Dublin Metro
Encyclopedia
The Dublin Metro is a proposed metro
system for the city of Dublin. The first two lines were set out in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21
transport plan: they are known as Metro North and Metro West. The metro scheme is part of the planned rail infrastructure of Dublin, along with Luas
trams, DART
and Dublin Suburban Rail
network.
Metro North (Irish: Meitreo Thuaidh) is to run from St. Stephen's Green
to the airport
and on to Swords
, ending at the Broadmeadow Estuary. Its route is planned to consist of two deep bore tunnels under the airport and in the city, along with cut and cover tunnelling through the main street in Ballymun
along with surface running in non built-up areas, and a few elevated sections. On 16 September 2008, the RPA submitted a Railway Order Application to An Bord Pleanála. On 27 October 2010, An Bord Pleanála granted a Railway Order for Metro North. It was speculated that the Metro North Project would be cancelled on 12 August 2011 following a review by Leo Varadkar
, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, this was to be confirmed on 10 November. On that day, the Irish Government announced that Metro North was being deferred.
Metro West (Irish: Meitreo Thiar) is to run from an intersection with Metro North, just south of the airport at Santry, and from there pass through Blanchardstown
, Liffey Valley
, and Clondalkin
before joining the Red Line of the Luas to continue towards Tallaght
. Metro West is planned to be entirely above ground, at road level, with major junctions overpassed. Metro West is currently planned to be 25.5 kilometres long. Planning on the Metro West Project was suspended in September 2011 following a review by Leo Varadkar
, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport as money to construct the new railway will not be available in the foreseeable future.
However, due to delays in the planning process and economic difficulties, it has emerged that Metro North will not be operational until at least 2016 and Metro West will only be operational in 2019 at the earliest.
(DTO). The purpose of the report was to come up with an integrated transportation strategy for the greater Dublin region. In its report, the DTO outlined plans for three Metro lines. The first was a North-South line which would run from Swords to Shanganagh via Dublin Airport, Finglas, Broadstone, the city centre, Ranelagh, Sandyford and Cherrywood. The second would link Tallaght West to Tallaght and then continue through the south-western suburbs of Dublin to the city centre. The third line would run in an orbital pattern, with a spur off the Swords-Shanganagh line at Finglas and then continue via Blanchardstown and Clondalkin to Tallaght, where it would connect with the other line.
Dublin Airport carried over 21 million passengers in 2006. This figure is projected to grow to 30 million by 2015. As a result, the Railway Procurement Agency
(RPA) identified a medium-capacity public-transport link to Dublin Airport as one of the most important gaps in the Dublin rail network. Two options were seen as a solution to the problem:
The metro option emerged as the preferred option, as it provides both an airport link and a commuter link. It has been described by the RPA as "an important commuter link for the communities and institutions of North Dublin City and County". Metro North (from Swords to St. Stephen's Green) and Metro West were adopted as government policy with the launch of the Transport 21 programme in 2005.
|}
The metro line will begin at an underground station in St. Stephen’s Green in the city centre. It will continue north and run underground through a 7 km long tunnel. Stops along this tunnel will include O'Connell Bridge, Parnell Square, Mater, Drumcondra and Griffith Avenue. It will continue in cut and cover tunnel through Ballymun, with two more stops at Dublin City University
and Ballymun town centre. The line emerges from tunnel north of Ballymun at the Northwood stop (previously named Santry Demesne) after which it crosses over the M50 motorway to another surface stop at Dardistown (previously referred to as Metropark) where there will be a 300 space Park and Ride facility. The Metro North maintenance depot will also be located at Dardistown. From here, the line continues into a 2.3km bored tunnel under Dublin Airport with a stop at the airport serving Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Short cut and cover underpasses will be used in parts of the track approaching Fosterstown station (previously Nevinstown) and after Swords stop. Elevated tracks will also be used here. Following Swords, the metro will terminate north of Swords at Estuary Stop.
The total route length will be 16.5 km of which over 10km will be in tunnel. Metro North will have a final design capacity of roughly 20,000 passengers per hour, based on one 90m train every 2 minutes. Park and ride facilities are planned for Fosterstown and Dardistown. There will be bus interchanges at most stops, while there will rail interchanges at Drumcondra and St. Stephen's Green (following the completion of DART Underground). The Luas will interchange at O'Connell St. and St. Stephen's Green.
In July 2009, the RPA narrowed down the list of bidders to two groups: Celtic Metro Group and Metro Express.
expressed its concern over the location of the Dublin Airport Station on the Metro North route. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the RPA's favoured option was a station at the Radisson SAS Hotel, which is 700 metres from the Airport Terminal. This option was devised on the basis that it would avoid the need for a tunnel under the airport. The Chamber of Commerce did not support this proposal. They said, "unless the more costly underground option [of tunnelling under the terminal] is developed, the massive economic and social benefits the project promises to deliver to the country over the coming decades will be put at risk." The location of the Metro stop may also pose a problem for users of the system who wish to access the proposed Terminal 3 to the west, which is part of the overall future development of the airport.
In the announcement of the proposed route on 19 October 2006, however, it was confirmed that the Metro station serving Dublin Airport would not be located at the Radisson SAS Hotel. The location according to the railway order application is for the station to be situated just east of St. Colmcille's church in the airport, close to the current short term carparks and adjacent to both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
that this would bring. Residents associations in the Whitehall
, Glasnevin
and Ballymun areas had campaigned for the cut and cover option (which creates the least long-term obstruction) as the deep-bore tunnel was not preferred due to its significantly higher cost. The underground track will run underground from St Stephen's Green to north of Ballymun and surface at the Northwood stop before crossing the M50 and going underground again under Dublin Airport.
, then transport spokesperson for the Irish Green Party
, called for the underground section of the Metro to be extended south to Beechwood, where it would then surface and provide a direct link to the Luas Green Line. This option would allow passengers to travel from the south of the city to the north, without having to change mode of transport. It is also consistent with the Dublin Transportation Office's suggestions in the Platform for Change document, which envisaged that a Metro line would run across the city following the upgrade of the Luas to Metro by 2020. The Green Party entered government in June 2007, however since then there does not seem to have been any change in government transport policy with regard to extending the Metro south of St. Stephen's Green.
Other concerns over the Metro North are that bicycles will not be allowed in the carriages, and that the distances between some of the most central stations are too long. Cost is also a concern, Metro North is expected to cost €2.5 billion. This means that each kilometre of track would cost approximately €138 million. There is also concern over lasting damage to St. Stephen's Green, as the northwest corner of it will become a construction site during the building of the Metro. The Railway Procurement Agency has attempted to allay some of the fears about the Metro North by publishing a document entitled "Metro North Myths And Facts".
In February 2011 RPA published the latest Metro North Route Map.
at '€2.5 to 3 billion' on RTE Prime Time on 21/October/2010http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1020/blog-21october2010_primetime.html. The RPA revised their business case for Metro North in December 2010. The revised versionhttp://www.nationaltransport.ie/downloads/metro_north_business_case_addendum.pdf estimates an internal rate of return of between 8.4% and 12.34%. The Benefit Cost ratio is estimated at between 1.46 and 1.89. The business case assumes that Metro North would carry 33.3 million passengers annually and that ticket revenue will be sufficient to cover operational costs. On September 22nd,2011, the Minister for Transport estimated that costs incurred to date on the Metro North project were €151m.http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2011-09-22.1336.0&s=metro+north#g1337.0.q The business case estimates that the Net Present Value
of the project is €1bn.
has agreed to lend €500mhttp://www.businessandfinance.ie/cat_news_detail.jsp?itemID=1189 to part finance the project. The intention is to fund the rest of the project through a combination of state funding and a Public Private Partnership. The PPP element is expected to be greater than €1bnhttp://ppp.gov.ie/ppp-projects/. The Minister for Transport has drawn attention to the difficulty in obtaining PPP finance for Ireland due to the country's weakened credit rating following the financial crisis and IMF interventionhttp://www.worldconstructiontoday.com/knowledgebank/pressreleases/321-varadkar-seeks-to-privatise-building-of-metro. The minister also speculated that funding may come from a sovereign wealth fund or from the National Pension Reserve Fund via the National Development Finance Authority.
, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. This was confirmed on the 10th of November 2011.
|}
Two potential routes for Metro West were published by the Railway Procurement Agency in January 2007, with a number of sub-options also included. Following discussions and a public consultation process, the preferred route was announced in July 2007. This route starts at Tallaght, then continues on through Belgard, Clondalkin, Liffey Valley, Blanchardstown. Stops are also planned for the National Aquatic Centre and Abbotstown, before continuing in the direction of Sillogue and Harristown. Following Harristown it will link with the Metro North, after Northwood and before Dardistown station. The line is expected to be 25 km long.
Although the Metro West is currently in the early planning stages and can change at a later stage, according to the design drawings produced by the RPA, the Metro West line will not be segregated from road traffic, unlike the Metro North proposal. Metro West will run overground, with some tunnels and bridges to avoid major road junctions. The preferred route will also see a number of interchanges with other modes of public transport. As well as the link with the Metro North, the line will also link with the Luas at Tallaght and Belgard, rail services at Fonthill and Porterstown and Dublin Bus
services at a number of other stops. Park and ride facilities are also proposed at a number of stops.
via stops at the N2 and Meakstown. When developing options for Metro West, the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) considered routes south of the M50, serving Finglas more directly. These routes were not deemed feasible as they would have considerable impact on residential and commercial properties in the area, require additional bridges over the M50 and add considerable journey time to the route. It is proposed in the DTO strategy that Finglas is served by a radial light rail line. The first phase of this is outlined in Transport 21 as running to Liffey Junction.
, it was expected to run under the city centre of Dublin. The tunnel would have allowed for the expansion of the electrified DART and the Dublin Suburban Rail network, and connect these rail transport systems.
It was intended to provide a link between the Docklands railway station
at Spencer Dock
(northern rail and western/north-western railway lines), Pearse Station (southern railway line) and Heuston Station (southwestern railway line). In addition, it would have connected to the Luas light rail system, and the planned Metro.
Metro North and DART Underground would have interconnect at St Stephen's Green station, the former supplying passengers to stations in the Northside whilst the latter runs along the Southside
of the River Liffey
, together providing underground rail access to much of the inner-city. Stations would have also provide easy access to some of the city's most tourist destinations, such as the O2 concert arena and the Point Village
and Spencer Dock city quarters via. the Docklands station; St Stephen's Green park and Stephen's Green Shopping Centre
via. St Stephen's Green station; Clerys
department store, the historic GPO
and the Spire of Dublin
on O'Connell Street
via. O'Connell Street station; Dublin Writers Museum
and the Garden of Remembrance
via. Parnell Square station; Trinity College, Dublin
and College Green
via. Pearse Street station; Guinness Storehouse
and Phoenix Park
via. Heuston Station
.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system for the city of Dublin. The first two lines were set out in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21
Transport 21
Transport 21 is an Irish infrastructure plan, announced in November 2005. It aims to greatly expand Ireland's transport network. A cost estimate of €34 billion was attached to the plan at the time....
transport plan: they are known as Metro North and Metro West. The metro scheme is part of the planned rail infrastructure of Dublin, along with Luas
Luas
Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...
trams, DART
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
and Dublin Suburban Rail
Dublin Suburban Rail
The Dublin Suburban Rail network, , is a railway network that serves the city of Dublin, Ireland, most of the Greater Dublin Area and outlying towns...
network.
Metro North (Irish: Meitreo Thuaidh) is to run from St. Stephen's Green
St. Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green is a city centre public park in Dublin, Ireland. The park is adjacent to one of Dublin's main shopping streets, Grafton Street, and to a shopping centre named for it, while on its surrounding streets are the offices of a number of public bodies and the city terminus of one of...
to the airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
and on to Swords
Swords, Dublin
Swords is the county town of Fingal in Ireland. It is about 13 km north of Dublin city centre and is part of its commuter belt.- History :...
, ending at the Broadmeadow Estuary. Its route is planned to consist of two deep bore tunnels under the airport and in the city, along with cut and cover tunnelling through the main street in Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
along with surface running in non built-up areas, and a few elevated sections. On 16 September 2008, the RPA submitted a Railway Order Application to An Bord Pleanála. On 27 October 2010, An Bord Pleanála granted a Railway Order for Metro North. It was speculated that the Metro North Project would be cancelled on 12 August 2011 following a review by Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency since June 2007. He is currently the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, being appointed on 9 March 2011....
, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, this was to be confirmed on 10 November. On that day, the Irish Government announced that Metro North was being deferred.
Metro West (Irish: Meitreo Thiar) is to run from an intersection with Metro North, just south of the airport at Santry, and from there pass through Blanchardstown
Blanchardstown
Blanchardstown is a large suburb of Dublin in the district of Fingal, Ireland. It is within the historical barony of Castleknock. It is located 10 km north-west of the city centre. The suburb is in the Dublin 15 postal area, the Dublin West electoral constituency, and Fingal County...
, Liffey Valley
Liffey Valley Shopping Centre
Liffey Valley Shopping Centre is a shopping centre, that is located in Clondalkin in Dublin 22. The centre opened in 1998 and is located at the junction of the M50 motorway and N4 road...
, and Clondalkin
Clondalkin
-Today:Modern Clondalkin is a busy satellite town of Dublin, with a population of 43,929 in 2006. Retail facilities include Tesco Ireland- and Dunnes Stores-led shopping centres, and Aldi and Lidl stores on the Fonthill Road and New Nangor Road respectively, and the village centre is a base for...
before joining the Red Line of the Luas to continue towards Tallaght
Tallaght
Tallaght is the largest town, and county town, of South Dublin County, Ireland. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, held one of the earliest settlements known in the southern part of the island, and one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres.Up to the 1960s...
. Metro West is planned to be entirely above ground, at road level, with major junctions overpassed. Metro West is currently planned to be 25.5 kilometres long. Planning on the Metro West Project was suspended in September 2011 following a review by Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency since June 2007. He is currently the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, being appointed on 9 March 2011....
, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport as money to construct the new railway will not be available in the foreseeable future.
Proposed
The original envisaged timeline set out in the Transport 21 plan was for the Metro system to be delivered in phases as follows:- 2010 - Metro West Phase 1 (Tallaght to Clondalkin).
- 2011 - Metro West Phase 2 (Clondalkin to Lucan).
- 2012 - Metro West Phase 3 (Lucan to Blanchardstown).
- 2013 - Metro North
- 2014 - Metro West Phase 4 (Blanchardstown to Ballymun).
However, due to delays in the planning process and economic difficulties, it has emerged that Metro North will not be operational until at least 2016 and Metro West will only be operational in 2019 at the earliest.
History of proposed Metro
The original idea for the two Metro lines in Dublin can be attributed to the November 2001 "Platform for Change" report by the Dublin Transportation OfficeDublin Transportation Office
The Dublin Transportation Office was a government agency, formed in 1996, which provides transport and land use advice to organisations operating in the Greater Dublin Area. It had relatively limited powers and is not a full transport authority...
(DTO). The purpose of the report was to come up with an integrated transportation strategy for the greater Dublin region. In its report, the DTO outlined plans for three Metro lines. The first was a North-South line which would run from Swords to Shanganagh via Dublin Airport, Finglas, Broadstone, the city centre, Ranelagh, Sandyford and Cherrywood. The second would link Tallaght West to Tallaght and then continue through the south-western suburbs of Dublin to the city centre. The third line would run in an orbital pattern, with a spur off the Swords-Shanganagh line at Finglas and then continue via Blanchardstown and Clondalkin to Tallaght, where it would connect with the other line.
Dublin Airport carried over 21 million passengers in 2006. This figure is projected to grow to 30 million by 2015. As a result, the Railway Procurement Agency
Railway Procurement Agency
Railway Procurement Agency is a State Agency of the Department of Transport in the Republic of Ireland charged with the development of light railway and metro infrastructure...
(RPA) identified a medium-capacity public-transport link to Dublin Airport as one of the most important gaps in the Dublin rail network. Two options were seen as a solution to the problem:
- A spur off the existing DART line to Dublin Airport, as proposed by Iarnród ÉireannIarnród ÉireannIarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
. - A metro system, running from Finglas through Dublin Airport and on to the city centre, in line with the DTO's suggestions.
The metro option emerged as the preferred option, as it provides both an airport link and a commuter link. It has been described by the RPA as "an important commuter link for the communities and institutions of North Dublin City and County". Metro North (from Swords to St. Stephen's Green) and Metro West were adopted as government policy with the launch of the Transport 21 programme in 2005.
Metro North
|}
Details
Three potential routes for Metro North were published by the Railway Procurement Agency in February 2006. After public consultation, the RPA announced in October 2006 that they had selected a routing known as the 'East/Central Combined Route'. A slightly updated route, with changes in proposed station names, some modifications to station locations, and details of proposed overground and underground routes through Swords was released by the RPA in March 2008.The metro line will begin at an underground station in St. Stephen’s Green in the city centre. It will continue north and run underground through a 7 km long tunnel. Stops along this tunnel will include O'Connell Bridge, Parnell Square, Mater, Drumcondra and Griffith Avenue. It will continue in cut and cover tunnel through Ballymun, with two more stops at Dublin City University
Dublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
and Ballymun town centre. The line emerges from tunnel north of Ballymun at the Northwood stop (previously named Santry Demesne) after which it crosses over the M50 motorway to another surface stop at Dardistown (previously referred to as Metropark) where there will be a 300 space Park and Ride facility. The Metro North maintenance depot will also be located at Dardistown. From here, the line continues into a 2.3km bored tunnel under Dublin Airport with a stop at the airport serving Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Short cut and cover underpasses will be used in parts of the track approaching Fosterstown station (previously Nevinstown) and after Swords stop. Elevated tracks will also be used here. Following Swords, the metro will terminate north of Swords at Estuary Stop.
The total route length will be 16.5 km of which over 10km will be in tunnel. Metro North will have a final design capacity of roughly 20,000 passengers per hour, based on one 90m train every 2 minutes. Park and ride facilities are planned for Fosterstown and Dardistown. There will be bus interchanges at most stops, while there will rail interchanges at Drumcondra and St. Stephen's Green (following the completion of DART Underground). The Luas will interchange at O'Connell St. and St. Stephen's Green.
Progress
On 22 March 2007 the Railway Procurement Agency began the procurement process for Metro North. In October 2007 it announced that it had a shortlist of four consortiums interested in building Metro North. Draft Environmental Impact Statements were published in early 2008. On 17 September 2008, the RPA applied for a railway order to An Bord Pleanála. Oral hearings were heard during 2009 and 2010.In July 2009, the RPA narrowed down the list of bidders to two groups: Celtic Metro Group and Metro Express.
Concerns over location of Dublin Airport station
In July 2006, the Dublin Chamber of CommerceDublin Chamber of Commerce
Dublin Chamber of Commerce is one of the oldest such organisations in Europe and traces its origins back to the Autumn of 1695 when the Dublin shipping company of Ferris, Twiggs and Cash sent their vessel Ouzel Galley on an important trading journey to the near-Eastern Seas. With provisions, a crew...
expressed its concern over the location of the Dublin Airport Station on the Metro North route. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the RPA's favoured option was a station at the Radisson SAS Hotel, which is 700 metres from the Airport Terminal. This option was devised on the basis that it would avoid the need for a tunnel under the airport. The Chamber of Commerce did not support this proposal. They said, "unless the more costly underground option [of tunnelling under the terminal] is developed, the massive economic and social benefits the project promises to deliver to the country over the coming decades will be put at risk." The location of the Metro stop may also pose a problem for users of the system who wish to access the proposed Terminal 3 to the west, which is part of the overall future development of the airport.
In the announcement of the proposed route on 19 October 2006, however, it was confirmed that the Metro station serving Dublin Airport would not be located at the Radisson SAS Hotel. The location according to the railway order application is for the station to be situated just east of St. Colmcille's church in the airport, close to the current short term carparks and adjacent to both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
DCU/Ballymun track
On 20 April 2007 RTÉ News reported that the decision to have elevated tracks between Dublin City University (where the underground section ends) and the airport (where it goes underground again) have been scrapped due to many complaints about noise and visual pollutionVisual pollution
Visual pollution is the term given to unattractive and man-made visual elements of a vista, a landscape, or any other thing that a person does not feel comfortable to look at. Visual pollution is an aesthetic issue, referring to the impacts of pollution that impair one's ability to enjoy a vista or...
that this would bring. Residents associations in the Whitehall
Whitehall, Dublin
Whitehall is a Northside suburb of Dublin City, Ireland.Whitehall is on the northern outskirts of Dublin's inner city, located on the N1 road leading to Dublin Airport, Swords and Belfast, between Santry and Drumcondra. North of Whitehall, the N1 becomes a motorway, the M1...
, Glasnevin
Glasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...
and Ballymun areas had campaigned for the cut and cover option (which creates the least long-term obstruction) as the deep-bore tunnel was not preferred due to its significantly higher cost. The underground track will run underground from St Stephen's Green to north of Ballymun and surface at the Northwood stop before crossing the M50 and going underground again under Dublin Airport.
Other concerns
In 2006 Eamon RyanEamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
, then transport spokesperson for the Irish Green Party
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
, called for the underground section of the Metro to be extended south to Beechwood, where it would then surface and provide a direct link to the Luas Green Line. This option would allow passengers to travel from the south of the city to the north, without having to change mode of transport. It is also consistent with the Dublin Transportation Office's suggestions in the Platform for Change document, which envisaged that a Metro line would run across the city following the upgrade of the Luas to Metro by 2020. The Green Party entered government in June 2007, however since then there does not seem to have been any change in government transport policy with regard to extending the Metro south of St. Stephen's Green.
Other concerns over the Metro North are that bicycles will not be allowed in the carriages, and that the distances between some of the most central stations are too long. Cost is also a concern, Metro North is expected to cost €2.5 billion. This means that each kilometre of track would cost approximately €138 million. There is also concern over lasting damage to St. Stephen's Green, as the northwest corner of it will become a construction site during the building of the Metro. The Railway Procurement Agency has attempted to allay some of the fears about the Metro North by publishing a document entitled "Metro North Myths And Facts".
In February 2011 RPA published the latest Metro North Route Map.
Value for money
The cost of the project was estimated by then Minister Eamon RyanEamon Ryan
Eamon Ryan is an Irish politician and leader of the Irish Green Party. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South constituency from 2002 to 2011, and served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2007 to 2011....
at '€2.5 to 3 billion' on RTE Prime Time on 21/October/2010http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1020/blog-21october2010_primetime.html. The RPA revised their business case for Metro North in December 2010. The revised versionhttp://www.nationaltransport.ie/downloads/metro_north_business_case_addendum.pdf estimates an internal rate of return of between 8.4% and 12.34%. The Benefit Cost ratio is estimated at between 1.46 and 1.89. The business case assumes that Metro North would carry 33.3 million passengers annually and that ticket revenue will be sufficient to cover operational costs. On September 22nd,2011, the Minister for Transport estimated that costs incurred to date on the Metro North project were €151m.http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2011-09-22.1336.0&s=metro+north#g1337.0.q The business case estimates that the Net Present Value
Net present value
In finance, the net present value or net present worth of a time series of cash flows, both incoming and outgoing, is defined as the sum of the present values of the individual cash flows of the same entity...
of the project is €1bn.
Funding
The European Investment BankEuropean Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank is the European Union's long-term lending institution established in 1958 under the Treaty of Rome. A policy-driven bank, the EIB supports the EU’s priority objectives, especially European integration and the development of economically weak regions...
has agreed to lend €500mhttp://www.businessandfinance.ie/cat_news_detail.jsp?itemID=1189 to part finance the project. The intention is to fund the rest of the project through a combination of state funding and a Public Private Partnership. The PPP element is expected to be greater than €1bnhttp://ppp.gov.ie/ppp-projects/. The Minister for Transport has drawn attention to the difficulty in obtaining PPP finance for Ireland due to the country's weakened credit rating following the financial crisis and IMF interventionhttp://www.worldconstructiontoday.com/knowledgebank/pressreleases/321-varadkar-seeks-to-privatise-building-of-metro. The minister also speculated that funding may come from a sovereign wealth fund or from the National Pension Reserve Fund via the National Development Finance Authority.
Deferred
It was speculated that the Metro North Project along with the DART Underground project would both be indefinitely deferred on 12 August 2011 following a review by Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency since June 2007. He is currently the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, being appointed on 9 March 2011....
, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. This was confirmed on the 10th of November 2011.
Metro North Railway Order for Maintenance Depot Granted
Metro North Railway Order for Maintenance Depot was granted on 5 October 2011 by An Bord Pleanála. The maintenace depot will be located at the Dardistown Metro North stop. http://www.rpa.ie/en/projects/metro_north/build_and_operation_permission/Pages/default.aspxMetro West
|}
Two potential routes for Metro West were published by the Railway Procurement Agency in January 2007, with a number of sub-options also included. Following discussions and a public consultation process, the preferred route was announced in July 2007. This route starts at Tallaght, then continues on through Belgard, Clondalkin, Liffey Valley, Blanchardstown. Stops are also planned for the National Aquatic Centre and Abbotstown, before continuing in the direction of Sillogue and Harristown. Following Harristown it will link with the Metro North, after Northwood and before Dardistown station. The line is expected to be 25 km long.
Although the Metro West is currently in the early planning stages and can change at a later stage, according to the design drawings produced by the RPA, the Metro West line will not be segregated from road traffic, unlike the Metro North proposal. Metro West will run overground, with some tunnels and bridges to avoid major road junctions. The preferred route will also see a number of interchanges with other modes of public transport. As well as the link with the Metro North, the line will also link with the Luas at Tallaght and Belgard, rail services at Fonthill and Porterstown and Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
services at a number of other stops. Park and ride facilities are also proposed at a number of stops.
Route through Finglas
Metro West will serve the northern parts of FinglasFinglas
-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland* List of abbeys and priories in Ireland...
via stops at the N2 and Meakstown. When developing options for Metro West, the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) considered routes south of the M50, serving Finglas more directly. These routes were not deemed feasible as they would have considerable impact on residential and commercial properties in the area, require additional bridges over the M50 and add considerable journey time to the route. It is proposed in the DTO strategy that Finglas is served by a radial light rail line. The first phase of this is outlined in Transport 21 as running to Liffey Junction.
Route selection
On 11 November 2008, the RPA chose their preferred route for Metro West, including indicative stops, depot and Park and Ride locations. The preferred route for Metro West runs from Tallaght to Metro North at Dardistown, via Clondalkin, Liffey Valley and Blanchardstown. The preferred route is approximately 25.5 km long. The planned route will interchange with (from south to north) the Luas Red Line, Kildare Railway Line, Luas Line F (to Lucan), Maynooth Railway Line and Metro North Line, as well as local bus services.DART Underground
The Interconnector , also known as DART Underground, was a planned railway tunnel in IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, it was expected to run under the city centre of Dublin. The tunnel would have allowed for the expansion of the electrified DART and the Dublin Suburban Rail network, and connect these rail transport systems.
It was intended to provide a link between the Docklands railway station
Docklands railway station
Docklands Station is a new railway station serving the Dublin Docklands area in Ireland owned by Córas Iompair Éireann planned as part of the Government Transport 21 initiative....
at Spencer Dock
Spencer Dock
Spencer Dock is a location within North Wall, Dublin, Ireland. The dockland area was originally part of the end of the Royal Canal, which still reaches the River Liffey here...
(northern rail and western/north-western railway lines), Pearse Station (southern railway line) and Heuston Station (southwestern railway line). In addition, it would have connected to the Luas light rail system, and the planned Metro.
Metro North and DART Underground would have interconnect at St Stephen's Green station, the former supplying passengers to stations in the Northside whilst the latter runs along the Southside
Southside (Dublin)
The Southside is not an official administrative area but a colloquial term referring to the area of County Dublin bounded to the north by the River Liffey to the east by Dublin Bay, to the south and west by the boundaries of County Dublin...
of the River Liffey
River Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
, together providing underground rail access to much of the inner-city. Stations would have also provide easy access to some of the city's most tourist destinations, such as the O2 concert arena and the Point Village
Point Village
The Point Village is a new 'city quarter' in the North Wall area of Dublin, Ireland. The €800 million development is currently under construction and was planned to feature a shopping centre, a cinema complex, a museum, offices and a hotel plus a five-storey underground car park.-Projects:The O2...
and Spencer Dock city quarters via. the Docklands station; St Stephen's Green park and Stephen's Green Shopping Centre
Stephen's Green Shopping Centre
Stephen's Green Shopping Centre is a large indoor shopping centre located at the top of Grafton Street in the Southside of Dublin City. It is named after St...
via. St Stephen's Green station; Clerys
Clerys
Clerys is a long-established department store on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, a focal point of the street, and of the city....
department store, the historic GPO
General Post Office (Dublin)
The General Post Office ' in Dublin is the headquarters of the Irish postal service, An Post, and Dublin's principal post office...
and the Spire of Dublin
Spire of Dublin
The Spire of Dublin, officially titled the Monument of Light is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument in height, located on the site of the former Nelson's Pillar on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland.-Details:...
on O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
via. O'Connell Street station; Dublin Writers Museum
Dublin Writers Museum
The Dublin Writers Museum was opened in November 1991 at No 18, Parnell Square, Dublin, Ireland. The museum occupies an original 18th-century house, which accommodates the museum rooms, library, gallery and administration area. The annexe behind it has a coffee shop and bookshop on the ground floor...
and the Garden of Remembrance
Garden of Remembrance (Dublin)
The Garden of Remembrance is a memorial garden in Dublin dedicated to the memory of "all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom"...
via. Parnell Square station; Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
and College Green
College Green
College Green is a three-sided "square" in the centre of Dublin. On its northern side is a building known today as the Bank of Ireland which until 1800 was Ireland's Parliament House. To its east stands Trinity College Dublin, the only constituent college of the University of Dublin. To its south...
via. Pearse Street station; Guinness Storehouse
Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is a Guinness-themed tourist attraction located at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, Republic of Ireland...
and Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
via. Heuston Station
Dublin Heuston railway station
Dublin Heuston , commonly called Heuston Station , is one of Ireland's main railway stations, serving the south, southwest and west. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann , the national railway operator...
.