Would it be a good idea to put a train under the Grand Canal?

dynamick

The road along by the Grand Canal is very busy but mostly not wide enough to fit bus lanes or tram tracks. So would it be possible to simply drain the canal, and stick in a cut and cover luas, then fill the canal again?

It would connect

• Red line luas @ Goldenbridge
• Crumlin
• Harold's Cross
• Portobello
• Green Luas @ Charlemont
• Leeson St Bridge
• Baggot St Bridge
• Grand Canal Dock DART

Would that be possible or useful?

drawbacks:
not at street level so needs steps/lifts
security and lighting costs.
water leaks
not sure what the demand is for this route

benefits
4.6km fully grade separated so fast
no land acquisition costs
connects 2 luas lines + DART + James & Adelaide hospitals, Griffith & Portobello colleges, office districts at Adelaide Rd and Grand Canal Dock.

DWCommuter

dynamick wrote: »

The road along by the Grand Canal is very busy but mostly not wide enough to fit bus lanes or tram tracks. So would it be possible to simply drain the canal, and stick in a cut and cover luas, then fill the canal again?


It would connect

• Red line luas @ Goldenbridge
• Crumlin
• Harold's Cross
• Portobello
• Green Luas @ Charlemont
• Leeson St Bridge
• Baggot St Bridge
• Grand Canal Dock DART

Would that be possible or useful?

drawbacks:
not at street level so needs steps/lifts
security and lighting costs.
water leaks
not sure what the demand is for this route

benefits
4.6km fully grade separated so fast
no land acquisition costs
connects 2 luas lines + DART + James & Adelaide hospitals, Griffith & Portobello colleges, office districts at Adelaide Rd and Grand Canal Dock.

That canal has been linked to this kind of thing for years, but the tree hugging eco warriors would have a field day with any concrete:D proposals. They want people out of cars, but aren't prepared to give anything up. However I don't see the need to put it under the canal. Way too expensive. But use the actual canal instead!

Personally I think thats a good idea, but then I don't ponder life on a bench while gently tossing bread to the ducks.

munchkin_utd

or slap one of these lads in over the canal


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

Slice

Who would use such a service? The canal doesn't exactly intersect any major urban centres

Judgement Day

munchkin_utd wrote: »

or slap one of these lads in over the canal

What an abomination - like something from War of the Worlds. Fill in the canal and be done with it like all the gob****es in the City Council wanted to do some years back. Who needs it anyway, it's only a receptacle for old prams and moorhens. :rolleyes:

Cookie_Monster

munchkin_utd wrote: »

or slap one of these lads in over the canal


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

that looks feckin sweet. I'm sure with more modern design and materials it could be pared down slightly and look even cooler

and not that horrid green colour

Typewriter

Or how about...

loyatemu

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

that looks feckin sweet. I'm sure with more modern design and materials it could be pared down slightly and look even cooler

what, like this?

Judgement Day

loyatemu wrote: »

what, like this?

War of the Worlds too!! :eek:

Cookie_Monster

loyatemu wrote: »

what, like this?

not quite

the cars the same with a smaller support structure I was thinking.

As regards the boats - the speed limit is something like 4 knots which is far to slow to be practical. Due to the soft banks and wildlife.

westtip

Judgement Day wrote: »

munchkin_utd wrote: »

or slap one of these lads in over the canal

What an abomination - like something from War of the Worlds. Fill in the canal and be done with it like all the gob****es in the City Council wanted to do some years back. Who needs it anyway, it's only a receptacle for old prams and moorhens. :rolleyes:

didn't the "scissor sisters" throw some poor unfortunate soul in there as well? Or at least part of some poor unfortunate soul???

Aard

Connect it to the PPT line, and the Maynooth line, and - hey presto! - a Circle Line!

D'Peoples Voice

dynamick wrote: »

So would it be possible to simply drain the canal, and stick in a cut and cover luas, then fill the canal again?

Would that be possible or useful?

eh, according to Sponge Bob, it costs almost EUR 100 million to install some luas track along an existing road(for the most part) between Busaras and the Point Village, just think of the cost of your project!

It would be cheaper to build some park and ride facilities outside the canal and run a more frequent and heavily subsidised bus service IMHO!

Stark

munchkin_utd wrote: »

or slap one of these lads in over the canal


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

Monorail!

Cool Mo D

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

eh, according to Sponge Bob, it costs almost EUR 100 million to install some luas track along an existing road(for the most part) between Busaras and the Point Village, just think of the cost of your project!

It's not laying the track that cost the money - it's digging up the road and moving all the pipes and cables under it, without damaging a single one, that was so expensive.

schemingbohemia

you do realise this suggestion would basically cut off access to the city for a serious amount of time.

both sides of the canal would have to be closed to allow works to happen and all traffic would be limited to roads that cross the canal as the roads along the canal would be closed.

i'm not sure what this proposal would actually bring to the table that Metro North and the Dart Underground don't.