Delivering for Meath

Date: 03 July 2008

TRANSPORT 21 – DELIVERING FOR MEATH

· Additional bus services for Navan and Ratoath
· A new rail service to Dunboyne and Navan
· The largest park and ride facility in the country, located at M3

Thursday, July 3rd

Transport 21, the largest investment package ever in Ireland’s transport infrastructure, has already delivered real benefits for Meath 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, with almost €3 billion being invested in 2008.

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

“Residents and commuters in County Meath are well used to the difficulties that come from being within the commuter-belt to the capital. Both roads and public transport options have been under severe pressure within the county, and for this reason Transport 21 is making significant investment in improving the transport links in Meath and throughout the Greater Dublin Area.

“More buses and significantly enhanced bus services will give commuters more choice. Also, the development of a rail link to Navan, coupled with park and ride facilities, will transform transport in Meath. And, the M3 Clonee to North of Kells road project, on which work started in 2007, will transform how commuters, residents and business people access Meath, and travel to Dublin from the county.

“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 Ireland.”

Ends.

Note to Editors:

Bus Éireann
Transport 21 funding has allowed Bus Éireann to order 239 new vehicles, including 69 additional vehicles: single deck city buses, single deck commuter coaches, and double deck commuter coaches, all wheelchair accessible. Delivery of these new vehicles began in 2007 when 117 buses were delivered. This year, the remaining 122 will be delivered.
In January, a new 109A service – serving Navan, Ratoath, Dunshaughlin, Dublin Airport and DCU – was officially launched. The service, which was made possible by Transport 21 investment, operates hourly in both directions with a total of 34 daily departures seven days a week. The earliest service from Navan departs at 5am with departures operating until 9pm. Services from Dublin Airport operate to Navan from 6.20am until 10.20pm.
In June, improvements on the 105 Ratoath route were introduced – the service now runs from Ratoath to Dublin via the Fairyhouse Road on the hour every hour from 07.00am to midnight.

Iarnród Éireann
An Bord Pleanála approved the Railway Order to allow for the construction of a 7.5 kilometre rail line from Clonsilla to Dunboyne last February. The new line, due to open in 2010, represents the first phase of the reopening of the Navan Rail line under the Transport 21 investment programme.

The project includes three stations at Hansfield and Dunboyne. The inclusion of a major Park and Ride station at the M3 Interchange at Pace, north of Dunboyne, with car parking for up to 1,200 vehicles will make it the largest dedicated public transport park and ride facility in the country.

When completed, the Dunboyne to City Centre rail service will have a journey time of 30 minutes, with trains travelling from Dunboyne to Clonsilla and continuing along the existing commuter line to the city centre. A service frequency of every 15 minutes is planned for peak times. The trains will incorporate modern, high-capacity commuter rail carriages with capacity for up to 1,200 commuters per train, or 4,800 commuters per hour at peak times.

Roads
49kms of road is now under construction on the M3 Clonee to North of Kells road project. Also at construction stage right now is the N3 Kells to Carnaross road development, which runs to 10kms.

The N51 Navan Inner Relief Road is also being developed, as is the N52 Kells Bypass which forms part of the M3. Statutory approval has been received for the N2/N52 Ardee Bypass.

These are very significant road developments, which when delivered will radically improve the quality of life for commuters and residents of County Meath. They link Meath into the country’s growing high quality national road network and improve business links between Meath and Dublin.

Ends