminations is that the significant improvements now planned for the Dublin 15 rail service are being overlooked.

According to Michael Power, area manager for Iarnród Éireann, “we are now offering a specific new service from Clonsilla to Docklands with stops at Coolmine, Castleknock and Broombridge. This will offer commuters a 20 minute journey from Dublin West into the city. Obviously the increasing number of trains will lead to additional barrier closures. However the barriers will not be staying down permanently. The biggest impact will be at Clonsilla as the timing of trains in both directions at that location will lead to greater downtime. However Coolmine will not see a dramatic change,” he said.

Mr. Power also pointed out that the new schedules will also offer increased train frequency to local commuters with later train journeys also on offer. The last train in the evening now leaves Pearse station at 11.10 p.m. In the previous schedule the last train departed the city at 10.30 p.m.

However on the question of the effect of the new services on peak time traffic in Dublin 15, the garda spokesperson is quite specific. “We acknowledge the need for more trains in the area but when you cut off three or four major traffic arteries at peak time there have to be serious problems. We would appeal to all motorists to allow significant extra time for their journeys from 12th March,” he said.

I know they are hoping to get more people on to the trains but with the train but not everyone in the Dublin 15 area can access the train.