Dublin - Metrolink (Swords to Charlemont only)

marno21

As the other thread is reaching its limit of 10,000 posts, and in light of the announcement of the preferred route, this is the new thread for discussing the Metrolink scheme.

Old thread here: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055849587

This is for discussing the current active plan for a Metro between Swords and Charlemont. Only. Discussion of the planned Metro South connection to the Green Line will be in this thread:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057972047

salmocab

Think you made a wee mistake with the two links on the old thread Marno. They both link to this thread

marno21

salmocab wrote: »

Think you made a wee mistake with the two links on the old thread Marno. They both link to this thread

They both work ok for me

salmocab

marno21 wrote: »

They both work ok for me

They both brought me to the same place, had to click on the link above to get the south bit

Synode

Both going to the same place for me too

Qrt

Any chance they’ll put a subway at the Ballymun station? It’d be nice to be able to avoid crossing the road.

Dats me

Qrt wrote: »

Any chance they’ll put a subway at the Ballymun station? It’d be nice to be able to avoid crossing the road.

They're actually building a 19km subway from Swords to Charlemont as part of the project!

spacetweek

Qrt wrote: »

Any chance they’ll put a subway at the Ballymun station? It’d be nice to be able to avoid crossing the road.

The term subway is used in the UK, we call them pedestrian underpasses and there used be one in ballymun which was a hotbed of muggings and ASB so probably isn’t a good idea.

prunudo

Qrt wrote: »

Any chance they’ll put a subway at the Ballymun station? It’d be nice to be able to avoid crossing the road.

A meat ball footlong would be handy while you're waiting for the lights to change

jd

spacetweek wrote: »

The term subway is used in the UK, we call them pedestrian underpasses and there used be one in ballymun which was a hotbed of muggings and ASB so probably isn’t a good idea.

Looks like there will be a de facto one at Northwood up the road. (I think it will be tag on/off without turnstiles)

CatInABox

jd wrote: »

Looks like there will be a de facto one at Northwood up the road. (I think it will be tag on/off without turnstiles)

Haven't looked at the station designs for there, or if they're looking to go barrier free entry, but I'd imagine that even with a barrier in place, there will be enough room for a pedestrian through way there.

I.e. the first level is an open corridor, and if you want to go down to the platforms, then you go through the barrier, otherwise you just go around.

EDIT: Took a look at the Northwood station appendix:

The Preferred Route proposal is to pull it south of the Retail Park so that it will now sit directly under and at an angle to the junction of the R108 and Northwood Avenue - the Park entrance. This will allow passengers to access the station from either side of the R108 and pedestrians to cross the R108 through the station without having to cross a busy road.

cgcsb

How they work natural light into the stations will be interesting, in that way it'll be quite a unique metro. Is there a link somewhere I missed to station designs or artist impressions?

Pixel Eater

spacetweek wrote: »

The term subway is used in the UK, we call them pedestrian underpasses and there used be one in ballymun which was a hotbed of muggings and ASB so probably isn’t a good idea.

The best deterent to anti-social behaviour is if it's heavily used and lots of people are around. With a busy Metro station, hotel, shopping centre and housing around there shouldn't be an issue having an underpass.

Sam Russell

Pixel Eater wrote: »

The best deterent to anti-social behaviour is if it's heavily used and lots of people are around. With a busy Metro station, hotel, shopping centre and housing around there shouldn't be an issue having an underpass.

Also a plentiful number of Revenue protection personnel would help, particularly if they go for barrier free access.

Pixel Eater

While we're on the subject, would be worth considering having a direct tunnel from the Collins Avenue stop direct to the DCU campus?

Sam Russell

Pixel Eater wrote: »

While we're on the subject, would be worth considering having a direct tunnel from the Collins Avenue stop direct to the DCU campus?

How far is it?

Pixel Eater

Sam Russell wrote: »

How far is it?

As the crow flies about 500 metres; walking about 900, although it depends exactly where in the campus you're going. Just seems to be a long about route to get to either main gates.

Pete_Cavan

Pixel Eater wrote: »

While we're on the subject, would be worth considering having a direct tunnel from the Collins Avenue stop direct to the DCU campus?

The only way to build such a tunnel would be cut and cover. The ability to this implies that there is a clear route all the way, in which case, a surface path would be better in every respect.

Pixel Eater

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

The only way to build such a tunnel would be cut and cover. The ability to this implies that there is a clear route all the way, in which case, a surface path would be better in every respect.

Really? Is there no other why to create a pedestrian tunnel in this day and age? It would be a nice feature but probably not worth it if it's too much hassle.

cgcsb

I find the O'Connell st station very interesting how it is integrated into the shopping centre, certainly a great boost for a neglected part of the City, also getting from the airport to a City Centre shopping centre without going outside would be quite the novelty.

bk

cgcsb wrote: »

How they work natural light into the stations will be interesting, in that way it'll be quite a unique metro. Is there a link somewhere I missed to station designs or artist impressions?

The appendix has some rough plans, but they don't seem finalised.

Many seem to include sky lights over the length of top of the station to leave light down.

Pixel Eater wrote: »

Really? Is there no other why to create a pedestrian tunnel in this day and age? It would be a nice feature but probably not worth it if it's too much hassle.

You could possibly mine one out, but would be very expensive, so probably a non runner.

cgcsb wrote: »

I find the O'Connell st station very interesting how it is integrated into the shopping centre, certainly a great boost for a neglected part of the City, also getting from the airport to a City Centre shopping centre without going outside would be quite the novelty.

Yes, it will be great. Novel for us, but quiet common with Metros around Europe to be built into shopping centers or even hotels.

Pete_Cavan

Pixel Eater wrote: »

Really? Is there no other why to create a pedestrian tunnel in this day and age? It would be a nice feature but probably not worth it if it's too much hassle.

You would be working at a depth to avoid affecting the foundations of houses and with such a small bore, nothing else is feasible.

Pete_Cavan

cgcsb wrote: »

I find the O'Connell st station very interesting how it is integrated into the shopping centre, certainly a great boost for a neglected part of the City, also getting from the airport to a City Centre shopping centre without going outside would be quite the novelty.

It would also be great if the OCS station was also accessible from Parnell Street which would make it easier to get to the Rotunda, DIT Bolton Street, future city library, etc. This can easily be facilitated by having a pedestrian route through the new development to Moore Lane.

cgcsb

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

It would also be great if the OCS station was also accessible from Parnell Street which would make it easier to get to the Rotunda, DIT Bolton Street, future city library, etc. This can easily be facilitated by having a pedestrian route through the new development to Moore Lane.

Also access to Moore St would be appreciated and I think that will be the case, permeability is important for these developments

LongboardPro

Does anyone else think there should be more than one entrance to the stations wherever possible? A lot of the stations only have one entry / exit which seems stupid.

Sam Russell

LongboardPro wrote: »

Does anyone else think there should be more than one entrance to the stations wherever possible? A lot of the stations only have one entry / exit which seems stupid.

Cost based, I would think.

murphaph

Sam Russell wrote: »

Cost based, I would think.

Massive false economy nevertheless. You can effectively increase the catchment area significantly by having multiple exits to street level.

MJohnston

murphaph wrote: »

Massive false economy nevertheless. You can effectively increase the catchment area significantly by having multiple exits to street level.

There's only arguably 3 stations where that is an important consideration imo - SSG, Tara, and OCS. They should probably make OCS permeable to Moore Street, Tara does have 2 exits, and maybe SSG could do with a south entrance, but it wouldn't add too much in terms of catchment.

Everywhere else, I'd argue it's unnecessary, because they're all suburban stations that you're likely to already to be traveling further to reach anyway, so a couple dozen extra metres isn't going to deter you.

Sam Russell

murphaph wrote: »

Massive false economy nevertheless. You can effectively increase the catchment area significantly by having multiple exits to street level.

Well, the extreme would be to have an entrance at each end on the 100 m station box, which would give about 150 m separation. I doubt it would add much except in the centre of town, and in particular SSG, and perhaps OCS.

Tara St is a special case.

CarlosHarpic

I have a question and forgive me if it has already been answered. I love the interchange with the heavy rail lines at Glasnevin idea. I am just wondering will the heavy rail interchange be built before the Metro station? Personally, I think that the IE part could proceed as a stand-alone project and would be a very useful transfer point ever before the Metro reaches it.

prunudo

LongboardPro wrote: »

Does anyone else think there should be more than one entrance to the stations wherever possible? A lot of the stations only have one entry / exit which seems stupid.

I would have thought from a fire safety point of view they'd have to have 2 exits.