Iarnrod Eireann plans DART extension to Inchicore

wellboss

Anybody know anything about this

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/iarnrod-eireann-plans-dart-extension-to-inchicore-1699704.html

Another white elephant?

Zoney

As far as I can tell, the original plan was for the interconnector to end at Heuston. Now, the DART on the Kildare line is dependant on that quad-track project, which of course doesn't cover the most important section just in front of Heuston Station (which really makes the whole four track thing a lot less useful).

So no doubt Iarnród Éireann were intending all along to have the Interconnector strung out a bit more to Inchicore in order to "solve" this problem.

Ste.phen

Nah, they've been announcing it every few months for years now, They do indeed plan to build it, and there's geotechnical core samples being drilled in the Stephen's Green area at the moment, but lord knows if it's ever going to get built.

munchkin_utd

It'll be far from a white elephant if/ when it gets built.
If you read up on it, its the central plank of a bigger plan to have the Dart running to Kildare and Maynooth/ Dunboyne with a central tunnel running parallel to the liffey under stephens green and Heuston station.

If anyone doubts the value of it, just look to where its been done abroad like say Munich, which is also a city of 1.5 million. There the suburban services used to end at either end of the city just like in Dublin with Connolly and Heuston. Suburban routes since '72 are routed down a central tunnel and far from being a white elephant the service now is so convienient that the passenger numbers have got so large that a second tunnel is about to be built to increase cross town capacity. Just like roads, if you build it, the people will come!!

wellboss

To be honest I mis read the newspiece and thought they were talking about using the phoenix park tunnel, D'oh stupid me:rolleyes:, thats teh only reason i referred to it as a white elephant

dan_d

I heard this morning that they want to extend to Inchicore partly because they can tunnel from their own land at Inchicore, and reduce the amount of disruption at Hueston.
It's actually surprisingly sensible thinking.....makes a change...

KC61

dan_d wrote: »

I heard this morning that they want to extend to Inchicore partly because they can tunnel from their own land at Inchicore, and reduce the amount of disruption at Hueston.
It's actually surprisingly sensible thinking.....makes a change...

That is the primary reason - the disruption would have been huge. Also, it avoids working on "the gullet" from Islandbridge to Inchicore to make it 4-track.

It is a very sensible decision.

dmeehan

are there plans/maps floating around on the interweb for the "new" section to inchicore
one of the broadsheets today said it leaves the possibility of a station in inchicore

dmeehan

dmeehan wrote: »

are there plans/maps floating around on the interweb for the "new" section to inchicore
one of the broadsheets today said it leaves the possibility of a station in inchicore

The broadsheet is the Irish Times: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0406/1224244068221.html

Nostradamus

wellboss wrote: »

Anybody know anything about this

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/iarnrod-eireann-plans-dart-extension-to-inchicore-1699704.html

Another white elephant?

Anything but.


Can you give me an example of a previously constructed public transport "white elephant" in the greater Dublin region?

G_R

The Irish Times wrote:

The new Dart Underground is a critical piece of urban, regional and national infrastructure. It will make an enormous difference to thousands of people every day once it is in place.

so does that mean its defo going ahead then?

Zoney

dannym08 wrote: »

so does that mean its defo going ahead then?

Not necessarily, it may mean there is the will, but that will make no odds if we simply can't get money (that includes finding people to take on PPP).

wellboss

Nostradamus wrote: »

Anything but.


Can you give me an example of a previously constructed public transport "white elephant" in the greater Dublin region?

as I posted above

"To be honest I mis read the newspiece and thought they were talking about using the phoenix park tunnel, D'oh stupid me, that's the only reason i referred to it as a white elephant "

Carawaystick

Nostradamus wrote: »

Anything but.


Can you give me an example of a previously constructed public transport "white elephant" in the greater Dublin region?

The bus gate at Blanch
Dockland's station

Phoenix park train station
PierC at dublin airport

darkman2

Just released by IE



Map of stations and schematic of GDA transport

http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/pdf/0904%20DART%20Underground%20route%20maps.pdf

Nostradamus

wellboss wrote: »

as I posted above

"To be honest I mis read the newspiece and thought they were talking about using the phoenix park tunnel, D'oh stupid me, that's the only reason i referred to it as a white elephant "

No worries mate, as I was wondering why you said "another" white elepahnt considering that Dublin has half less than nothing of the public rail transport infrastructure it should have.

You should not be so dismissive of the PPT route - that line passes through heavily populated areas of the Cabra and Phisborough and should be brought into service for commuters. It also has the potential to be an fantastic rail hub if a transfer station was constructed at Glasnevin Junction to integrate the Maynooth and Kildare lines.

The Interconnector is the most important piece of rail infrastruture to be ever proposed for this country and will be the most benifical single piece of public capital spending in the history of the state. Nothing about it is negative in anyways and it is already about 30 years overdue. But the PPT route should be brought into the network as well.

There is so much cak spoken about "White Elepahnts" from educated halfwits such as Dr Sean Barett and Frank Dawson that it tends to send a message out there that building nothing in Dublin except the odd bus lane is automatically deemed a "white elephant". We must always be careful of the language we used in relation to this stuff because our politicians are all either morons and gangsters who will do anything they can to avoid making Dublin a funcitonal city.

Nostradamus

Interesting, I just hear that the Saint James Gate station might be dropped which is probably a good idea considering that the property market is dead and will save them a fortune. The extention to Inchicore makes a lot of sense now for construction reasons.

I am actually getting positive about this again, considering it was all but dead and buried a month back.

noelfirl

The optimist in me sees this as some sort of indication that the Interconnector really might go ahead, possibly within the next 2-5 years.

The pessimist in me sees the local elections looming and a covert phonecall from a ministerial aide requesting some new pretty pictures and plans to be drafted up to bolster public opinion.

The eternal battle continues.

Nostradamus

noelfirl wrote: »

The optimist in me sees this as some sort of indication that the Interconnector really might go ahead, possibly within the next 2-5 years.

The pessimist in me sees the local elections looming and a covert phonecall from a ministerial aide requesting some new pretty pictures and plans to be drafted up to bolster public opinion.

The eternal battle continues.

Indeed, what was it James Joyce said. "Irish society is a nightmare from which I am still trying to wake up" or something similar.

Sponge Bob

KC61 wrote: »

That is the primary reason - the disruption would have been huge. Also, it avoids working on "the gullet" from Islandbridge to Inchicore to make it 4-track.

It is a very sensible decision.

So the tunnel is extended to Inchicore and the quad track starts from there and continues to Hazelhatch .

Very sensible. It was high time they addressed the missing 4 track link from Heuston to Ballyfermot .

KC61

Nostradamus wrote: »

Interesting, I just hear that the Saint James Gate station might be dropped which is probably a good idea considering that the property market is dead and will save them a fortune. The extention to Inchicore makes a lot of sense now for construction reasons.

I am actually getting positive about this again, considering it was all but dead and buried a month back.

I'd imagine some form of station will still be built at Heuston, but that the turnback facility for trains coming from the Northern line (i.e. an extra platform) would be at Inchicore, meaning that the Heuston Underground Station will be an awful lot smaller than originally planned.

The fact that it is continuing west means that they can probably build it without affecting St. James' Gate site as originally planned.

Ste.phen

That PDF says 'Pearse Street Railway Station'
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it 'Pearse Station', with no reference to the street, since it's named after the brothers?

cormy

darkman2 wrote: »

Just released by IE



Map of stations and schematic of GDA transport

http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/pdf/0904%20DART%20Underground%20route%20maps.pdf

I note on page 2 (although it's obviously not on the underground line), a 'Pelletstown' station between Ashtown and Broombridge on this map. I've seen this phantom/proposed station elsewhere on an IE project map (and if I recall correctly it featured (i.e. appeared on a big map), on the Dublin City development plan). Does anyone know more about it however (or any other new stations) in the planning for IE??

murphaph

KC61 wrote: »

I'd imagine some form of station will still be built at Heuston, but that the turnback facility for trains coming from the Northern line (i.e. an extra platform) would be at Inchicore, meaning that the Heuston Underground Station will be an awful lot smaller than originally planned.

The fact that it is continuing west means that they can probably build it without affecting St. James' Gate site as originally planned.

I thought Diageo were more than happy to have a station under their property and it was to be built using cut and cover. Now they are going on out to Inchicore, they might mine a station directly under Heuston. There MUST be a station under Heuston IMO.

DWCommuter

Two things to say.

1. Are IE so bereft of commonsense that they have the cheek to claim this is a "new development" when it should have been designed that way in the first place. I can assure you that there is a group of ordinary joes behind this change. Guaranteed.

2. The fact that its in the news is just the usual dose of political spin.

L1011

Ste.phen wrote: »

That PDF says 'Pearse Street Railway Station'
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it 'Pearse Station', with no reference to the street, since it's named after the brothers?

You're correct, its Pearse Station on Westland Row.

Pisser Dignam

There'd better be quad tracking between Inchicore and Cherry Orchard (end of Kildare Rail Project).

Still a km or so in between that's not accounted for.

Maybe next year we'll get THAT announcement.

Sponge Bob

Pisser Dignam wrote: »

There'd better be quad tracking between Inchicore and Cherry Orchard (end of Kildare Rail Project).

It would be idiotic not to at this stage . Bar the Kylemore rd bridge replacement it is trivial.

Still a km or so in between that's not accounted for.

Maybe next year we'll get THAT announcement.

Its a big improvement over 3.5-4km though the gullet though and if they do that bit first they can even train out the spoil from the tunnelling instead of trucking it out and train in the precasts .

Nostradamus

darkman2 wrote: »

Just released by IE



Map of stations and schematic of GDA transport

http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/pdf/0904%20DART%20Underground%20route%20maps.pdf

Notice how no black line to Navan...

D'Peoples Voice

Nostradamus wrote: »

the property market is dead and will save them a fortune

Seeing as how you've brought it up, I hear the apartments at the chocolate factory didn't sell well, will the tunnel now ironically be bore under those apartments?
http://www.thepropertypin.com/viewtopic.php?p=88345

Now if only I could think of a punchline:o

gjim

It's a fairly significant change in terms of the amount of tunneling. An extra 2.5km?

Cool Mo D

I think that once the boring machines are in the ground, working away, the extra cost of a somewhat longer tunnel is relatively OK (but not cheap by any stretch of the imagination). I believe it's the underground stations that are really expensive - around 100 million each...

extragon

The interconnector won't happen. There is no significant commuter service into Heuston to justify a multi billion euro tunnel. Even Tallaght only got a tram. What hope for Hazelhatch? ( Yet we're told there'll be twenty trains an hour - essentially to Hazelhatch, and the metropolis of Adamstown! ) It's a plan for a much bigger city that doesn't yet exist, and may never exist.

I wonder if it's all about rivalry between different sets of consultants employed by CIE and RPA, who drip feed juicy bits of spin to the govt, while spinning out their own jobs. That and boosting property values in CIE lands near Spencer's dock. Has any outside body ever examined it?

aliveandkicking

extragon wrote: »

The interconnector won't happen. There is no significant commuter service into Heuston to justify a multi billion euro tunnel.Even Tallaght only got a tram. What hope for Hazelhatch? ( Yet we're told there'll be twenty trains an hour - essentially to Hazelhatch, and the metropolis of Adamstown! ) It's a plan for a much bigger city that doesn't yet exist, and may never exist.

I wonder if it's all about rivalry between different sets of consultants employed by CIE and RPA, who drip feed juicy bits of spin to the govt, while spinning out their own jobs. That and boosting property values in CIE lands near Spencer's dock. Has any outside body ever examined it?

How about doing a bit of research on the entire project first before coming on here spouting complete nonsense? It's not just about the Kildare line into Heuston. And also why don't you go off and compare Dublin to Munich and see what happened in Munich when they built their version of the interconnector.

http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/dart_underground.asp

http://www.railusers.ie/campaigns/extendthedart/what_is_the_drp.php

http://www.railusers.ie/campaigns/extendthedart/interconnector_commuters.php

BendiBus

extragon wrote: »

There is no significant commuter service into Heuston to justify a multi billion euro tunnel.

Yeah, nobody lives in West Dublin.

Nostradamus

extragon wrote: »

The interconnector won't happen. There is no significant commuter service into Heuston to justify a multi billion euro tunnel. Even Tallaght only got a tram. What hope for Hazelhatch? ( Yet we're told there'll be twenty trains an hour - essentially to Hazelhatch, and the metropolis of Adamstown! ) It's a plan for a much bigger city that doesn't yet exist, and may never exist.

I wonder if it's all about rivalry between different sets of consultants employed by CIE and RPA, who drip feed juicy bits of spin to the govt, while spinning out their own jobs. That and boosting property values in CIE lands near Spencer's dock. Has any outside body ever examined it?

I see some Joe Duffy callers have escaped into the wild.

extragon

Munich: the tunnel from Hbh to Ostbahnhof links an extensive suburban system at each end, which largely existed prior to its building. Also, it's a useful link to get people to the city centre, in contrast to the Dublin plan which takes people on the Howth line farther away from O'Connell St. for example.

All over Europe there are "interconnectors." In Paris, where I live, it's called the RER. All five of the lines were built to connect existing surface networks with extensive commuter traffic. The same applies to London's crossrail project, and even to Liverpool's "interconnector."

Each morning there are ten trains from Hazelhatch to Heuston betwen 6am and 9am. One single deck train every eighteen minutes. The Irish "plan": build the tunnel and hope the traffic picks up later. Has any other city done something like this?

Why not develop a DART service into Heuston, and a shuttle LUAS to the city centre ( with a plan to build a tunnel later, if required )? No chance because it could cost money in the near future. Talking about an Interconnector costs nothing.

Nostradamus

extragon wrote: »

Why not develop a DART service into Heuston, and a shuttle LUAS to the city centre ( with a plan to build a tunnel later, if required )? No chance because it would cost money. Talking about an Interconnector costs nothing.

1850 715 815

ihatewallies

extragon wrote: »

Munich: the tunnel from Hbh to Ostbahnhof links an extensive suburban system at each end, which largely existed prior to its building. Also, it's a useful link to get people to the city centre, in contrast to the Dublin plan which takes people on the Howth line farther away from O'Connell St. for example.

All over Europe there are "interconnectors." In Paris, where I live, it's called the RER. All five of the lines were built to connect existing surface networks with extensive commuter traffic. The same applies to London's crossrail project, and even to Liverpool's "interconnector."

Each morning there are ten trains from Hazelhatch to Heuston betwen 6am and 9am. One single deck train every eighteen minutes. The Irish "plan": build the tunnel and hope the traffic picks up later. Has any other city done something like this?

Why not develop a DART service into Heuston, and a shuttle LUAS to the city centre ( with a plan to build a tunnel later, if required )? No chance because it could cost money in the near future. Talking about an Interconnector costs nothing.

more guff plagiarized from the Ladybook book of joke economics.

(1) you don't know much about Dublin. The Howth DART will have greater connectivity and access to O'Connell St
(2) The reality of suppressed demand is Greek to you clearly. There's no scope for greater frequency on the Kildare line (until the 4 tracking and new stations are complete). Just as nobody used the old Howth line until the DART was opened. Many said that was a waste of money. Same mindset.
(3) As a PPP little money needed upfront.

Another escapee from Joe Duffyland spouting the 1st idea that comes into his brane.

mysterious

extragon wrote: »

Munich: the tunnel from Hbh to Ostbahnhof links an extensive suburban system at each end, which largely existed prior to its building. Also, it's a useful link to get people to the city centre, in contrast to the Dublin plan which takes people on the Howth line farther away from O'Connell St. for example.

All over Europe there are "interconnectors." In Paris, where I live, it's called the RER. All five of the lines were built to connect existing surface networks with extensive commuter traffic. The same applies to London's crossrail project, and even to Liverpool's "interconnector."

Each morning there are ten trains from Hazelhatch to Heuston betwen 6am and 9am. One single deck train every eighteen minutes. The Irish "plan": build the tunnel and hope the traffic picks up later. Has any other city done something like this?

Why not develop a DART service into Heuston, and a shuttle LUAS to the city centre ( with a plan to build a tunnel later, if required )? No chance because it could cost money in the near future. Talking about an Interconnector costs nothing.

Just stop pleeeeease.

For the love of god, do you realise it's is probably the single most important project Dublin needs right now. It will not only benifet West Dublin and Kildare, it will intergrate our public transport network, bring the inter urban rail ines into the network and allows 100,000s of commuters to switch to public transport. Oh god you have no idea what your talking about.

Do you realise how jampacked the Luas is from Huesten to Connolly is alone. You actually have to push people on it even at off peak. Do you realise how much people from the Dart alone who commute to Huesten station everyday??

I don't really need to say anymore, cus if you clearly don't know what your talking about, then I doubt I can help you.

DWCommuter

Are so many of you entrenched in the view that the interconnector is the be all and end all, that you poke fun at Extragons comments. Realistically Extragon is correct about the commuter figures into Heuston.

I'm a supporter of the interconnector. But even I can see that its a project that has such dominence in the public arena that it completely negates any short term and more cost effective solutions. We have put all our eggs in the one basket and the egg cups may end up empty. It's a project that ultimately makes the Dublin commuter rail network work in a more efficient manner. There's no denying that. It has far more benefits than Metro North. However, the commuter figures on one particular side of it are definately not there in comparison to other European cities. You could say that after Stephens Green, it heads for the country.

There is also some merit in the view that incremental implementation of the DART prior to any tunnelling should have occured. Therefore it is not untoward to suggest that a "grand plan" containing everything is both wrong and prone to a negative interpretation, especially since the money is running out. Fianna Fail in Government have blown vast sums of cash and then embraced public transport projects, just as the arse was falling out of the economy. It would appear that Irish Rail embraced boom times to such a degree that they forgot about a plan B. Where will this leave us?

I would advocate that the "Grand Plan" will cost us dearly in the long run. DART to Kildare and Maynooth and Balbriggan should have been the first phase, particularly since the KRP is nearing completion. One can sense that the KRP wasn't really thought out in terms of an interconnector and will end up as an expensive white elephant if the continued flow of cash dries up. (looking likely) Its also worth mentioning that the Dunboyne "siding" is a veritable waste of time running to Docklands. Furthermore Docklands is an asset that isn't being sweated and represents poor value for money. Perhaps the cash would have been better spent on electrifying existing lines.

Maybe the Dublin rail plan sold in one package was a godsend to a Fianna Fail Government because it required a long drawn out design and planning process that enabled them to long finger it all. A phased staging of projects would certainly have put the gun to their heads and maybe then we'd have seen how committed they were. It isn't too late and the immediate action now required is to ask Government to sanction the funds to put in place a foundation thats prepares the system for an interconnector, because this tunnell will not be built by 2015 or anything close to it. I'd take the electrification of both the Kildare and Maynooth and northern lines before Metro North as I believe it represents better value in terms of an existing and proven public transport system being upgraded in readiness of even bigger improvements.

Our grand children will deliver the interconnector.

mysterious

extragon wrote: »

Why not develop a DART service into Heuston, and a shuttle LUAS to the city centre ( with a plan to build a tunnel later, if required )? No chance because it could cost money in the near future. Talking about an Interconnector costs nothing.

Sure yeah let's just not intergrate our network. Lets get on trains, get off trains, get on bus, get off bus, (through gridlocked quays) get to another station, get onto another train and then go about your journey.

You really need to stop talking about stuff you really don't much about.
Hueston needs to be connected to the North and East rail lines aswell as connecting to the Dart/Luas lines around the city.

Sure if we were to agree with your inane notions, why bother doing anything, ah sure it's cost money, lets not build it.

Good god just stop with this please. My head can't take it

DWCommuter

mysterious wrote: »

Sure yeah let's just not intergrate our network. Lets get on trains, get off trains, get on bus, get off bus, (through gridlocked quays) get to another station, get onto another train and then go about your journey.

You really need to stop talking about stuff you really don't much about.
Hueston needs to be connected to the North and East rail lines aswell as connecting to the Dart/Luas lines around the city.

Sure if we were to agree with your inane notions, why bother doing anything, ah sure it's cost money, lets not build it.

Good god just stop with this please. My head can't take it

I really don't think you are actually reading Extragons posts in a coherent manner. Nor are you discussing this topic in the light of the countries current economic climate.

mysterious

DWCommuter wrote: »

Are so many of you entrenched in the view that the interconnector is the be all and end all, that you poke fun at Extragons comments. Realistically Extragon is correct about the commuter figures into Heuston.

If the train service wasn't so ****e, then there would be more commuters:rolleyes:
Btw what about the intercity journeys, they are also to use the interconnector why didn't he mention that, why didn't you mention that.

When the four tracking is finished, there will be more frequent services for Kildare, so its deemed logical to proceed with the Interconnector as it's stands.

I'm a supporter of the interconnector. But even I can see that its a project that has such dominence in the public arena that it completely negates any short term and more cost effective solutions. We have put all our eggs in the one basket and the egg cups may end up empty. It's a project that ultimately makes the Dublin commuter rail network work in a more efficient manner. There's no denying that. It has far more benefits than Metro North. However, the commuter figures on one particular side of it are definately not there in comparison to other European cities. You could say that after Stephens Green, it heads for the country.

If your a supporter, then what are you trying to say exactly?

Unless you have got better ideas, but please don't waste a full paragraph contradicting your support for this project.

DWCommuter

You are clearly typing responses before you have fully read and understood posts.

I support the interconnector. But incremental parts of the project could be put in place before the actual tunnel. The project is not JUST about the underground part.

As for intercity trains in the interconnector.....eh no. There won't be any as far as I'm aware.

If the train service was better, there'd be more using it? Hmmm... well there's only so many people along the Kildare route and its definately not densely populated. It doesn't compare in terms of other commuter lines. But Im not advocating this as a reason not to build the interconnector. Im merely agreeing with opinion of another poster.

Sponge Bob

The 'full' interconnector is

Tunnel Inchicore - Clontarf
Quad Track Kildare ( somewhere) - Inchicore
Quad Track Clontarf - Balbriggan

Electrify all of that
Electrify Connolly - Maynooth with electrified spur to Dunboyne

cost €4bn ( even now) . €500k spent most likely on designand abit of quad track and clonsilla - pace .

Another €3.5bn to find after the banks have robbed our money and bled us dry

ihatewallies

DWCommuter wrote: »

You are clearly typing responses before you have fully read and understood posts.

I support the interconnector. But incremental parts of the project could be put in place before the actual tunnel. The project is not JUST about the underground part.

As for intercity trains in the interconnector.....eh no. There won't be any as far as I'm aware.

If the train service was better, there'd be more using it? Hmmm... well there's only so many people along the Kildare route and its definately not densely populated. It doesn't compare in terms of other commuter lines. But Im not advocating this as a reason not to build the interconnector. Im merely agreeing with opinion of another poster.

So your point is?

Don't plan ahead? wait until chaos ensues?
funny thought that was the current main complaint.

economic disaster is with us for all time?
so spend nothing?
naive.


Scrap MN and electrify a few lines?
what will that do for capacity?

Your type of muddled thinking is what has got us to were we are now.
you're a bit simple.

ihatewallies

Sponge Bob wrote: »

The 'full' interconnector is

Tunnel Inchicore - Clontarf
Quad Track Kildare ( somewhere) - Inchicore
Quad Track Clontarf - Balbriggan

Electrify all of that
Electrify Connolly - Maynooth with electrified spur to Dunboyne

cost €4bn ( even now) . €500k spent most likely on designand abit of quad track and clonsilla - pace .

Another €3.5bn to find after the banks have robbed our money and bled us dry

what happened to your hysterics that the IC and MN couldn't proceed because your 'inside' info was that the Dept of F was worried about a turf war at St Stephen's Gn?
One of the most laughable spoofs on the whole site.
This your latest 'inside' fantasies?

There's no plan for 4 tracking to Balbriggan.

BTW, the IC tunnel goes to EAST WALL, not Clontarf. But that's a mistake any bogman could make.
Nor is there any plan to electrify the Dunboyme line.

L1011

There was a long term plan to quad track the Northern line in the 1950s when GNR(I) owned it. I suspect these are still somewhere on CIE's long finger.

DWCommuter

ihatewallies wrote: »

So your point is?

Don't plan ahead? wait until chaos ensues?
funny thought that was the current main complaint.

economic disaster is with us for all time?
so spend nothing?
naive.


Scrap MN and electrify a few lines?
what will that do for capacity?

Your type of muddled thinking is what has got us to were we are now.
you're a bit simple.

It appears you cant read and understand posts either.

My muddled thinking? I know more about it than you ever will. Are you a Government spin doctor, because you've reinvented what Ive said.

Keep on hating yourself.

D.L.R.

The Interconnector's achilles heel is the fact it doesn't connect with Connolly.

Now, we've all heard the arguement "there's no more capacity at Connolly!".. but has anyone considered this will be an UNDERGROUND line with underground stations?

Does nobody else get this?

The Docklands is a crappy solution - not even a single station but two disconnected ones, one of which was supposed to be "temporary" - how idiotic does that idea seem now? Well I've some news for you - the same morons are still running the show.

Lets not kid ourselves that the Interconnector is a perfect solution. Its pretty good and I hope it goes ahead at this stage. But not connecting it to Connolly is a major flaw. Saying its "impossible" is just lazy.