Luas Cross City (Line BX/D) [now open]

MJohnston

fionnsci wrote: »

Slightly off topic but people talking about Connolly luas stop above made me think about a thought I've been having recently so hopefully people won't mind. The Red line trams that pass Connolly station by; do they announce to alight for Connolly station at the Busaras stop? The fear that they might not is distressing me somewhat!

They do announce this, usually at the Abbey Street and Gardiner Street junction. Something like "This tram is for The Point, passengers for Connolly alight at Busaras for rail connections" I believe.

Actually, on that, imo George's Dock is a better place to alight if you're heading to Connolly, as you don't have to cross Amiens Street, and it's not really much further away.

loyatemu

MJohnston wrote: »

They do announce this, usually at the Abbey Street and Gardiner Street junction. Something like "This tram is for The Point, passengers for Connolly alight at Busaras for rail connections" I believe.

Actually, on that, imo George's Dock is a better place to alight if you're heading to Connolly, as you don't have to cross Amiens Street, and it's not really much further away.

Easy enough to cross Amiens Street as the tram goes across. By the time it gets to Georges Dock you'd be in Connolly.

MJohnston

loyatemu wrote: »

Easy enough to cross Amiens Street as the tram goes across. By the time it gets to Georges Dock you'd be in Connolly.

Maybe, I'm just nearly always wheeling a suitcase when I go to Connolly, so George's Dock is a much more pleasant stroll.

cormac616

AngryLips wrote: »

cormac616 wrote: »

Also I'm over in Edinburgh again this week; we're lucky we have the luas compared to the trams here. Jesus they are ****e.

How so?

Slow as Christmas, goes from town to the airport and it was meant to go to Leith. So much easier to get the bus everywhere. Initially was meant to cost £375 million but ended up costing £776 million.

Sam Russell

cormac616 wrote: »

Slow as Christmas, goes from town to the airport and it was meant to go to Leith. So much easier to get the bus everywhere. Initially was meant to cost £375 million but ended up costing £776 million.

They are also fugly.

spacetweek

cormac616 wrote: »

Slow as Christmas, goes from town to the airport and it was meant to go to Leith. So much easier to get the bus everywhere. Initially was meant to cost £375 million but ended up costing £776 million.

I hear it's slower getting into town from the airport than using the bus service it replaced.
They managed to spend twice as much as expected and took 3 times as long, and only built a very truncated version. The city was a building site for years and the project became a money sink.

Reuben1210

spacetweek wrote: »

I hear it's slower getting into town from the airport than using the bus service it replaced.
They managed to spend twice as much as expected and took 3 times as long, and only built a very truncated version. The city was a building site for years and the project became a money sink.

I suddenly feel lucky we have a project that this isn't happening to as far as I know!

AngryLips

spacetweek wrote: »

I hear it's slower getting into town from the airport than using the bus service it replaced.

You could say the same about the Luas to Tallaght but I'm not sure anyone would argue it is not successful. It's also about reliability of frequency and comfort as much as about speed.

marno21

spacetweek wrote: »

I hear it's slower getting into town from the airport than using the bus service it replaced.
They managed to spend twice as much as expected and took 3 times as long, and only built a very truncated version. The city was a building site for years and the project became a money sink.

This sounds very like the cluster**** Ross is trying to turn Metro North itno

AngryLips

AngryLips wrote: »

You could say the same about the Luas to Tallaght but I'm not sure anyone would argue it is not successful. It's also about reliability of frequency and comfort as much as about speed.

It might be environmental and Ive no figures to back this up but I am certain that the green Luas is quicker from town to Brides Glen than vice versa.

Anecdotal I know. I will measure it over the next few days.

This sounds very like the cluster**** Ross is trying to turn Metro North itno

Im honestly torn on whether Id prefer a clusterf*** of a metro north, or the current situation of nothing. Which, kind of sums up public transport in Ireland in the last 40+ years: "Sure there was nothing before so be happy with what you get".

markpb

spacetweek wrote:

I hear it's slower getting into town from the airport than using the bus service it replaced.

From memory, it's slower than the express airport bus but it was never meant to be a replacement that, it's an urban rail service.

Dardania

Deleted User wrote: »

AngryLips wrote: »

You could say the same about the Luas to Tallaght but I'm not sure anyone would argue it is not successful. It's also about reliability of frequency and comfort as much as about speed.

It might be environmental and Ive no figures to back this up but I am certain that the green Luas is quicker from town to Brides Glen than vice versa.

Anecdotal I know. I will measure it over the next few days.

This sounds very like the cluster**** Ross is trying to turn Metro North itno

Im honestly torn on whether Id prefer a clusterf*** of a metro north, or the current situation of nothing. Which, kind of sums up public transport in Ireland in the last 40+ years: "Sure there was nothing before so be happy with what you get".

If people are off the roads and into MN for normal urban commuting, in theory there should be spare capacity for an express bus service.

And the whole idea of "there was nothing, be glad if you get something"...sometimes that's not bad as stepping stones go.

bk

markpb wrote: »

From memory, it's slower than the express airport bus but it was never meant to be a replacement that, it's an urban rail service.

The original planned Metro North would only have been about the same or even slightly slower then Aircoach and the 747.

But then it isn't supposed to be competing with them directly. MN would be much faster then the 16 and 41, similar stopping services.

I wonder how the Tram there compares to a stopping service it replaced?

With services like these people seem to think just about the airport, while they are also supposed to serve the communities all along the way too. You see the same nonsense about Metro North.

Consonata

bk wrote: »

With services like these people seem to think just about the airport, while they are also supposed to serve the communities all along the way too. You see the same nonsense about Metro North.

Ideally you could have a service serving the communities, along with an express service from the city centre to the Airport.

marno21

It's time to forget the notion that Metro North is a rail link to the Airport - it's so much more. Swords/Lissenhall/Airport/DCU/Ballymun/Santry/Northwood etc. Also opens up a lot of land in north Dublin for housing with a direct link to the CC.

The other thing Metro North offers is connectivity at Drumcondra and SSG. 747 doesn't do that

AngryLips

marno21 wrote: »

It's time to forget the notion that Metro North is a rail link to the Airport - it's so much more. Swords/Lissenhall/Airport/DCU/Ballymun/Santry/Northwood etc. Also opens up a lot of land in north Dublin for housing with a direct link to the CC.

The other thing Metro North offers is connectivity at Drumcondra and SSG. 747 doesn't do that

They could just build a Luas for less to serve those neighbourhoods

marno21

AngryLips wrote: »

They could just build a Luas for less to serve those neighbourhoods

A Luas doesn't support the frequency/capacity that the proposed Metro would.

No point in building a Luas to metrofy it in a few years time when its needed.

AngryLips

marno21 wrote: »

A Luas doesn't support the frequency/capacity that the proposed Metro would.

No point in building a Luas to metrofy it in a few years time when its needed.

And these neighbourhoods need more than those along the red and green lines?

Consonata

marno21 wrote: »

A Luas doesn't support the frequency/capacity that the proposed Metro would.

No point in building a Luas to metrofy it in a few years time when its needed.

Light rail similar to the DLR in London would be great. 100km/hr top speed + no drivers. Its all automated, so higher capacity and less room for error.

marno21

AngryLips wrote: »

And these neighbourhoods need more than those along the red and green lines?

The Green line is planned to be converted to a Metro in the future. 11 years after opening there's already a plan to upgrade it. That's far too soon.

Metro North will be carrying a large volume of people especially at peak times. There's absolutely no benefit to building it as a Luas only that it'll save initial costs that'll have to be paid when its upgraded.

Stephen15

Why can't they just a proper heavy rail metro like in most cities

marno21

Stephen15 wrote: »

Why can't they just a proper heavy rail metro like in most cities

Because it's "gold plated" and there are more urgent national issues like the reopening of Stepaside Garda Station

Idbatterim

The Green line is planned to be converted to a Metro in the future. 11 years after opening there's already a plan to upgrade it. That's far too soon.

Metro North will be carrying a large volume of people especially at peak times. There's absolutely no benefit to building it as a Luas only that it'll save initial costs that'll have to be paid when its upgraded.

many of the original green line stops are currently having their platforms extended. Anyone who knows anything about the requirements of that corridor, wouldnt even mention a luas to be frank. The line needs to be highly segregated. Look at the cross city joke...

Its a no brainer to go ahead with MN original. IF they dont, once potential gain, is to make it driverless! That line should be operating 24 hours or close to it. The proposed frequency is every 1.5 minutes. Can imagine the field day that unions and drivers would have, being able to shut down that line at a whim... If its all about cost and value as they claim laughably, MN inferior will be more expensive, but your your money where your mouth is, make it driverless!

markpb

Consonata wrote:

Light rail similar to the DLR in London would be great. 100km/hr top speed + no drivers. Its all automated, so higher capacity and less room for error.

It's also built on old segregated train lines.

AngryLips

But the Luas isn't even operating at maximum frequency at present on either red and green lines. There is excess capacity.

MJohnston

AngryLips wrote: »

But the Luas isn't even operating at maximum frequency at present on either red and green lines. There is excess capacity.

Are you seriously saying that Metro North should be downgraded to a Luas service?

wakka12

marno21 wrote: »

The Green line is planned to be converted to a Metro in the future. 11 years after opening there's already a plan to upgrade it. That's far too soon.

Metro North will be carrying a large volume of people especially at peak times. There's absolutely no benefit to building it as a Luas only that it'll save initial costs that'll have to be paid when its upgraded.

Why cant a metro be placed along parts of the city with no public transport rail services instead of removing the green line? Why remove a perfectly good luas line for absolutely no reason? The metro would just be below it wouldnt it?

markpb

AngryLips wrote:

But the Luas isn't even operating at maximum frequency at present on either red and green lines. There is excess capacity.

I'd imagine part of that is down to the impact it would have on bus operations and other traffic in the city centre. Any on-street route towards Swords will have far more on street running than either of the existing tram lines. There are no old train lines lying conveniently unused this time.

MJohnston

wakka12 wrote: »

Why cant a metro be placed along parts of the city with no public transport rail services instead of removing the green line? Why remove a perfectly good luas line for absolutely no reason? The metro would just be below it wouldnt it?

No, most of the (pre-BXD) Green Line is almost completely grade separated, or at least completely segrated. I believe the "Metro Green" plan was an extension of Metro North underground that would connect with an upgraded Metro Green Line after the SSG-Charlemont on street section.

LeinsterDub

AngryLips wrote: »

But the Luas isn't even operating at maximum frequency at present on either red and green lines. There is excess capacity.

https://m.luas.ie/times/frequency/green-line.html
I thought 3 minutes was maximum frequency