DART coming to Maynooth line in 2024

ongarboy

Maynooth DART extension will see six crossings closed

http://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2020/0826/1161397-dart-extension/

Just saw this on RTE news site. I know it was often proposed but seeing a delivery date of just 4 years time makes it feel much more real now. This will be a major game changer for much of D15.

I wonder which level crossings will be closed? Porterstown surely? Coolmine residents have expressed concerns about being cut off though per the article. Surely the level crossing at Coolmine station will remain accessible for regular traffic? I'd have thought that was too major a route to cut off?

BonnieSituation

Residents need to get their heads out of their holes.

15 trains an hour will mean the gates are down more than up. It's a traffic and safety issue to get rid of LCs.

There's solutions easily found for this.

Not improving transport infrastructure for the majority just because biddy needs to go to the post office once a month is nonsensical.

L1011

ongarboy wrote: »

I wonder which level crossings will be closed? Porterstown surely? Coolmine residents have expressed concerns about being cut off though per the article. Surely the level crossing at Coolmine station will remain accessible for regular traffic? I'd have thought that was too major a route to cut off?

Porterstown and Clonsilla village; both to get pedestrian/cycle bridges only.

Coolmine will get a pedestrian/cycle bridge and a road bridge a bit further away, as proposed before and opposed by lots of politicians.

None of the crossings will remain open at all - at peak 15tph they would barely be up between 7 and 10/4 and 7 anyway; and they are a safety risk as well as an operational hassle.

digiman

Is it 15 trains per hour per direction during peak? That would be amazing!

Zaph

Any word on whether Docklands station will be part of the upgrade?

Cathmandooo

L1011 wrote: »

Porterstown and Clonsilla village; both to get pedestrian/cycle bridges only.

Coolmine will get a pedestrian/cycle bridge and a road bridge a bit further away, as proposed before and opposed by lots of politicians.

None of the crossings will remain open at all - at peak 15tph they would barely be up between 7 and 10/4 and 7 anyway; and they are a safety risk as well as an operational hassle.

I can't imagine where a road bridge a bit further from the Coolmine crossing would be? Unless Stationcourt into Riverwood? I can't see any other option.

L1011

Zaph wrote: »

Any word on whether Docklands station will be part of the upgrade?

Full replacement with a new station at Spencer Dock Luas station.

Cathmandooo wrote: »

I can't imagine where a road bridge a bit further from the Coolmine crossing would be? Unless Stationcourt into Riverwood? I can't see any other option.

http://rodericogorman.com/?p=1945 is the old proposal; I think the new one is basically the same but with a convoluted pedestrian and cycle bridge at the station.

Pinch Flat

I'm in two minds about it - great to see electrification which has been mooted since I moved to the area in 2001. The traffic bridge through riverwood (assuming the previous proposal is run with) will bring a huge amount of traffic into riverwood.

Brock Turnpike

L1011 wrote: »

Porterstown and Clonsilla village; both to get pedestrian/cycle bridges only.

Coolmine will get a pedestrian/cycle bridge and a road bridge a bit further away, as proposed before and opposed by lots of politicians.

None of the crossings will remain open at all - at peak 15tph they would barely be up between 7 and 10/4 and 7 anyway; and they are a safety risk as well as an operational hassle.

As someone impacted by the level crossing traffic at Clonsilla every day, I would be very happy if this were the case.

Former Former

Cathmandooo wrote: »

I can't imagine where a road bridge a bit further from the Coolmine crossing would be? Unless Stationcourt into Riverwood? I can't see any other option.

Yeah that's exactly it.

The residents of Riverwood and Luttrell Park are going to freak.

Former Former

Details here.

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-IE/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/DART-Programme/DART-West-Public-Consultation

Can't see how closing the crossing at Clonsilla is going to work.

I dunno lads. This DART line has been announced a million times in the last 20 years. I'll believe it when I see it.

ongarboy

Former Former wrote: »

Details here.

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-IE/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/DART-Programme/DART-West-Public-Consultation

Can't see how closing the crossing at Clonsilla is going to work.

I dunno lads. This DART line has been announced a million times in the last 20 years. I'll believe it when I see it.

Unless it ties in with the new Lucan to Clonee road that is to be built behind Hansfield Educate Together school, this reducing volumes that need to go through the Clonsilla level crossing.

L1011

ongarboy wrote: »

Unless it ties in with the new Lucan to Clonee road that is to be built behind Hansfield Educate Together school, this reducing volumes that need to go through the Clonsilla level crossing.

It does, its on the drawings in the lightest of grey lines possible.

As for announcements - at no time in the prior 20 years has anything even vaguely close to this level of design work been done. A few bridges were rebuilt higher when the re-dualling was done and that was it; everything else was announcements of nothing.

beauf

L1011 wrote: »

It does, its on the drawings in the lightest of grey lines possible.

As for announcements - at no time in the prior 20 years has anything even vaguely close to this level of design work been done. A few bridges were rebuilt higher when the re-dualling was done and that was it; everything else was announcements of nothing.

True. But they didn't do completely nothing. As the Docklands got busier they made the train shorter. They increased the frequency of passengers passing out and falling ill.

We also got some new black seats and USB ports. Well on some trains. Don't go mad.

Roll on the next 20 yrs.

Pinch Flat

Former Former wrote: »

Details here.

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-IE/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/DART-Programme/DART-West-Public-Consultation

Can't see how closing the crossing at Clonsilla is going to work.

I dunno lads. This DART line has been announced a million times in the last 20 years. I'll believe it when I see it.

I'm due to have my free travel in 2035. I'd be amazed if it's rolled out by then.I bought my house in Riverwood in 2001 and one of the selling points was the electrification of the maynooth line.

beauf

Former Former wrote: »

Yeah that's exactly it.

The residents of Riverwood and Luttrell Park are going to freak.

The Dr Troy bridge and new road to Porterstown have worked so well at creating grid lock at peak times and most of the weekend. Its now one of the best rat runs in the the area. How many schools are on in the immediate vicinity now, 5 or 6? Perfect for concentrating traffic all in the same area. So running another bridge besides the existing bridge into the middle of all that and doubling traffic. It's a perfect match for all the apartments they have planned.

Who wouldn't want more of that.

In fairness the greenway is coming. Only bad thing is I'll probably be retired before it all gets done. WFH nicely timed really.

L1011

beauf wrote: »

True. But they didn't do completely nothing. As the Docklands got busier they made the train shorter. They increased the frequency of passengers passing out and falling ill.

We also got some new black seats and USB ports. Well on some trains. Don't go mad.

Roll on the next 20 yrs.

Docklands used to get either 4 car 29000s or 3 car 22000s

It has consistently got either 4 car 29000s or 4 car 22000s recently - that's longer, not shoter.

Brock Turnpike

beauf wrote: »

The Dr Troy bridge and new road to Porterstown have worked so well at creating grid lock at peak times and most of the weekend. Its now one of the best rat runs in the the area. How many schools are on in the immediate vicinity now, 5 or 6? Perfect for concentrating traffic all in the same area. So running another bridge besides the existing bridge into the middle of all that and doubling traffic. It's a perfect match for all the apartments they have planned.

Who wouldn't want more of that.

In fairness the greenway is coming. Only bad thing is I'll probably be retired before it all gets done. WFH nicely timed really.

You'd think that if lockdown had thought the government anything, it would be that flexibility is the way to go when it comes to working hours and school hours. Why have everyone trying to use the same roads at one time when you can stagger it by having people WFH and/or schools times staggered

beauf

L1011 wrote: »

Docklands used to get either 4 car 29000s or 3 car 22000s

It has consistently got either 4 car 29000s or 4 car 22000s recently - that's longer, not shoter.

I can't remember when I last got a 4 car on this line. Not for years.

I haven't been on it for the last 5 months. If they've extended to 4 during the lock down I'd not be surprised.

Zaph

Pinch Flat wrote: »

I'm due to have my free travel in 2035. I'd be amazed if it's rolled out by then.I bought my house in Riverwood in 2001 and one of the selling points was the electrification of the maynooth line.

Same for me when I bought in the area in 2004. Only thing is that I only have to wait until 2032 to retire, and then I'm buggered if I'm ever getting on another train into town again.

L1011 wrote: »

Docklands used to get either 4 car 29000s or 3 car 22000s

It has consistently got either 4 car 29000s or 4 car 22000s recently - that's longer, not shoter.

Like beauf, I haven't been on a train since March, but prior to that both the Docklands trains that I got each day were 3-carriage 22000s. Once in a blue moon there might be a 4-carriage one in the evening, but they were very much a rarity. Maybe at other times they were mainly 4-carriage trains, but the one in the morning in particular resembled something from a developing country. All we were short of was people on the roof.

beauf

Its bit of kicker seeing 8 carriage trains almost empty going in the opposite direction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyfMbUF9i-8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsgbir3udVA

When I started getting the dockland about 5 or 6 years ago there were 4 carriage trains. Train was mostly empty. I used never need to fold my bike.
Obviously its great they are fully utilized. There's a shortage of stock I understand. Docklands seem to be lowest priority, perhaps with good reason.

beauf

I wonder will I ever go back to commuting daily by train again. Not for another year at least I suspect.

L1011

Didn't see it on the public docs; but I'm sure its there - but from the docs sent to Councillors, they seem to be proposing straightening/widening the really bad stretch of the road at the north of Luttrelstown to take account of extra traffic going either side to cross in the absense of the Clonsilla LC.

Polar101

DART+ West.. sounds excellent, but I seem to remember the track record for actually getting public transport projects past the glossy brochures stage isn't great.

L1011

Polar101 wrote: »

DART+ West.. sounds excellent, but I seem to remember the track record for actually getting public transport projects past the glossy brochures stage isn't great.

Only one project that got to this level of design stage was canned outright (Metro North), and its being replaced anyway. DART Underground has basically been put in cryogenic storage but it'll happen.

Brock Turnpike

L1011 wrote: »

Didn't see it on the public docs; but I'm sure its there - but from the docs sent to Councillors, they seem to be proposing straightening/widening the really bad stretch of the road at the north of Luttrelstown to take account of extra traffic going either side to cross in the absense of the Clonsilla LC.

Another welcome piece of news. Honestly don't know there hasn't been more accidents on that stretch of road given the mix of cyclists and impatient drivers using it. The amount of times I've witnessed drivers overtaking on/near bends is ridiculous.

Orobhsa

Proposal is to close Clonsilla LC to vehicles and install pedestrian bridge.


Clonsilla Level Crossing
The Emerging Preferred Option provides a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the railway to the west of the existing level crossing. Given the low traffic flows utilising the level crossing, combined with the proposed new road bridge at Barberstown to the west and the Diswellstown Link Road to the east of the crossing, the optimal solution has been determined as providing a pedestrian and cyclist bridge

https://www.irishrail.ie/Admin/getmedia/c45be4c4-de84-48e2-8437-f90ad7097383/Emerging-Preferred-Option-Clonsilla-Level-Crossing-Replacement-jpg.jpg

rockatansky

Orobhsa wrote: »

Proposal is to close Clonsilla LC to vehicles and install pedestrian bridge.


Clonsilla Level Crossing
The Emerging Preferred Option provides a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the railway to the west of the existing level crossing. Given the low traffic flows utilising the level crossing, combined with the proposed new road bridge at Barberstown to the west and the Diswellstown Link Road to the east of the crossing, the optimal solution has been determined as providing a pedestrian and cyclist bridge

https://www.irishrail.ie/Admin/getmedia/c45be4c4-de84-48e2-8437-f90ad7097383/Emerging-Preferred-Option-Clonsilla-Level-Crossing-Replacement-jpg.jpg

That is an absolute monstrosity.

L1011

rockatansky wrote: »

That is an absolute monstrosity.

There is no alternative location for a road bridge.

Former Former

rockatansky wrote: »

That is an absolute monstrosity.

Yep, absolutely enormous. I ain't no engineer but surely there's a more elegant solution.

beauf

I was getting tired of hoofing my folding bikes over the existing pedestrian bridge. That cycle bridge would be great. No longer do it though.