Dublin - Metrolink (Swords to Charlemont only)

One thing which they could do, in advance of construction of the metrolink, would be to remove the existing parking and build a tramline circuit of the Green. This should be easily doable in, say, two years or less.

This would readily open up future possibilities for use of, say, Earlsfort Terrace or Merrion Row, for future tram lines into/out of the city. And if the current trams were diverted around this circuit, it would also make it much easier to construct the metrolink station at St. Stephen's Green West. That side is already effectively unused by car traffic and it would be a much better location for the metro station. It's much closer to the busiest parts neighbouring the Green, while the currently planned station is quite remote.

With the whole of St. Stephen's Green to work with - a side which was originally 4 (four)lanes of traffic, and wide footpaths, there really should be no need to impinge on the park at all.

This would add a couple of minutes to the Green Line's journey, but could be well worth it for the interim period during metrolink construction. And, as mentioned above, there could be longer term benefits for the tram network.

I'm not following you.

There would appear to be loads of distaance to allow the route to go between Tara Street and a station at St. Stephen's Green West, via College Park.

If it can do the proposed O'Connell Street station to Tara Street station quite readily, as seems to be the case, the bit to St. Stephen's Green West should also be doable. Remember, it could be further 'up' St. Stephen's Green West than the current LUAS stop, while still being more useful as a location than the current proposal.

There you go, Brian. You are very much on the right track.

Just continue it around to the south side of the Green and connect it with the current LUAS Green line, and you've got what I'm saying.

The Green Line going around St. Stephen's Green to Dawson Street, probably on a temporary basis, frees up St. Stephen's Green West for construction, with no impact on the park and giving a better station location. .

With metrolink in place in St. Stephen's Green, would greater LUAS throughput on the Green Line (beyond the current levels, through the city) ever be needed? I have doubts, but a LUAS circuit of the Green could open up all kinds of possibilities if the city needs to deal with higher throughputs on the Green Line south of the canal.

For example, it has been suggested on this board that there might be a connection along Adelaide Road between Charlemont and Dolphin's Barn, and between Charlemont and Grand Canal Dock. A loop around St. Stephen's Green opens up the possibility to have a spur tramline along Earlsfort Terrace, and possibly to enhance either of those above suggestions. In those circumstances, it's not hard to see, say, a Grand Canal Dock to St. Stephen's Green route along the lines of Grand Canal - Adelaide Road - Earlsfort Terrace - around St. Stephen's Green (when the metrolink is completed) - back to Grand Canal Dock.

Obviously, the initial rationale for a tram route around St. Stephen's Green South, West and North would be to enable the St. Stephen's Green metrolink station to be built in the best possible location. But, with such a tramline in place, for that specific reason, other eventual possibilities for the tram network may emerge.

Hi Noel,

I think it is excellent that someone is reading back through the old threads. There's lots of informative stuff there.

Most of the discussion that I was involved in, about possible alternative routes for the proposed DART Underground, happened in 2006-2007. You joined the board in 2008. It's great that you are looking back at discussions that happened before you joined.

There's a particular survey of workplace populations in Dublin which came up during that discussion, which I recall was submitted by the excellent poster Monument. I've been trying to get an up-to-date version of that survey, but the link seems to have gone dead.

Chuckle away, Johnny, but, in fairness, it is remote.

You can forget about any serious weekend custom for the proposed metrolink station to get to places like Merrion Row, Leinster House, etc. for a start. Certainly people would use it, to get to those locations, but mainly they would use it to get to Grafton Street (and its environs). And, during the week it is certainly busy around the Shelbourne and Merrion Row, but it is way busier around the top of Grafton Street.

My query is simply, is St. Stephen's Green East the optimum long term solution?

I've presented a suggestion - effectively an eventual circular tram route around St. Stephen's Green - which might help the St. Stephen's Green metrolink to be built in what I think is probably the most efficient location for it. This solution may enable other tram lines to be developed. I doubt if I'm the first person who has suggested this, but I haven't yet seen it on this board.