Metro West Railway Order

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1021/1224281622547.html

FF pushing this just as their time in power is up?

waste of time and money - it won't be built in its proposed form.

Its not in the current capital plan, therefore its unlikely to even start before 2015 at the earliest - I can't honestly believe that in the 5-8 years it takes for funding to (possibly) become available, somebody won't cry "stop" or some new masterplan for the capital will be drawn up. Basically its highly likely some future govt or transport authority will scrap it because:

• It serves a lot of open space and industrial estates that are now unlikely ever to be redeveloped in the way envisioned when the route was first sketched on the back of a napkin.
• While it does serve some populated areas, there's not enough potential traffic between these areas to justify it

loyatemu wrote: »

Its not in the current capital plan, therefore its unlikely to even start before 2015 at the earliest - I can't honestly believe that in the 5-8 years it takes for funding to (possibly) become available, somebody won't cry "stop" or some new masterplan for the capital will be drawn up. Basically its highly likely some future govt or transport authority will scrap it because:

• It serves a lot of open space and industrial estates that are now unlikely ever to be redeveloped in the way envisioned when the route was first sketched on the back of a napkin.
• While it does serve some populated areas, there's not enough potential traffic between these areas to justify it

Not sure of the volumes expect and won't like to guess.
However I agree when you look at http://www.transport21.ie/Projects/upload/Image/Metro_West_alignment_1108_large.jpg . Pretty much the entire north-side stretch seeams to be on the wrong side of the M50. A link up with Luas D in broombridge and up on to Carba, Finglas, Ballymun and link with MN would appear on paper at least to make more sence

LeinsterDub wrote: »

Care to elaborate? Why is a waste of time and money and what form would you suggest it takes?

An orbital LUAS (more appropriate to probable capacity), Were Line D extended to the LUAS West alignment then it's possible that the Line A, D and F depots would be able to handle the LUAS West services without building yet another depot.

loyatemu wrote: »

afaik it is planned to be built to Luas spec - there are at-grade crossings, on-street sections etc. The Metro name is slightly misleading and is only being used because it connects up with MN.

I think it's actually somewhere in between.The platform length, power system and other technical specifications will be the same as Metro North, with interchangeable rolling stock. The line segregation however will be somewhat more similar to Luas, and the track will link with the Luas in Tallaght for some reason

Projected passengers of 36million Not bloody likely :eek:

I like that bridge, actually, I like the architecture for the project in general, it shows a bit of vision rather than the usual "sure we'll stick down some concrete and it'll be grand".

I see that unlike IE, metro will have actual grade separated junctions.

Have there ever been any cost projections of this?

I'm guessing the cost per kilometre of most of the route won't be that much above the Luas Green line extension at €40million/km. At 25km that works out at €1billion.

But there's also a few expensive looking structures along the route such as the Belgard stop, the Quaryvale underpass, and the Liffey bridge. These could put it up to maybe €1.1 or €1.2 billion? Besides having a general rail fetish, I'm really starting to get less enthusiastic about this project That kind of money could do wonders if it was put into more city centre focused projects instead.

I'm not saying the line should never be built, but I can't see it being needed anytime in the next couple of decades as the size of employment in the city's suburbs outside the M50 doesn't require that much travel capacity. Even as an increase, Dublin Bus will soon have buses travelling between Tallaght and Blanchardstown every 15 to 30 mins.This is nowhere near the kind of numbers that could sustain a light rail line like this :rolleyes:

Heartbreak Hank wrote: »

The Railway Order website has been populated with drawings etc.
Link

Ploughed through the drawings. Some observations:

The Liffey Bridge looks interesting, a landmark feature a la the Luas's Dundrum Bridge, but different. I think between that, the M1 Boyne Valley Bridge and a couple of other examples that we have 'done' the white, single-tower, cable-stay model so good to see something a little different than anything we have already. It features two pedestrian levels, one drooping down following the main support cables with a platform under the rail deck above the river. Gone fishin'?.

There are several turnbacks along the route, all orientated from/to the north. I think a phased build/operation from the northern end has been planned?

The depot is located close to Dublin Bus's Harristown depot. I wonder will this be reconsidered now that the Metro North depot will need a new location. There seems to be a strong case and plenty of room for a single large depot nearer Dardistown.

The Metro North/West tracks meet in a full delta junction with grade-seperated turns for all directions. SSG-Blanchardstown service anyone?

There seems to be a very large number of Park & Ride spaces scattered along the northern M50 stops. Again, SSG-Blanchardstown service and competition for M3-Pace?

Curious mix of grade seperation with respect to roads. On the northern stretch from Dardistown to Blanchardstown, there are several viaducts over major and minor roads. After that though, it is nearly all at street level with major road realingment work from Liffey Valley to Tallaght. It even crosses the planned slip roads at the new Newlands Cross junction (Red Cow II?). Lots of tight turns too. I can't see this being very fast. The run through Blanchardstwon Shpping Centre looks particularly fugly.

Straight across Castleknock Golf Course! I can only guess the club would get hold of an adjacent land bank to reconfigure the course.


Of course, the chances of this all being built in my lifetime are less than 100% :rolleyes:

Metro West should be dropped imo. The route simply has too many twists and turns, which makes it slow. Also, if MN was shortened because it was passing through undeveloped land past Swords, then surely MW is a non-runner as it meanders through some empty fields in North County Dublin.

If we are to have a 'circular line', then it should be inside the M50 and it should be mostly underground.