LUAS Network + Future Expansion

I was in the Glassbottle site this week. The way the units are going up there they could do with building a luas extension very quickly from the city center

If luas lucan extends to Poolbeg, I think it would already have a connection with the red line after its extended to Poolbeg? I think it is a lot more feasible than having them interchange at the point, as the area where the Poolbeg red line station is has plenty of space to expand. If needed they could even make the station 6 platforms as a double 3-platform terminus.

The circle line is an interesting idea, I don't think much can be said about feasibility yet as I think both Lucan and Poolbeg have a number of very different routes to decide from. Mainly it seems there is both an option for the Poolbeg extension to terminate either facing north or south on Sean Moore road, and it would make more sense to make a circle line if they chose the route that terminates facing north. That said I think having the two lines stay as separated as possible and having people interchange at Poolbeg or the western interchange would offer a more frequent service.

I was looking at the Poolbeg extension and thinking it would be crazy not to extend it to meet the Dart but I just can't see a viable route

I think the DART connections could be made as a part of Luas Lucan. The idea I had was if it followed the Cork street-SSG route option, instead of terminating at SSG, it could be extended to Poolbeg and routed to have an interchange with Pearse and/or GCD. The stops likely couldn't be placed too close to the DART stations, but I think it would be comparable to Busaras and Connolly.

Eitherway, I don't think Luas Lucan should terminate at Heuston or SSG, I think it makes more sense to continue through CC, and terminate anywhere else, though I think Poolbeg is the best option.

Hard if it turns right at O2 Arena and heads to Poolbeg alright. Easy if it turns left and heads via side of Dublin Port to back of Eastpoint Business Park and on to Clontarf Dart Stations. Would make a good future Malahide Road Luas. Also, options to run either via Dublin Port and a bridge or tunnel via Vernon Ave in Clontarf and Brookwood Ave to Dart at Harmonstown with new entrance on Brookwood. Would allow up Malahide Road without disrupting new Bus Connects Bus lanes.

To tie in with the red line at the point would the luas have to be battery powered for crossing the liffey?

I am not sure how over head cables would work on a lifting bridge for the luas to cross the liffey. I am sure it could be done but it would not be cheap.

If looking at the battery route, how large of a battery would be needed? The moveable section is only about 50m? At what point is it cheaper to just electrify the section of bridge than installing batteries in the red line fleet?

the red line's priority through the city centre section is terrible. I know some of the roads it crosses are also major bus routes but anytime I get it, it spends a lot of time sitting at junctions where there are just private cars going past (bottom of Gardiner Street springs to mind).

Some form of intelligent signalling at these junctions would probably go a long way to speeding it up without having to dig anything up. It should have absolute priority if there are no buses crossing, and if there are buses crossing there could be some sort of algorithm to decide who gets priority.

Are we maxed out on the frequency and length of the trams on the red line?

I would imagine it will be a no brainer to extend the red line at the point:

down east wall road

across the liffey on a new bridge

over to the glass bottle site where 3800 new units are going to be constructed.

Slated for “before 2042".

Doesn’t mean it won’t be done until 2042. Luas Finglas is in the same category on that map. I see Poolbeg Red and the Bray Green extensions being the next projects once Finglas gets its RO. As the shorter project, Poolbeg could be before Bray.

Metrolink will pass its 2nd birthday with ABP soon. TII have even complied with ABPs vexatious demand for additional public consultation. Even if the RO is granted very soon, we'll still be having 2 years of legal challenges from Charlemont residents. This doesn't bode well for new infrastructure. The current metrolink project is now unlikely to break ground within a decade of the project commencement date.

We were able to get big projects to construction much quicker 20 years ago. It seems we've deliberately tied ourselves up in red tape.

I recently read the ABP inspectors report on the DART+ W RO, thankfully the board over ruled him on most items.

Objections included:

Heritage bridges like Cope bridge should not be changed at all....ever

Construction noise, seemingly any type or volume isn't to be tolerated

The depot should be in an urban area accessible by public transport, but should also be big enough to stable trains and not be at risk from flooding.

It's as if we're employing people to adjudicate on these matters who:

a) know nothing at all about railways and how they operate or are constructed, and

b) who have absolute, unshakeable, confidence in their uneducated opinion, to the point that they wouldn't even ask someone or consult the near sum of human knowledge available for free via the Internet.

The whole thing needs a clear out, people who haven't an effing breeze what they're scuttering on about need to be put on some tasks more suited to their skills and hire actual experts to scrutinise applications instead.