Irelands first taste of a Dart Metro may begin in Dun Laoghaire.

Run_to_da_hills

There are new plans for a multi million project with amenities using the area over the Dart line between Dunlaoghaire and Sandycove station. A good portion of the existing trench line will be converted into a "cut and cover" syatem similar to sections of the London's Circle and Metropolitan subsurface lines.

With the way the recession is going and Government cut backs this may be as much of a Dublin Metro as we will ever see.:D

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/new-look-for-dun-laoghaire-conservation-area-1533238.html

faceman

How much will it cost? Im sure the money would be better placed with the cervical vaccine thingie at the mo.

Run_to_da_hills

faceman wrote: »

How much will it cost? Im sure the money would be better placed with the cervical vaccine thingie at the mo.

Two plans, up to 129 Million, Its an absolute dusgrace when there are far more important issues going on at the moment. This has all the hallmarks of the Time in the Slime, Spyre and your one in the fountain on O Connell St.

dowlingm

Decking over a trenched transportation line is not novel, the question is what return do you get from it and what can you build over it. It is possible to site buildings over it but the engineering tends to be very tricky.

Better to site parkland and/or sporting facilities over top which doesn't require as much load bracing and use it to connect both sides of the line together, possibly allowing additional zoning density on the adjacent lands because of the greenspace provided.

Overhead 1

Overhead 2

Typewriter

Nothing new :cool:

That section of the line was originally built as underground.

It was the first underground railway in the British isles (if not the world) But they didn't really know what they were doing back then and it caved-in shortly after it opened. As a result they just left it as it is now.

Alun

Sounds like a great idea to me. That whole seafront area could be made a whole lot more attractive than it is now. If you take the "why bother with stuff like this while there are more important things to deal with" approach to it's logical conclusion, the world would be an extremely boring, unattractive place to live in. Oh yes, and I really like the Spire too

Cookie_Monster

I think its a great idea too. Especially if it is done as some form of parkscape with plenty of greenery rather than just "concrete etc". If they do this and the sea front, DL might actually be reasonably nice again

paulm17781

I always wondered if this would be possible, the DART did seem like such a waste of space at that point (since it was underground but open). It would be a good thing to do.

faceman

Alun wrote: »

Sounds like a great idea to me. That whole seafront area could be made a whole lot more attractive than it is now. If you take the "why bother with stuff like this while there are more important things to deal with" approach to it's logical conclusion, the world would be an extremely boring, unattractive place to live in. Oh yes, and I really like the Spire too

When cutbacks are being made in education and health that affect millions of people and proposals to do up Dun Laoghaire which will benefit the c. 25,000 people who live there and whatever the tourism numbers are too, it doesnt stack up in my book.

The works arent going to boost the economy in any way so it doesnt offer any long term value.

corktina

in what way does spending multiple millions on anything in our economy NOT benefit the economy.....? think of how many jobs it will support....

Run_to_da_hills

faceman wrote: »

When cutbacks are being made in education and health that affect millions of people and proposals to do up Dun Laoghaire which will benefit the c. 25,000 people who live there and whatever the tourism numbers are too, it doesn't stack up in my book.

The works arent going to boost the economy in any way so it doesn't offer any long term value.

And with the talk of dropping the cross channel boat down to one sailing from Dunlaoghaire. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dun-laoghaire-ferry--hits-financial-storm-1517389.html

Dunlaoghaire will soon become a ghost town, at night it is already a kip of a town (I can say that because I am from the place). I would often take stroll down that way in an evenings and I could count the number of walkers on one hand.

There is only a few summer months in the year that this would be of any use, the rest of the time it would only cost the council to maintain it.

If they really wanted to build a metro they should just build a car park over it.

Alun

faceman wrote: »

When cutbacks are being made in education and health that affect millions of people and proposals to do up Dun Laoghaire which will benefit the c. 25,000 people who live there and whatever the tourism numbers are too, it doesnt stack up in my book.

The works arent going to boost the economy in any way so it doesnt offer any long term value.

My point still stands though. How far do you actually take a stance like that? Like I said, if you take that to it's logical conclusion then any project that doesn't have a measurable economic value would get shelved, and we'd all be living in an anonymous, grey concrete urban environment devoid of any kind of aesthetic qualities. Hey, why don't DLRCOCO just fire the whole contingent of staff who look after the parks and gardens in Dun Laoghaire and let everything revert to weeds. That'd sure save a bunch of money too.

Colm R

I wouldn't be too worried about this starting in the current economic climate. That said, as someone who has been in Dun Laoighaire less than 10 times in my life so far, from the sounds of it, this is a great idea.

Covering, where possible, railway tracks to make parks and mixed development should be economically viable.

astrofool

I'd presume this would be part of the (long overdue) redevelopment of the seafront and baths, and in time, will pay for itself (like the metro and interconnector would), as such, they should not be costed as a drain on the budget, unlike items such as builder bailouts and personnel wastage in public services.

Ham'nd'egger

While I am not going to debate or consider the practical issues of developing the promenade around Dun Laoghaire; as the landowner of the trackbed and the space above therein, has CIE allowed or consented to this project?

strassenwolf

As part of the original works for the DART, much of the track bed between Dun Laoghaoire and Sandycove/Glenageary was lowered to facilitate installation of the overhead wires.

I've never been entirely sure why, as it's not my area of town, but I gather that this work seems to have contributed in some way to the very low speed limit which now exists along much of this section.

Does anyone know if the proposed covering project could enable trains along this section to travel at normal speeds?

Run_to_da_hills

strassenwolf wrote: »

As part of the original works for the DART, much of the track bed between Dun Laoghaoire and Sandycove/Glenageary was lowered to facilitate installation of the overhead wires.

I've never been entirely sure why, as it's not my area of town, but I gather that this work seems to have contributed in some way to the very low speed limit which now exists along much of this section.

Does anyone know if the proposed covering project could enable trains along this section to travel at normal speeds?

A lot of this these slow speeds were introduced because of the acute curvature of the tracks particularly on the Sandycove end of the line. There has always been the fear of stuff being thrown over the wall from the Metals on to the tracks although there is less of this type of stuff happening these days.

Judgement Day

faceman wrote: »

How much will it cost? Im sure the money would be better placed with the cervical vaccine thingie at the mo.

I agree and whatever about this idea isn't it crazy that to find the 10 million Euros or so for the Cervical Cancer project the stupid f......g politicians can only say that it must be found from within the Dept.of Health!! Why?? Why not strip 10 million out of one of the numerous other multi-million projects?

The NRA, the ridiculous Western Rail Corridor, the Interconnector, the insane Green Line Luas extension! Not cancel them just modify or delay by a few months .....:mad:!

donvito99

Never mind covering over the dart, the old coal terminal is isn desperate need of doin up.

Run_to_da_hills

Hamndegger wrote: »

While I am not going to debate or consider the practical issues of developing the promenade around Dun Laoghaire; as the landowner of the trackbed and the space above therein, has CIE allowed or consented to this project?

A brown envelope for someone

faceman

Alun wrote: »

My point still stands though. How far do you actually take a stance like that? Like I said, if you take that to it's logical conclusion then any project that doesn't have a measurable economic value would get shelved, and we'd all be living in an anonymous, grey concrete urban environment devoid of any kind of aesthetic qualities. Hey, why don't DLRCOCO just fire the whole contingent of staff who look after the parks and gardens in Dun Laoghaire and let everything revert to weeds. That'd sure save a bunch of money too.

You take a stance like that after a measure was introduced by the Gov to vaccinate but was later retracted for budget reasons. The vaccine saves lives and saves tax payers money long term, trees in Dun laoghaire wont.

Fratton Fred

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article539550.ece

doesn't alays work.:D

It would finish off the Pavillion nicely, the Dart is a bit of a blight around there. Maybe they could bring back the old atmospheric railway as well, that would increase tourism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalkey_Atmospheric_Railway

dowlingm

Look, with the attitude of some of the posters above 100% of the budget of Ireland would be spent on health (and there would still be waiting lists).

As I mentioned above, depending on what kind of development is done, it's not impossible to suppose that the parties involved would actually come out ahead, depending on what was built above the tracks or what kind of land swaps could be done with other parties. There should be a business case for how this extra land generates income rather than treating this as simply adding a very expensive lawn which reaps no direct revenue to the funding parties.

In a way, the time to propose this was a few years ago when developers would have been more interested. However, the time to plan it is now so that when the rebound comes, hopefully sooner rather than later, IE and Dun Laoghaire will be ready to go.