N11 Tramline

I certainly don't think this is an urgent project for Dublin, given the excellent service provided by the 46A along much of the route. But there is no doubt that people prefer travelling by rail than by bus, and this might provide some advantages when the appropriate time comes.

One nice possibility might be to take it initially from a starting point overground at St. Stephen's Green North - somewhere near the proposed metrolink station so that there's a good interchange - and then use the section of Merrion Row between the Green and Merrion St./Ely Place to get it underground, using very simple tunnelling methods (and, obviously, pedestrianise that bit of street).

After that, continue underground in the same way to a fairly simple station at Baggot St. Lwr./Fitzwilliam St., then under the canal (and the infamous sewer) to Baggot St. Upper and around the corner to another basic station at the top of Waterloo Road, to serve the whole Baggot St./Burlington Road etc. area. Then along Waterloo Road and Morehampton Road - tunnelling in the same way and probably with a simple underground station around the Leeson St. junction, or further towards Donnybrook, and perhaps an underground station somewhere near the rugby ground.

After that it could come overground, so that, for simplicity, it goes over the Dodder. Beyond the river I would envisage that there would be surface running for most of the way - as the central reservation is often quite wide - or elevated sections. For example (from what I remember - COVID has prevented me from visiting Dublin for well over a year), around Foster's Avenue the central reservation is quite small, there's a curve, and there is quite a steep gradient: this would be one place where elevated track might mitigate some or all of those factors.

I currently envisage this track ending at the same location as the Green LUAS trams in Cherrywood, for simplicity and also potential connectivity - for some - with places like Sandyford, but this could well entail some compulsory purchase of (at least part of) some expensive properties to get this proposed N11 tram from the N11 to that current Green line terminus.

I can't really see that reduction of the number of lanes along the majority of that section of the N11 would be a problem: at the moment, there's two private vehicle lanes plus a bus lane along most of it, in each direction, and if you build a tramline along it you largely remove the need for into/out of-town buses, and hopefully you get more people out of their cars close to or in Cherrywood or other places along the way. You certainly wouldn't need more space for private traffic, and you might need less.

Beyond that, but of course several years ahead, it shouldn't be very difficult for Dublin to create a northern extension for such a line, whether overground or underground at St. Stephen's Green. A natural underground extension, as I see it, would be towards Broadstone.

Could you give us some outline of your Tallaght-Beaumont route?

Yes, I could see some sense in that. Though it is poor in terms of directly hitting the very busy areas of the south city centre.

I could envisage an eventual situation where at least some of inbound Green Line trams are routed around St. Stephen's Green - facilitated by building a tramline from the Harcourt Street junction to St. Stephen's Green South, East and North - and joining the above mentioned N11 line on St. Stephen's Green North.

You'd do this by getting rid of the unnecessary car parking on the South, East and North sides of the Green, which should be simple enough, and after perhaps a stop on the South side of the Green this line would then share an overground stop on the North side of the Green, along with the proposed N11 tram. Both tram routes could then (eventually) enter a tunnel between St. Stephen's Green North and Broadstone, probably via Christchurch.

I believe that the sensible thing to do with metrolink is to route it towards the south-west of the city, from St. Stephen's Green, and preferably to do it with a Rathmines - Terenure - Firhouse branch and a Harold's Cross - Kimmage - Walkinstown branch. In combination with the above suggestion for an (eventual) N11 tram and the Green Line going into a tunnel between St. Stephen's Green and Broadstone, it should be easy to see how most suburbs on the southside could be linked, and how all lines would hit the busiest areas of the south city.

I don't think the best way to cope with the very large population in Tallaght is one metro line - I think an underground /overground link to the Hazelhatch line would be most suitable, giving an approximate 20 minute link between Tallaght and central Dublin - but if Dublin eventually decides to go with a metro connection between Tallaght and the city, I've always envisaged this as heading into Tallaght from the South.

Thus, metro phase 1, scrapping the pointless St. Stephen's Green to Charlemont bit of the current metrolink proposal, and building instead to Rathmines (2027/8). Metro phase 2, building to, perhaps, Rathfarnham (2032/3). Metro phase 3, building to Firhouse (2037). And metro phase 4 - if nothing has happened about a link to the Hazelhatch line - broadly northward to Tallaght (2040 or so).