Dublin Metrolink - future routes for next Metrolink

Once it serves the route I outlined earlier it can end up wherever tbh!

The Rathfarnham, rathmines, terenure section of the city is absolutely choked with traffic and bus connects won’t make that a whole pile better.

A metro is the only answer.

Dublin's population density is relatively high (I just checked and was surprised). Central London has a population density of 20k people per sqkm, greater London has 6k per sqkm. Amsterdam has c. 5k per sqkm.

Lots of areas in Dublin are 5-7k, while some central areas are 12-15k, with a few up to 20k. Definitely enough to justify additional Metro lines.

https://www.citypopulation.de/en/ireland/dublin/

All they need is one or 2 development areas such as Cathal Da Brugha and, let's say, Rathfarnham golf course. God knows the south side has enough of those!!! What a royal waste of space.

I wonder once ML has gotten through planning, is there scope for TII to immedately start looking at options for the GL tie in as a seperate project in the future. Given the lead time on planning in this country, would be nice to get the ball rolling quickly.

It is abundantly clear, from the metro maps posted on this thread recently, that - with minimal adjustment - it would be possible to build a 'straight' metro station closer to the Red LUAS than the current plan, if the will was there.

A problem in Ireland is that the complaints of that art gallery owner on Harcourt Street, back when the LUAS Green line was being built, seem to have put the shivers into transport planners in Ireland.

Must. Not. Cause. Disruption.

The result, in O'Connell Street, is that the planners build the metro station, behind the closed doors of the erstwhile Carlton cinema, cause almost no disruption and have their PR people tell everyone that there is 'an easy interchange' with the Red line.

The result is 100 years, or whatever the proposed metro lifetime is, of a desperately poor connection.

An alternative is to go through the disruption of building a better interchange, i.e. building a station box further up O'Connell Street and close to the Red line, perhaps even something approaching diagonal across the street.

Then the city could have some disruption, but 100 years (or whatever the metro's lifetime is) of an excellent connection.

It is preposterous to say that the choice is between a station at Tara Street and a station at an appropriate location on O'Connell Street. The city can clearly have both, with a bit of tweaking of the route on the maps we've been shown.

Who now remembers the disruption on, for example, Nassau Street, while the LUAS cross-city was being built?

Given that the metro is underground, the potential for causing even less disruption during construction is there, if the will was.

My preference for Metro line 2 would be from Tallaght out to Poolbeg Peninsula.

It would go from Tallaght through Ballymount industrial estate and through Crumlin to the Liberties.

The benefits of this is that it frees up capacity on the red Luas for high density housing in Bluebell/Kylemore and also Ballymount industrial estate can be high density housing. At least 200,000 people could live here. Probably much more.

This would be supplemented by two Dart stations in Ballyfermot. So the SW of the city would be very well connected. This is where the majority of Dublin's population growth could be, instead of further sprawl and long commuting and traffic congestion. People living here wouldn't need a car.

This is important for quality of life and the functioning of a modern city (and climate change) as they'd just be 15 minutes from town, work, college. 5 minutes from shops, schools, sports, social etc. By high density I just mean 6 to 8 storey apartments.

Likewise Poolbeg Peninsula can have it's industry phased out and it can be high rise offices and apartments. 30,000 people could live here easily if you compare the size to the Irish Glass Bottle Site. Along with offices for 50,000 people.

The city centre and Docklands have almost no development land left so Poolbeg can be like Canary Wharf but much nicer with beaches and parks and marinas. Pigeon house can be a museum maybe.

I'm not sure exactly where Metro 2 would cross the city centre. Should it be through Tara St and onto Grand Canal Dock and the Glass Bottle Site or else more southern and intersect with Charlemont and Grand Canal Dart and then onto the Glass bottle Site.

Maybe the southern route is better but each has their merits.

I'd also CPO Shelbourne Greyhound Stadium, Sportsco and the ESB site. Another 10,000 people could live here.

Although ambitious this Metro line could be completed in 15 years if they start planning now. Everything else would take decades though but the city would grow into it.

So it would be two stops in Tallaght - 2 stops in Ballymount - one in Crumlin - 1 or 2 in the Liberties - then it intersects with Metro 1 at either Tara or Charlemont (or maybe St Stephen's Green) - then another stop at Grand Canal Dock - another at the Glass Bottle Site - then two stops at Poolbeg Peninsula.

I'm sure other parts of Dublin would like a Metro but very few actually have the density to necessitate it.

This route solves many problems at once like housing, traffic, climate change responsibilities, traffic congestion.

Dublin Port can keep their current port facilities in Poolbeg

AFAIK Dublin Port will run out of capacity in the near future, so they either expand into Poolbeg or build a new port. Or else make the port more efficient and move out some functions.

Anyway the Poolbeg element might not be possible, it's more an add on. It involves moving the power stations, the incinerator and either moving the sewage plant or putting it underground. So perhaps it's unrealistic but it's nice to imagine high rise offices and apartments with parks and beaches. Poolbeg already has a park and 3 beaches but nobody really untilises it much. I know people walk to the Lighthouse sometimes.

The Tallaght to Ballymount aspect is the most important part as that can house 200,000 people close to the city center.

The council should come up with a masterplan for it now as I've noticed there's planning permission for a big new distribution centre there but that should be outside the M50.

I'd leave that job for dart tunnel and do

1) connect metrolink to the green line as originally planned to create a Swords to sandyford line

2) build a new metro line from Tallaght to darndale serving terenure/rathgar, Harold's x/rathmines, portobello, Kevin St, Dublin Castle/Templebar, Jervis, O'Connnell, Mountjoy, Ballybough with a DART interchange, Marino, Beaumont etc.

3) build an orbital metro similar to the m50

4)add more luas lines inside the m50

As Freddie Mercury sang, I want it all, and I want it now.

I still think an orbital route should be high on the priority list. Linking Shankill (Dart) - Sandyford (Metro 1)- Tallaght/Ballymount - Blanchardstown - Ballycoolin- Northwood (Metro 1). It would link up lots of existing and future public transport and make it much easier for people to get to work. Currently next to impossible to get from south Dublin to west Dublin commuting via PT.

It is likely Luas Lucan will be built in the medium term, with a spur from James' to College Green. This would basically double the East-West capacity in the city centre. And that's before you include DartSW via PPT. There's no way additional East-West capacity will be justified, in the medium term, with heavy rail / metro tunnels.

I suspect the next Metro lines will be Charlemont to Tallaght, and Metro West. The ability to use Metro West to change from one radial to another would reduce pressure on the city centre interchanges, and enable us to 'get by' with the current Dart lines and Metrolink.

No question Metrolink will be at full capacity fairly quickly, but I still think it'll be years before another heavy line is built under the heart of the city.

I agree that I think Tallaght to Charlemont/Tara/SSG should be next metro line.

Maybe it goes to Charlemont - Grand Canal Dart - then under the river to the Docklands station. I'm not sure.

Very few areas of Dublin have the density to necessitate a Metro.

If Dart+ has enough capacity, that could serve Lucan. Just needs a few feeder buses.

I'm not sure about Metro West. It's just connecting sprawling suburbs. Most of these people are commuting to town.