Any plans for rail link between swords, blanchardstown, liffey valley, citywest, sandyford, dundrum?

micks_address · 04-08-2023 04:06PM #1

Hi folks,

Wondering if there's any plans for a rail link around the m50 between these stops? Seems like it would be a no brainer to reduce pressure on the m50. Sucks that there's no direct public transport between swords and citywest - you have to go into town and back out which doubles the travel time.

Cheers,

Mick

bk · 04-08-2023 04:48PM

There was a previous plan called Metro West that would basically do this, it got cancelled and hasn't been brought back:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MetroLink_(Dublin)#Metro_West

brianc89 · 04-08-2023 05:40PM

This was a fantastic plan which was mostly through green fields so would be relatively cheap. Despite omission from the GDA plans I believe it will come back to the table soon.

It could interchange with Luas Red, Dart+ SW, Luas Lucan, Dart+ W, Luas Green Finglas, Metro Swords/Airport. It could even form part of the spur from Metro/Airport to the Dart+ Northern line.

Bebra · 04-08-2023 06:33PM

GDA Transport Strategy 2022-42 doesn't propose any orbital rail project and assumes buses will do the job. It does state that this may change as land is developed, or something to that effect.

brianc89 · 04-08-2023 07:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120940182#Comment_120940182

Good to know what it says thanks. I suspect the orbital bus routes will be very successful, once they're fully up and running.

Assuming this success, calls for reinstatement of Metro West planning will come quickly and be loud. Inclusive of Swords, c. 250k people live along this route.

Charles Babbage · 04-08-2023 07:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120940182#Comment_120940182

However, as far as I know, there are feck all buses on the M50, so the buses are nowhere near competitive.

They should have run express buses on the M50 from day 1, so that if someone from Blanch got a job in Sandyford that they could get their quickly with no need to buy a car. We need a situation where people in these districts are able to take their local city bound bus to an interchange point, hop off and get a orbital express every 5 mins in peak periods, and take another bus at the other end if needed. The fare structure now supports this, but there are no buses.

L1011 · 04-08-2023 07:14PM

Busconnects introduces various radial routes that will be very important in deciding whether Metro West gets dusted off - if they aren't successful it would hole any attempts to create demand figures under the water.

LXFlyer · 04-08-2023 08:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120940316#Comment_120940316

I think you mean orbital routes.

Radial routes go to/from city centre.

L1011 · 04-08-2023 08:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120940601#Comment_120940601

Yes. Oops.

jlang · 02-09-2023 07:23AM

Rail on the M50 unlikely to fit in the alignment. Metro West route should be preserved, just in case it ever becomes sensible.

micks_address · 02-09-2023 10:57AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121058886#Comment_121058886

Surely has to make sense already... would get a lot of use..I'd never use the m50 again if I could get a train from swords to citywest

spark23 · 24-11-2025 12:41AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120940012#Comment_120940012

I feel this would be transformative in the current climate

OisinCooke · 24-11-2025 11:56AM

The Luas 2050 indicative plan published recently enough shows a Luas Orbital, following much the same route as Metro West, but without the metro interchange at Dardistown, looking instead to only run as far as Coolinstown on the above map posted by @brianc89.

I presume it’d be a no brainer to continue it to link with metro somewhere, regardless of whether it itself was metro, or more likely, Luas. It could even run within the M50 and hit the Green Line at Charlestown, IKEA, before intersecting the metro at Northwood and maybe continuing all the way to Howth Junction.

Regardless though it is a plan that is very much on TII/Luas’s radar which is great to see. High levels of grade separation could be achieved for most of the route I reckon, with some street running in other parts to give it more urban penetration than a metro would otherwise have.

Hotblack Desiato · 27-12-2025 02:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120940316#Comment_120940316

So they'd provide a slow, unreliable service with buses which is unattractive, and then use that as an excuse to not provide a faster, reliable light rail service which is attractive?

Typical

Although given the desperate state of public transport in west Dublin I imagine even a slow, unreliable bus service would be heavily used

Ronald Binge Redux · 27-12-2025 05:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124097542#Comment_124097542

Yup. Sure isn't infrastructure a reward for over development, not a prerequisite :rolleyes

Charles Babbage · 31-12-2025 10:09PM

not only is there not going to be a rail link, but they won't even run a bus on most of the M50. People are expected to drive between these places and are then criticised for doing so.

Any plans for rail link between swords, blanchardstown, liffey valley, citywest, sandyford, dundrum?

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