Transport Infrastructure projects planning status - see post #2 for latest info.

bk · 05-02-2025 11:00PM #1

The following are tables of the major transport projects status in the planning process.

Light and Heavy Rail Projects Dublin:

Project	Status	ABP	Notes
Metrolink	In ABP	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314724	Requires Further Consideration
Luas Finglas	In ABP	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/321278	In ABP due 26/05/2025
Dart+ SW	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/316119	ABP Approved 13/11/2024
Dart+ West	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314232	ABP Partly Approved 18/07/2024, Depot rejected, IN JR
Dart+ North	In ABP	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/320164	In ABP due 03/02/2025
Dart+ South	Prelim Design
Dart+ Depot	Prelim Design

BusConnects Dublin:

Project	Spine	Status	ABP Case #	Notes
Liffey Valley to City Centre	G	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314056
Clongriffin to City Centre	D	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/313182	Clongriffin - The hearing has taken place, with judgment scheduled to be issued on the 13/03. Note that this date is indicative only, and could easily change.
Ballymun/Finglas to City Centre	E / F	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314610
Belfield/Blackrock to City Centre	B	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/313509	Blackrock - Case is due for mention on the 10/02. This is essentially the very start of the case, where motions are made. Expect 7 months or so from this date. BlackRock 2 - Case is due for mention on the 10/02 as well. Same as above. Got to tell you, just from reading about their grounds in the press, this one's a real stretch.
Swords to City Centre	A	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/317121
Blanchardstown to City Centre	B	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/313892	Blanch - Hearing scheduled to begin 07/05. This will be when both sides argue their case. This date could change.
Ringsend to City Centre	C	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/317679
Lucan to City Centre	C	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314942
Tallaght/Clondalkin to City Centre	D	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/316828
Templeogue/Rathfarnham to City Centre	A	ABP Approved, in JR Window	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/316272	ABP Approved 16/12/2024 - JR Window close Monday 10/02/2025
Kimmage to City Centre	F	In ABP	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/317660
Bray to City Centre	E	ABP Approved, in JR Window	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/317742	ABP Approved 28/01/2025 - JR Window Closes Tuesday, 25/03/2025

Key:

In ABP - Currently going through ABP for planning approval
ABP Approved, in JR Window - Approved by ABP, but currently waiting to see if it will go to a judicial review.
In JR - Approved by ABP, but gone to a Judicial Review.
Fully Approved - Approved by ABP and either passed the JR window with no JR appeal or successfully passed a JR (Note say Fully Approved, but it may have been granted with conditions).
Prelim Design - Initial project design phase, not submitted to ABP yet.
ABP - An Bord Pleanala
JR - Judicial Review

Note: The JR Window Close date is an estimate, I'd give it 2 days beyond the date to be certain. The ABP due dates are estimates and often slip.

Thanks to https://www.boards.ie/profile/gjim https://www.boards.ie/profile/cgcsb https://www.boards.ie/profile/CatInABox https://www.boards.ie/profile/LXFlyer for the info that went into the above tables.

bk · 05-02-2025 11:06PM

The following are tables of the major transport projects status in the planning process.

Light and Heavy Rail Projects Dublin:

Project	Status	ABP	Notes
Metrolink	In ABP	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314724	Requires Further Consideration
Luas Finglas	In ABP	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/321278	In ABP due 26/05/2025
Dart+ SW	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/316119	ABP Approved 13/11/2024
Dart+ West	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314232	ABP Partly Approved 18/07/2024, Depot rejected, IN JR
Dart+ North	In ABP	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/320164	In ABP due 03/10/2025
Dart+ South	Prelim Design
Dart+ Depot	Prelim Design

BusConnects Dublin:

Project	Spine	Status	ABP Case #	Notes
Liffey Valley to City Centre	G	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314056	Project in Tender, work to start Q4 2025
Clongriffin to City Centre	D	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/313182	Clongriffin - The hearing has taken place, with judgment scheduled to be issued on the 13/03. Note that this date is indicative only, and could easily change.
Ballymun/Finglas to City Centre	E / F	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314610	Project in Tender, work to start Q4 2025
Belfield/Blackrock to City Centre	B	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/313509	Blackrock - Case is due for mention on the 10/02. This is essentially the very start of the case, where motions are made. Expect 7 months or so from this date. BlackRock 2 - Case is due for mention on the 10/02 as well. Same as above. Got to tell you, just from reading about their grounds in the press, this one's a real stretch.
Swords to City Centre	A	IN JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/317121	https://services.courts.ie/high-court-search?caseRecordId=H.JR.2024.0001033 - Vet Clinic https://services.courts.ie/high-court-search?caseRecordId=H.JR.2024.0001037 - Collinstown Business Park
Blanchardstown to City Centre	B	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/313892	Blanch - Hearing scheduled to begin 07/05. This will be when both sides argue their case. This date could change.
Ringsend to City Centre	C	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/317679
Lucan to City Centre	C	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/314942
Tallaght/Clondalkin to City Centre	D	Fully Approved	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/316828
Templeogue/Rathfarnham to City Centre	A	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/316272	H.JR.2025.0000206
Kimmage to City Centre	F	In ABP	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/317660
Bray to City Centre	E	In JR	https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/317742	I believe this JR case: H.JR.2025.0000525

Search Criteria for JR cases in High Court against the NTA:

https://services.courts.ie/high-court-search?proceeding=&caseRef=&caseNumber=&year=&caseparty1=NATIONAL%20TRANSPORT%20AUTHORITY&caseparty1checked=Both&caseparty2=&caseparty2checked=Both&setDownVenue=&setDownType=&setdownNumFrom=&courtdate=&listtype=&appealcasereference=&supremecasereference=&page=1

Key:

In ABP - Currently going through ABP for planning approval
ABP Approved, in JR Window - Approved by ABP, but currently waiting to see if it will go to a judicial review.
In JR - Approved by ABP, but gone to a Judicial Review.
Fully Approved - Approved by ABP and either passed the JR window with no JR appeal or successfully passed a JR (Note say Fully Approved, but it may have been granted with conditions).
Prelim Design - Initial project design phase, not submitted to ABP yet.
ABP - An Bord Pleanala
JR - Judicial Review

Note: The JR Window Close date is an estimate, I'd give it 2 days beyond the date to be certain. The ABP due dates are estimates and often slip.

================================================

I've created this thread pulled out of the Bus Connects thread for visibility and so it doesn't get lost and I can keep the this post updated over time. The idea is to have one place to keep track of how all the major transport projects are progressing through the planning process.

So far I've included just the major projects in Dublin, but I'll try and add ones from around the country in time. I'm only adding the projects that would go through ABP, etc., but not projects like DART+ Fleet, Luas Fleet, BusConnects network redesign, etc. which while very important can proceed without the planning.

I'm mostly only adding active projects or ones likely to enter planning in the next year or so.

Please comment on any projects you think should be added, links to ABP, updates, etc.

corm500 · 06-02-2025 01:14PM

Very helpful. Thanks bk

riddlinrussell · 07-02-2025 05:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058393952/transport-infrastructure-projects-planning-status

Just putting a quote post, some mobile devices don't seem to want to show the table right, but it works fine inside a quote…

loyatemu · 07-02-2025 06:03PM

sticky this one!

gjim · 07-02-2025 06:34PM

And unsticky the "Infrastructure Index Thread - updated 06 July 2010" one. It contains nothing of value in 2025.

cgcsb · 10-02-2025 11:27AM

The Blackrock case was due to start today. I don't know if this is still happening. Rathfarnham JR window is expired with no fanfare, this is surprising actually, I had expected a few well heeled bored retirees to want their day in court.

I think ABP are taking the piss with metrolink at this stage. I've heard rumblings of decision due soon for weeks now but nothing credible.

The DART+ North project is overdue on a decision but ABP have yet to give the courtesy of updating the website to 'further consideration needed'

loyatemu · 10-02-2025 11:54AM

the lack of anything on Dart+ South is bizarre, I know the project has been gutted, but that was 2 years ago and the plans (which are presumable not particularly complex) are now years late for going to consultation.

The other baffling delay is the Strand Road cycle route JR. They'd have had the eastern bypass decided quicker than this basic cycle lane plan.

bk · 10-02-2025 01:15PM

No idea why, but it seems I can't edit the first post now! But I can edit my second post, so I've added the updated table to the second post. Maybe Sam can sort the permissions.

The Blackrock case was due to start today. I don't know if this is still happening. Rathfarnham JR window is expired with no fanfare, this is surprising actually, I had expected a few well heeled bored retirees to want their day in court.

Thanks cgcsb, great news on Rathfarnham, updated.

I wonder if the recent decision from the courts on wind farms and the climate emergency has put the cat amongst the pigeons relating to these and possible other potential future JR's. I wonder if they are now thinking anything but the most solid objections are likely to be successful, there is a new high bar set and some parties might be thinking that a nice negotiated settlement will be better then months in court only to get publicly ridden by a judge saying they are blocking public transport during a climate emergency!

loyatemu · 10-02-2025 01:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123154657#Comment_123154657

ABP are probably appealing that, hoping to get a less hippyish judge in the supreme court

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/an-bord-pleanala-looks-to-appeal-high-courts-very-significant-wind-farm-decision-1723188.html

blanch152 · 11-02-2025 01:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123154721#Comment_123154721

This is very interesting stuff, particularly around the duty of candour. As a quasi-judicial body, ABP has probably underestimated its need for transparency. If you follow employment law, you will realise that the Labour Court has been similarly criticised by both the High Court and the Supreme Court.

cgcsb · 11-02-2025 08:40PM

The ESB is now saying it doesn't have the capacity to deliver new power connections 3 DART projects and metrolink simultaneously. This will likely be a serious bottle neck. And of course one which was utterly predictable

spuddy · 11-02-2025 08:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123154721#Comment_123154721

Whatever you might think about this case, Ireland stands no chance of being a leader in wind generation anytime soon with a planning system like ours.

markpb · 11-02-2025 10:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123154312#Comment_123154312

Assuming I’m reading it right, the High Court judge (Justice Charles Meenan) that ruled against DCC in the Stand Road case is now a member of the Court of Appeal, the court that is hearing the appeal against that judgement.

I’ve no doubt that the judicial system has plenty of experience in ensuring judicial impartiality but perhaps they’re trying to find a way to rule against his wacky judgement without simultaneously accusing a colleague of being a nut job?

Sam Russell · 13-02-2025 10:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123160534#Comment_123160534

Is it possible that the ESB (a Gov semi-state body) can renegue on providing electricity to premier state projects? The sum of these projects represent some of the largest infrastructure projects in the state since Ard na Crucha - which was the founding of the ESB. How soon they forget.

Surely a few sharp words from the relevant minister to the powers that be (pun intended) in the ESB would result in a realignment of their priorities.

Sam Russell · 13-02-2025 10:44AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123160891#Comment_123160891

He would recuse himself from the case. His colleagues would go out of the way to not reference him in their judgement.

There is more than one way to crack a nut.

Zebra3 · 13-02-2025 11:24AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166131#Comment_123166131

How soon they forget?

You mean nearly 100 years on?

Thunder87 · 13-02-2025 11:34AM

Judging by the mess caused by spruce plantations in the west last month I'd assume the ESB will now have bigger fish to fry in terms of priorities over the next few years. There'll be huge political pressure to get their house in order and improve network resilience, maintenance etc in the west

Though given our complete lack of a rail infrastructure industry across the board I'd have thought there won't be enough capacity or expertise to do more than one Dart+ project at a time anyway

Sam Russell · 13-02-2025 11:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166320#Comment_123166320

Yes, I do.

The history of the ESB is built on the electricity service they created over the last 100 years, including rural electrification which was a forward thinking and brave project for the state at the time.

Only the extension of free secondary education to all could be measured on the same scale for bringing Ireland forward in development as a nation.

Are they now saying they are not up to the job of providing service to the state for major state funded infrastructure projects - even though they have the best part of a decade to provide them?

Or is it they are smarting after their failure to reinstate service to 758,000 subscribers in a reasonable time frame. The last home only resupplied in the last few days - 19 days since the storm.

There have been significant question asked about our sticks and string approach to local electricity distribution. Are the poles exclusively bitumen soaked timber with many past their life span? Were the power lines passing through forestry plantations monitored against the risk of trees falling and bringing down the cables? Are the cables that carry power insulated so that if they fall they are not of lethal danger to people who happen by? Are there far too many single points of failure in the network?

That is a lot of questions for ESB management to answer. Surely someone in ESB management should be considering their position.

cgcsb · 13-02-2025 12:02PM

I don't think it's that the esb are refusing to do stuff it's more that, after almost 100 years of public under investment and periods of zero investment, they are currently not in a position to build the infrastructure to accommodate 100kms of electrified rail in greater Dublin, plus a dramatic increase of housing and data centre demand.

The all Ireland Rail strategy caused quite the giggle in the ESB. Whatever about delivering electrified rail in greater Dublin, the prospect of electrified rail the prospect of electrified rail services in places like county Kilkenny or Athlone (which only has 110kv transmission at the moment) is just a laugh. The transmission network is very far from supporting this vision, possibly centuries away.

KrisW1001 · 13-02-2025 01:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166500#Comment_123166500

Outside Dublin, the rail network is most likely to be AC powered (around 25 kV) and the service frequencies are pretty low (probably only 30-40 trains on the entire network at any given time). This really isn’t anywhere near as big an issue as powering of a couple of hundred trains at peak times within the Dublin area is.

Domestic electricity consumption has fallen in the last 20 years. Moving to heat-pumps will reverse that trend, of course, but against that, domestic solar and battery is pushing down residential demand.

Data-centres are the big villains in the Irish grid. These are enormous loads that run effectively 24/7, and they need more backup and redundancy than other industrial uses, and we’ve got more Data Centre load per capita than any other European country (this is due to our geographical proximity to the US, which reduces latency for co-located services).

riddlinrussell · 13-02-2025 03:54PM

Strand Road Appeals Judgement due 11th April 2025

https://irishcycle.com/2025/02/12/long-awaited-strand-road-cycle-path-judgment-due-in-april-2025/

cgcsb · 19-02-2025 02:05PM

I'm hearing that the JRs against DART+West are to be heard on the last week of June. Hopefully the judgement will be swift.

All has gone quiet on the metrolink front.

PlatformNine · 22-02-2025 02:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123187359#Comment_123187359

I think these are the cases? If so then the hearing is currently scheduled for 23 June

https://services.courts.ie/high-court-search?caseRecordId=H.JR.2024.0001133

https://services.courts.ie/high-court-search?caseRecordId=H.JR.2024.0001140

Charles Babbage · 22-02-2025 03:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123167615#Comment_123167615

This scheme is a complete disgrace, instead of just moving the wall back 4m they are more interested in forcing cars off the road.

tom1ie · 22-02-2025 05:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123166424#Comment_123166424

Crazy post!
You do realise large swaths of the rural MV network had to be completely rebuilt due to forestry corridors not being maintained by the forestry companies who are now supposedly saying they could not get tree felling licences off the government department responsible.

ESB are massively expanding the network in the Dublin area but have to deal with the same Planning department that everyone else has to deal with.

Can anyone post a link to where the ESB has said it can’t deliver the electricity for these projects at the same time as providing electricity for all the new hosing that use heat pumps and EVs plus deliver electricity to its current customers?
Id be interested to read that press release.

Sam Russell · 22-02-2025 05:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123198724#Comment_123198724

Who is responsible for maintaining the power-line corridors in forest plantations? ESB or plantation owners? Do either need felling licences for thinning to maintain access to power-lines? I thought thinning was just forestry management.

2 nd point - do the ESB only use timber poles for MV lines, and are they strict about inspection and lifetime replacement?

Are ESB claiming difficulty in providing domestic supply for heat pumps and EV charging?

Interested to hear your answers.

tom1ie · 22-02-2025 05:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123198883#Comment_123198883

my understanding is corridors are to be maintained by private landlords in forestry areas- forestry was everywhere in the locations that brought down MV and LV lines. Apparently there is a government department that gives out tree felling licences and I think the last minister in charge was pippa Hackett.
The below article is from 2020 but you get the idea:

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/what-do-we-tell-someone-waiting-900-days-for-a-tree-felling-licence-sherlock/

2. Timber poles plus a small amount of composite polls are used. They are regularly patrolled as far as I know.

3. I don’t know? You said they were did you? I have t seen any press release saying they won’t connect them apart from on this thread.

Sam Russell · 22-02-2025 06:56PM

ESB are pursuing Heat pump business at the moment - they will not do retrofit premises unless it includes a heat pump. Plus they want everyone on smart meters which OK, but it is not possible to revert back. They do not appear to be walking away from domestic business. New housing developments might be a problem, but planning is difficult. Too many NIMBY appeals and JRs.

So, it is the forestry plantations that are responsible for much of the delay in restoring power. Irish Water for over reliance on electricity supply without any backup plan.

tom1ie · 22-02-2025 08:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123199188#Comment_123199188

The “delay” in getting power restored was rebuilding entire sections of MV and LV line due to the unprecedented damage caused by the storm.

ESB plus Framework contractors plus contractors from abroad, were absolutely flat out for the duration of the restoration effort.

Sam Russell · 22-02-2025 08:52PM

@tom1ie

This has gone way off topic, so I am leaving it there.

Transport Infrastructure projects planning status - see post #2 for latest info.

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