IT: Link-up of Luas lines only high-profile transport plan likely to get green light

Partizan

With Metro North and DU likely to be either shelved or put on the long finger, it is seemingly likely that the Luas link up will be the only capital project going ahead in the Depression according to the Irish Times.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1109/1224307250588.html

THE LINK-UP between the two Luas rail lines in Dublin is the only one of three high-profile transport projects likely to survive as part of the Government’s reduced capital expenditure programme, according to political sources.

The postponement of the Metro North rail link has already been strongly signalled and the Dart underground between Connolly and Heuston railway stations is also expected to go on the long finger.

A Cabinet meeting yesterday signed off on what a Government spokesman described as “a prioritised, significant and robust capital programme, especially in the context of the current economic challenges we face”.

The spokesman would not go into detail but other sources have indicated the Luas link-up is likely to be part of the revised capital programme to be announced tomorrow.

robd

Co-incides with what I saw yesterday. RPA guys on Marlborough Street counting bus traffic.

AngryLips

Will it be the link-up with or without the extension to Cabra?

Losty Dublin

AngryLips wrote: »

Will it be the link-up with or without the extension to Cabra?

For now it will be just a link up but it will form part of the route to Cabra, if it ever sees the light of day.

Cool Mo D

Losty Dublin wrote: »

For now it will be just a link up but it will form part of the route to Cabra, if it ever sees the light of day.

No, it's in planning as luas route BXD, which goes through Cabra.

Losty Dublin

Cool Mo D wrote: »

No, it's in planning as luas route BXD, which goes through Cabra.

Sorry about that because going through is definitely not going to

n97 mini

It will connect the Green Line, which terminates at St Stephen’s Green, to the Red Line, which runs along Abbey Street, and also form part of a new line connecting Luas services with a suburban rail station at Broombridge near Cabra

Is it just me that thinks Broombridge is possibly the worst station on the entire rail network, and not a good place to connect to Luas.

monument

It was reported at the weekend that even BXD will get deferred, for something like three years.

How they'll phrase it all for all projects will be interesting -- bets on words such as 'postponed' and 'deferred' (even if indefinitely or otherwise unspecified time wise).

PseudoFamous

n97 mini wrote: »

Is it just me that thinks Broombridge is possibly the worst station on the entire rail network, and not a good place to connect to Luas.

It's horrifically bad. Dirty, vandalised, unstaffed and completely unmaintained, but I think if they staffed it and cleaned it up, it could be pretty decent. It has a pretty decent sized catchment area, too.

dowlingm

n97 mini wrote: »

Is it just me that thinks Broombridge is possibly the worst station on the entire rail network, and not a good place to connect to Luas.

If Line D goes ahead then presumably so does the depot. This means RPA/Veolia has an incentive to massively beef up security in the area because unlike Irish Rail which only has TVMs to protect, they will have VERY expensive trams to protect. Added to the property desirability bump from having light rail in addition to suburban one would hope gentrification would solve the problem in due course. I'd want D up and running before BX because of the operational benefits a northside depot would offer to Line A-C and later Line B.

EDIT: Broombridge station would also benefit because passengers transferring to Maynooth line services would increase footfall, more "eyes on the street", maybe even a bit of retail.

n97 mini

dowlingm wrote: »

If Line D goes ahead then presumably so does the depot. This means RPA/Veolia has an incentive to massively beef up security in the area because unlike Irish Rail which only has TVMs to protect, they will have VERY expensive trams to protect.

Well I would suggest then that they beef up security and see if they can actually do the job before committing Luas to it.

CorkBabe33

I hope they do go ahead with the link up. It was madness day 1 that the 2 lines weren't connected.

dowlingm

n97 mini wrote: »

Well I would suggest then that they beef up security and see if they can actually do the job before committing Luas to it.

how would that work.

RPA goes to the local skanger hangout...

"right lads, there are some imaginary trams parked 100m over there - try and spraypaint them and nick their electrical gear"

n97 mini

dowlingm wrote: »

how would that work.

If they could demonstrate an ability to keep the current station in good nick then that would be a start...

DWCommuter

BXD to Broombridge was based on the land around Broombridge being developed into some Celtic Tiger style residential/commercial development, thereby negating the existing anti social crap that goes on there.

Funnily enough CIE were the least successful property developers during the boom, despite having prime land and getting the blessing of Minister Brennan. So it may be fair to say that CIE couldn't even benefit from the easist "touch" the country ever experienced. Of course they managed it to some degree in Spencer Dock, but history will perhaps suggest that they compromised the rail potential there in favour of the developer dime.

BrianD

robd wrote: »

Co-incides with what I saw yesterday. RPA guys on Marlborough Street counting bus traffic.

There were a traffic counter out on Charelmont Street bridge (road) with a clip board. Not sure who they were from but there's also a new electronic device mounted on a pole counting as well.

thomasj

it's embarrassing to say the least that after that decade of spoiling ourselves and all we did was plan and plan and all we will have to show for it is a city centre terminus noone wants to use a few out of town stations and if we are lucky in a few years we will fix the costly blunder made with the luas over 10 years ago (linkup) We really are pathetic!