DART airport plan on track as Metro North hits the buffers

Oliver1985

THE high-profile €2.5bn Metro North project is set to be shelved in favour of a 20-year-old plan to build an extension of the DART line to Dublin Airport, the Irish Independent has learned.
The Government has ordered Iarnrod Eireann to update the 1991 plan to build a 6.5km spur just after Clongriffin DART Station to the airport.
It is estimated the overground rail project would cost just €300m and provide a high-speed link-up to the city centre at a fraction of the cost of the underground Metro plan.
The move comes amid major concerns about funding the €2.5bn Metro North light-rail system, which was due to run from St Stephen's Green to Swords via the airport.
The DART extension was first mooted in 1991 by Iarnrod Eireann and Aer Rianta.
It was later suggested in 2005 as part of the Government's ambitious Transport 21 programme, but rejected at the time in favour of Metro North.
However, the Government has now ordered the rail company to revisit the plan because it is an affordable solution to providing Dublin Airport with a rail link to the city centre.
Under the revised plan, DART trains would run from Dublin Airport every 15 minutes from 5am to 1am, reaching Pearse or Connolly stations in just over 20 minutes.
The airport DART station would be built next to the airport terminals and would enable travellers from as far away as Greystones, Co Wicklow, to travel direct to the airport on trains.
Land costs would be minimal, as much of the land needed is agricultural and undeveloped, and there would be no need to buy extra trains.
Passengers numbers are expected at 10,000 a day and a park-and-ride site could be built nearby, probably close to the M1 motorway, to allow commuters from Swords to use the service to and from the city.
This and the airport terminus would be the only new stations on the line.
Total construction costs are estimated at €300m, including the cost of purchasing land, and the project could be completed in just three years. Up to 3,000 jobs would be created.
Design
"There's a lot of detailed design and a planning application needed," an Iarnrod Eireann spokesman said.
Transport Minister Leo Varadkar last week said just one of three major capital investment projects would go ahead from DART Underground (€2bn), Metro North (€2.5bn) or the link-up of the two Luas lines, called BXD.
But he also added a fourth project into the decision process -- the DART airport link.
"It is not a new proposal and has been raised before. . . However, if we cannot proceed with Metro North on the basis of cost, it may be a viable alternative," Mr Varadkar told the Irish Independent last night.
"Cost will be a very important consideration when deciding on future investments. We must ensure that any new project is affordable."
Both DART Underground and Metro North are due to be financed under Public Private Partnerships (PPP), where the private sector builds the lines and the State repays the cost over time. But sourcing funding is difficult because of the economic situation.
Mr Varadkar added: "In the absence of available PPPs, upcoming projects will have to be on a smaller scale, with costs running to hundreds of millions of euros rather than billions."
The Government has ordered a review of the capital spending programme which will be completed in the autumn, but it is understood a decision on the airport link could be made before the summer.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dart-airport-plan-on-track-as-metro-north-hits-the-buffers-2635349.html

popebenny16

varadkar hinted at this with one throwaway liine in a reply to a PQ last month. If true Metro North has had it. It leaves DART underground fighting the city centre Luas line though the line "there is no need to buy extra trains" is midleading, does this mean under DART2 with the interconnector or not?

Also has to knock on effect of making the new childrens hospital at the Mater site look very uncertain as well.

SandyfordGuy

Great news, exactly what this city needs, instead of creating lots of unconnected transport systems, tie them all together and have less systems and more integration.

lucernarian

What's going to happen to existing DART services and the very busy northern commuter and enterprise services? I'm almost certain there will be a signalling project in the city centre if this goes ahead (it's part of the DART underground plan) but any benefits of that would be almost used up by the airport link.

Also, why does the airport alone need a train route?? If there are speedy and comfortable and reliable bus routes to the airport then why bother with a train line to a place so well served by public transport already? I wouldn't even mind the DART extension idea if it reached the airport and then took in Swords along the route of Metro North.

LXFlyer

Not necessarily.

The signalling project is underway as we speak.

I'd imagine that Howth branch services would become a shuttle to facilitate this.

Run_to_da_hills

This will put Aircoach out of business, Mr Patton will be rubbing his hands LOL.

lucernarian

I didn't figure that there would be a shuttle service but I think political pressure and inertia etc will stifle any plans for that kind of a plan. We'll have to wait and see I suppose.

In any case, the airport alone does not justify a rail link on top of the transport infrastructure it already enjoys while there are so many transport issues in this country that need the money.

markpb

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

This will put Aircoach out of business, Mr Patton will be rubbing his hands LOL.

I doubt it will have much impact at all. Anyone travelling with luggage (except students) and most people travelling to/from Drumcondra, Leeson St, Donneybrook, Sandyford, Leopardstown, Ballinteer, Dundrum, Rathfarnham, Terenure or Templeogue will stick with Aircoach.

LXFlyer

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

I didn't figure that there would be a shuttle service but I think political pressure and inertia etc will stifle any plans for that kind of a plan. We'll have to wait and see I suppose.

In any case, the airport alone does not justify a rail link on top of the transport infrastructure it already enjoys while there are so many transport issues in this country that need the money.

And why should it not be a shuttle?

Run_to_da_hills

markpb wrote: »

I doubt it will have much impact at all. Anyone travelling with luggage (except students) and most people travelling to/from Drumcondra, Leeson St, Donneybrook, Sandyford, Leopardstown, Ballinteer, Dundrum, Rathfarnham, Terenure or Templeogue will stick with Aircoach.

Pending on price structure they would loose the Dalkey and Greystones route except for the early hours. Dublin Bus could also cash in on it by offering more feeder busses.

lucernarian

lxflyer wrote: »

And why should it not be a shuttle?

I don't know, you tell me:pac:

I think CIE in particular have shown their inertia to changes in public transport and perhaps staff on the ground would be resistant to work changes and the likes. I'm merely throwing that out there as a possibility.

Those who live in the area of Howth would mainly prefer their through services to the rest of Dublin and that will likely result in political pressure against such a shuttle.

Cool Mo D

lxflyer wrote: »

And why should it not be a shuttle?

I agree with it being a shuttle at off-peak times, but cutting back a well established, successful service to bring in a new one is not sensible.

An airport spur needs to be accompanied by improvements to the Northern line. Even 4 tracking as far as Raheny might be enough, and that would not require much property acquisition.

NuMarvel

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Also, why does the airport alone need a train route?? If there are speedy and comfortable and reliable bus routes to the airport then why bother with a train line to a place so well served by public transport already? I wouldn't even mind the DART extension idea if it reached the airport and then took in Swords along the route of Metro North.

That's what I can't figure out either. Metro North isn't just a rail link to the airport but this DART plan implies that that's all Metro N is. As you say, there are already a number transport options, public and private. One thing that could be done to improve them is to run earlier and later DARTs to service the Airlink buses from Busáras, but even this isn't vital with the availability of Aircoach.

P_1

Would be chaos unless they add another track onto the Northern Line to accommodate the extra airport services.

OurLadyofKnock

They won't build this either. Another 10 years of glossy booklets, CGI, headcases calling Joe Duffy.

dynamick

This shape of rail route doesn't make sense:


Journey times appear uncompetitive with bus particularly given the low frequency possible on this constrained route into Connolly.

Arrive at Dublin Airport.
Wait 15 mins for train.
Make 16km hairpin journey to cover 10km distance.
Arrive at Connolly.
Realistically 45 minutes which is twice the metro time and slower than the bus through the tunnel.

This is not attractive.

AerDART failed due to low passenger numbers. yet there were no traffic problems on this route.

To complete this route, the DART spur would need to pass over the Malahide Road, The M1 and the Swords Road. 3 years to plan, design and build all for 300m. I think not.

IngazZagni

I don't like the sound of this at all. I mean the airport was only just a small part of Metro North. I don't think there is enough incentive to build a new rail to the airport alone. As has been said, bus services are already fairly efficient here.

dynamick

Maybe this is Irish Rail's attempt at a 'Metro-Killer' project. I doubt they want the RPA running any more rail in the city given that the Luas made DART look so bad.

patrickmooney

I know it would never happen but I favour this plan and metro north. Mainly as I live north-side along the DART line. Getting to the Airport for me means heading into the city to only head back north again.

Singapore has a similar design, but for that, that spur is a stand alone line. Doing something similar would be using Clongriffin as a connector and having a shuttle dart running that spur line only.

n97 mini

A friend of mine works for the DAA and says as far as he in concerned the DAA survives on car parking charges, and as far as he is concerned there will never be any rail link to the airport.

n97 mini

Woohoo. Finally a late night DART service. Only snag is you have to socialise or live in the airport.

starviewadams

Will never see the light of day,and rightly so!

dowlingm

Connolly terminal capacity is going to be the big issue in the short run I think. Docklands can be expanded to take more Maynooth line services, plus Dunboyne can be converted to a shuttle as seems likely, but it's not going to be enough I reckon. There might also be a question over whether IE has enough EMUs to run airport service without a new order or fixing the Alstoms.

thomasj

dowlingm wrote: »

Connolly terminal capacity is going to be the big issue in the short run I think. Docklands can be expanded to take more Maynooth line services, plus Dunboyne can be converted to a shuttle as seems likely, but it's not going to be enough I reckon. There might also be a question over whether IE has enough EMUs to run airport service without a new order or fixing the Alstoms.

i can actually see the big issue being the howth junction connolly area. The two track in that area is going to cause major issues!

No point in trying to resolve connolly capacity issues when the northside 2 track line is the problem. After all platform 7 will sort out the maynooth problems.

Probably end up seeing a howth shuttle service!

Run_to_da_hills

n97 mini wrote: »

Woohoo. Finally a late night DART service. Only snag is you have to socialise or live in the airport.

An airport based nightclub would do well.

meglome

As someone who uses the Enterprise to Belfast regularly the slowest part of the route is usually from Clongriffin to Connolly. So somehow they are going to put even more traffic on this part of the line. As much as I like that it's cheaper I'm not convinced it's a great idea.

dowlingm

thomasj wrote: »

i can actually see the big issue being the howth junction connolly area. The two track in that area is going to cause major issues!

No point in trying to resolve connolly capacity issues when the northside 2 track line is the problem. After all platform 7 will sort out the maynooth problems.

Probably end up seeing a howth shuttle service!

Sorry, I wasn't too clear there. Three tracking will be needed in the Fairview-Clongriffen corridor and four where it can be managed. Some expensive station rebuilds and overbridge widenings ahead. But all those tracks have to lead to terminal platforms even with DASH2 and another Docklands platform.

As for Howth - back to a shuttle, yes.

monument

As I said on the Infrastructure board... It's worth pointing out...

Nothing has changed.

They are still reviewing the options and, as the Minister already said recently, he has added a fourth option. The above article is about Irish Rail being told to review that fourth option, the sureness of the headline and intro do not quite match the rest of the article.

subway

when you say shuttle, do you mean howth - howth jct and back again?
i think this would be a great service if they had build howth jct as an underground station instead of a huge overhead monstrosity.
its still a good idea and would be really useful at off peak times its just so awkard changing at howth jct due to the number of stairs to be climbed etc.

OurLadyofKnock

More rubbish.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has admitted that a decision still has to made Dublin's Metro North rail transport project.

Speaking this morning Minister Varadkar said he hopes at least one of the major rail projects planned will get the green light. However he has refused to indicate whether it will be Metro North, saying it's all a matter of "affordability".

His comments follow reports today that the €2.5bn project linking Dublin City with Dublin Airport will be shelved.

It is understood that the Government could instead look towards a 20-year-old plan of building an extension to the Dart line.

Minister Varadkar said the Government was carrying out a "comprehensive spending review" in relation to rail infrastructure projects and hoped to have a decision made after the review concludes in September.

"It is my ambition that at least one of the major rail projects will go ahead, but it is all a matter of affordability," he said.

"That is the major constraint facing the Government - we are effectively in receivership.

"We don't have the money we had in the past and we don't even have the money that we thought we had six months ago."

Read more: http://breakingnews.ie/archives/2011/0503/ireland/varadkar-no-decision-yet-made-on-metro-north-503546.html#ixzz1LHTmmjcf

OurLadyofKnock

subway wrote: »

when you say shuttle, do you mean howth - howth jct and back again?
i think this would be a great service if they had build howth jct as an underground station instead of a huge overhead monstrosity.
its still a good idea and would be really useful at off peak times its just so awkard changing at howth jct due to the number of stairs to be climbed etc.

IIRC correctly from the early plan the idea was to run the airport DARTs into the interconnector and terminate them in Inchicore so it was not be a shuttle to the junction (pointless) or terminating in Connolly (limited)