Delivering for Dublin

TRANSPORT 21 – DELIVERING FOR DUBLIN



Extensions of Luas lines ongoing, with the lengthening of Luas trams on the Tallaght line completed

Significant expansions of Dublin Bus services, and introduction of new routes

Important developments of Metro North and Metro West progressing

New interchanges and more lanes on the M50 offering less congestion, and quicker commutes


Thursday, June 19th


Transport 21, the largest investment package ever in Ireland’s transport infrastructure, has already delivered real benefits for Dublin and many more significant improvements are on the way. Since it was launched two years ago, Transport 21 has invested €4.7 billion in transport networks across Ireland. Almost €3 billion is being invested through Transport 21 in 2008.

Commenting on the ongoing investment in Dublin’s transport infrastructure, Noel Dempsey TD, Minister for Transport, today said:

“Transport 21 has already delivered longer Luas trams on the Tallaght line, and Luas extension works are underway to Cherrywood and to the Point. More Luas developments are planned, to Bray in Wicklow, and to Lucan and Citywest. Transport 21 is also delivering more buses and enhanced bus services, and better commuter services to Wicklow, Meath and Kildare.

“And, in developments that will serve the city not only for years but for generations, the planning and development for Metro North and Metro West, and for the Dart underground, is also progressing. Coupled with the ongoing M50 upgrade, which will double the capacity of this route, transport in the Greater Dublin Area has never witnessed this level of activity in the history of the capital.

“Under Transport 21, €34 billion is being invested in Ireland’s road, rail, bus, tram, metro and regional air services between 2006 and 2015. Transport 21 is transforming the quality of life of families and commuters, linking communities together, and making it easier to do business right across Dublin and into Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. There are significant transport challenges in these areas but we are investing now to systematically address these challenges. Hard pressed commuters deserve to know that relief is on the way.”

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Note to Editors


Luas

Some 28.4 million passenger trips were made on the two Luas lines in 2007. Contributing to this, the tram extension programme on the Red Line has now extended all 26 trams from 30 to 40 metres.

Construction work is also continuing on the two Luas extensions – the 7.5 kilometre stretch from Sandyford to Cherrywood, and the Docklands extension to the Point Depot.

Once the new Cherrywood line is complete, a further extension is planned which will bring the Luas to the high density residential and commercial developments west of Bray. It is also planned to provide a Luas link to Bray Dart station.

Work on a 4km extension of the Red Line to Citywest, that will see a 4km spur serving communities in West Tallaght, is pending. An oral hearing was held in March at An Bord Pleanála on the project.

And, extensive public consultations have taken place regarding the proposed Luas from Lucan to the city centre, with the RPA hoping to announce the emerging preferred route later this year. More than 2,300 submissions were made to the RPA regarding this Luas development.

Dublin Bus

Over eighty buses have been deployed across the Dublin Bus network under Transport 21. This has allowed for new services to be introduced and existing services to be improved, including:

In February 2008, Route 140 was introduced in the North Finglas area. Loading studies undertaken by Dublin Bus have shown that Route 140 carries approximately 40,000 commuters a week.

Another new service introduced by Dublin Bus was Route 68X, which entered service in March. This provides a vital link between Greenogue Business Park and the city centre, and has increased customer capacity from Newcastle and Greenogue Business Park by 25%.

In addition to the introduction of new routes, Dublin Bus has worked towards enhancing existing routes. In March 2008, the Route 102 was extended.

Also in March, a further 22 routes across the Dublin Bus network were designated low floor wheelchair accessible. By the end of 2008 78% of the fleet will be low floor accessible, rising to 100% by 2012.

Transport 21 is part-funding 50 new triaxle buses for the Dublin Bus fleet. These vehicles can carry 33 more passengers than a standard bus.

Metro

Work on the exciting projects of Metro North and Metro West is ongoing.

Metro North is a 17 kilometre metro line from St Stephen’s Green via Dublin Airport to Lissenhall, north of Swords. Expected to carry 34 million passengers a year once operational, it will allow passengers to travel from Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre in under 20 minutes.

The procurement process for Metro North is ongoing. Four pre-qualified consortia have been invited to submit their tenders for the project.

Metro West will link the important towns of Tallaght, Clondalkin, Blanchardstown and Porterstown and will provide a fast commuter service to the city centre and the airport via Metro North. The Metro West route was announced last summer, and it is estimated that the construction of Metro West will take up to 5 years with completion expected in 2014.

Iarnród Éireann

Projects to improve, expand, and develop our rail infrastructure are progressing fast. Recent successes include the major expansion of the Dublin/Cork service that has seen the introduction of an hourly service between the two cities. New Intercity railcars, funded by Transport 21, were also introduced on the Sligo line last year, resulting in a significant increase in frequency of services up from 5 to 8 per day. At the end of 2008, the new railcars will also be introduced on the Dublin/Westport and Dublin/Galway lines. These are all important links from Dublin to major urban areas outside the capital.

In Dublin City, the development of the Dart underground – the 5.2 kilometre interconnector tunnel which will link the Northern line to the Kildare line, with underground stops at Docklands, Pearse, St Stephen’s Green, Christchurch and Heuston – is progressing.

The Interconnector, along with the electrification of the Maynooth, Kildare and Northern Lines and the four tracking of the Kildare line, will quadruple the capacity of the Greater Dublin commuter rail network to over 100 million passenger journeys annually. It is due to be completed by 2015 under the Transport 21 package of investment. A Railway Order application - the equivalent to planning permission - will be made in 2009, and it is expected that construction will begin in 2010.

Roads

The Transport 21 funded major route to Northern Ireland, the M1, is already completed and in use. This has revolutionised how residents and business people move between Dublin and Northern Ireland.

425kms of new road linking Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford is under construction, and is on time and on budget for 2010 completion. The N2 Finglas to Ashborne road development (17kms) is open to traffic, as is the M50 Dublin Port Tunnel.

One of the most significant developments for Dubliners, ongoing right now, is the major overhaul of the M50. When completed, the capacity of the M50 will have doubled. The M50 Upgrade scheme involves adding a third lane in each direction on the M50 over a distance of 31km between the M1 and Sandyford Interchanges.

Work began on Phase 1 of the scheme in autumn 2006, consisting of the upgrading of 8kms of the existing carriageway between the N4, (Galway Road), N7 (Naas Road/Red Cow Roundabout) and Ballymount Interchange, and will be completed this year. Already new lanes, including new dedicated lanes for moving from one interchange to another, are open to traffic. The construction of new full and partial free flowing interchanges at the Red Cow, Liffey Valley and Ballymount roundabouts will also bring real relief from traffic congestion.

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