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AN BORD PLEANÁLA has granted a railway order for a new Luas line linking the two existing light rail lines in Dublin.
The 5.6km Luas Broombridge (BxD) line will run from the green line’s St Stephen’s Green stop (and line end) in Dublin city centre to Broombridge via O’Connell Street, where the red line runs.
The new line will also run past the new DIT campus site at Grangegorman, which was also recently granted planning permission. The government announced last month that the campus would be part of the €2bn stimulus package.
Although part of the ‘Transport 21′ programme announced in 2005, the new Luas line is just one of three major transport projects approved in the government’s Capital Investment 2012-16 programme – the other two are the Metro North and the Dart Underground.
In November, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar confirmed that construction is due to begin on the Luas BxD line will begin in 2015, but that the other two projects are being deferred. Construction of the new line is expected to create 800 jobs.
However, construction will not begin on the project until funding has been confirmed.
Responding to the planning approval, Dublin Chamber chief executive Gina Quin said: “Once financing arrangements are made, the Dublin Chamber said it will be ready to work closely with the Railway Procurement Agency and Dublin City Council to ensure that Dublin will remain ‘open for business’ during the period of construction.”
Just waiting for the anti-Dub crowd to come out and complain that this is a useless waste of money.
Modernising our transport network is crucial. Dublin is the logical first step in doing so. While the other major cities also deserve networks such as tram systems Dublin was the best place to start. We look like we’re in the stone age compared to the rest of Europe.
why are you make such a drastic assumption? take it easy man.
There are a few people who comment on the journal who have from what it looks like a hatred of Dublin if that’s what you are referring to.
If you mean by how Ireland is in the stone age, I actually emigrated 2 years ago to the continent so I see every day the comparison between Dublin and the major cities in Europe.
Because of the amount of anti-Dub comments on here Aidan. Any news on this website about Dublin about transport to the weather gets bombarded with anti Dublin comments from people from around the country.
Being abroad is all the more reason to be mindful of assumptions because the only view you have on Ireland is looking at the media, chatting with some friends
And being abroad, you should portray positivity about Ireland, even if you dont fully beleive it, as it is your homeland, and you’ll be back one day. Careful you don’t come back with a continental chip on your shoulder.
i like Dublin but the “Dubliner” is the problem
Peter you just proved my point, Dubliners make Dublin the great city it is. Your anti comments are very sad…. Love your capital & people the biggest draw for tourists, Dublin is the destination for them. The vast majority of tourists to ireland visit the country because of Dublin, be grateful………
What is even more sad for you Peter is your twitter page says Dublin……Obviously you are not a Dubliner with the comment you just left…….
Oh dear! Very bad news for the green line people. I would of thought a tram to the airport would of been more useful than spending millions linking up a short distance between 2 lines!!
Agreed, I think we’re one of the few country’s in europe that do not have a proper railway/tram line from our capitals airport to the city centre.
There is no business case for a route to the airport by itself. The passengers just aren’t there for it. Certainly serve the airport as part of a bigger route but even when you look at the flawed Metro North project it wasn’t even connecting with the main national rail and bus terminii – Dublin airport is a national airport. Express Bus services are the still the best way to serve the airport at present.
Brian stick to drinking tea! Clueless!
Personally I think the capital will develop and work more efficiently with a tram/rail system in place connecting the city and the Airport. This could connect Connolly station and the other luas lines.
Linking the green line and the red line is going to be a nightmare in the oldest and most developed part of the city and the money chould be used for something more useful.
Brian, 34 million people a year would use the line, the line would connect up with both Luas lines, connecting rail & bus terminals. Dart underground would also connect with Luas and metro north. Both these projects should be built for Dublin, they are badly needed. Thousands of jobs would be created. The line is planned to go beyond the airport. The government could apply for money from the European Investment bank for these projects. Loans will not be added to a countries sovereign debt. Many countries in europe received money from the E.I.B for rail projects in London, Paris & Stockholm.
Brian Daly, last year 18.7million people went in and out of Dublin Airport. It ranks number 25 on the list of the 100 busiest Airports in Europe, that’s a 2011 statistic.
In fact it is No.25 in the world by volume International traffic.
Look, its needed. While I think money should be spent elsewhere (healthcare, education) it took me 1 hour 45 minutes to travel from Park West to the RDS 2 weeks ago (that included a car journey to the park and ride, Luas to Connolly and Dart to Sandymount, followed by a 10 minute walk to the RDS). There is no other European city where it takes so long to travel that distance, and you have to mix and match so many different forms of transport. It is chronic.
fist airport means first place.. not awake yet… only having a bus and taxi service from our main airport is beyond comical… imagine putting the Luas out to Tallaght before the Airport…. muppets
Agree, any decent city has a fast access to airport. Not in this country though,they probably want to stop people having easy way of leaving
Imagine having public transport where people live.
The airport is very easy to get to….would be nice to have a train/tram option but not entirely necessary.
I think it’s more for visitors.
You get to the airport for the first time and …
You jump on the convenient trams and are whisked into the city
Or
You queue for a taxi and pay 40 euros to visit the ‘burbs of Finglas.
Or
You get on a bus and end up at the faceless and unpleasant Busaras with barely a clue as to where you go next.
Excellent, that’s just what Dublin needs… more Luas stops for junkies to sell their drugs…
I think what’s needed to sort that problem out is a review of the free travel scheme and maybe less methadone clinics in the city centre
Dean it’s called online shopping
Dermot, that’s not one bit funny. I’m terrified at some of those stops. Rehabilitation clearly doesn’t work. They’re lost already in society, they’re not worth saving…
Rehab worked for Amy . Oh wait
What’s your solution dean, have a crap infrastructure so junkies can’t get around!?
Dermot Bland, take a bow, son
Thank God it was approved. What we do with that new bridge otherwise?!
Thats brillaint should have been done in the aiport and possibly STARTING FROM THE AIRPORT IDIOTS!!!!
Any chance of them finishing the extension to the south?
Seeing as this link should have been built from the start, better for this first rather than the extension on the green line.
I couldn’t disagree more.
Although my stance may not be entirely selfless.
Why don’t they just extend the green line? Bit of a pain to get off and get on just to get to O’Connell St. The Metro would be a lot handier for tourists, business and residents of the northside
Is that not what their doing?
No it’s a new line with a new tram going from Stephens Green, the lack of any semblance of logic is astounding
Wait wait wait. Hang on. You mean a person could not get on at Dundrum and travel to the new DIT campus (as as an example) without changing at SG to another tram? WTF? There is more than enough room there to extend the green line. This doesn’t make any sense.
As far as I understand from the literature I’ve read this unbelievably is the case, I agree that it makes no sense whatsoever!
Incorrect. It is an extension of the Green Line. Trams will be able to run Broombridge-Brides Glen.
I think this is a cheap alternative. The real solution and only long term solution was the interconnector. Another half ass Irish job.
This is not an alternative.
The Interconnector is a completely separate project and it was always planned to link these lines up.
The begrudgery here is unreal.
Ian it is an alternative, get your facts right. My family live in Dublin 15, as did I during the boom and the capacity of the line is severely restricted with the bottle neck in Connolly. The interconnector would have alleviated this and connected both sides of
The city adding real heavy rail capacity. The west of the city for its size and population is very poorly served in contrast to other parts of the city ad this is a cheap alternative to something that would make a real difference.
If prosperity returns and we experience the volumes of people using trains etc like we had during the Celtic tiger we are left with the same capacity issues. There are 4 Luas carriages, sizeably smaller then a heavy train capable of carrying more. It’s worse then building a Luas line on the Harcourt street branch. That was a ready made line that could easily have been used for DARTs etc that would have massively increased he number of passengers carried. Shoddy planning.
Welcome the fact it’s being built but it’s a cheap option to placate people living on the Maynooth line.
The interconnector is a separate project for sure but is shelved despite a railway planning order sitting on the ministers desk. There is no way that will go ahead now after this. Joke
Mark, you are wrong.
Look at transport 21 plan This line was always planned to be built alongside the interconnector. It wasn’t a choice of one or the other. That’s my point.
Now with the recession they have to make cuts.
All well and good criticising but if the money’s not there to build an interconnector then it’s not there.
Ian yes the link to Stephens green was originally part of transport 21 but the the offshoot to broom bridge to connect with the maynooth line is only a recent fixture.
The money is not there as the French and Germans wouldnt have us spending that cash on a capital project but it’s a shame given the jobs it would create and it’s longer term value.
I’m personally just p*ssed off, as I feel my side of Dublin was badly sered by FF during the boom while they built everything to serve the south side mainly similar to when they built the DART.
I live in London and despite it not being the worlds best it’s so easy to get anywhere in the city. I’d love to have that at home as I’d like to move back some time. My grandfathers family all worked in CIE and even as a child I recall him berating the shortsightedness of the planning of our rail network. Nothing’s changed in my opinion.
and in other news the 20,000 people in Rathfarnham still only have 1 regular bus route…
Crime on the Luas will rise big-time. The Luas staff will have their work cut out.
The messing on/at the luas is mainly down to the fact that people can get away with it.
In France the SNCF police are big burly, they’re armed and have dogs countrywide not just in urban areas. Its a visual deterrent which Im sure is there because they are sometimes needed.
My point is while this level isn’t needed across Ireland right now a more robust police/security presence on transport (and in general) in the capital would make everyone feel much safer.
Pull it all up and start again!
Just float Dublin out into the sea
Scrap all rail and bus roots to Cork and use the money to build a Luas line to Dublin airport! Brilliant I know.
Right there is why the first poster seems hypocritical.
Nice photo op for Leo. Loves the camera. €200k a year as well.
Yes, it would be great if we had a proper airport link but Metro North is just too expensive to build at this stage and the alternative of running a link to Clongriffen onto the already over capacity Dart/Heavy Rail link into Connolly is just not the right option to take because it won’t be able to deliver a high capacity service.
At least linking the Green and Red lines is at least the start of geting a connected transport system.
Cabra comes to Ranelagh, this could get interesting
There are undoubtedly issues in the greater Dublin area with the rail/transport infrastructure. I lived in West Dublin before and it was poorly served by rail/DART. A connected Luas is welcome. The biggest scandal in recent yrs was the development of the Limerick – Galway rail link. A journey that takes 30 mins longer than the equivalent bus trip and is utilised by scores rather than hundreds of passengers daily, most of whom have free travel. Only in Ireland.
Is there any map of the approved route online anywhere?
Yes, I found this using a brilliant tool called google:
We have the 24th slowest trains out of 28 countries in Europe and no money to keep teachers for special needs and gor the travelling community. Why is Gods name are we borrowing billions to build this link ? People are losing their faith in politics as this is not vital for survival like hospitals etc. corruption seems the only reason. Vested interests and lobbyists are the only rational reason we would borrow money to build this link. The troika are cutting left right and centre yet are allowing this. The citizens need to start voicing their objections to their politicians.
Tone down on the exaggeration there mate.
A couple of stops for a pre-existing transport network isn’t going to cost billions. It’s a few million which was already set aside plus financial assistance from the EU and Veolia. Small change in the grand scheme of the overall budget.
Besides if you payed much attention you’ll notice that other major construction projects were shelved which were to be built alongside this. So the infrastructure upgrade project for Dublin has taken a much higher % cut compared to education and healthcare.
How many systems do we need??
Dart, dublin bus, luas, metro, dart underground, rail. Why can’t we just have one good system run properly by one operator !!!!!!!
Does Leo Vradkar think he’s Leo Di Caprio doing a king of the world pose??
In a perfect world Dublin would have an extensive metro system but in the absence of money, would an elevated train of some kind (maglev, monorail) not be a cheaper way of linking the city to the airport?
An airport link is badly needed! Looking at it from an entirely selfish perspective, I spent ?30.00 to get from Ranelagh to the airport last week. The air coach was awkward for me. I thought the idea was to run a line through Ballymun and on to the airport.
so were the new hospital going? and now dublin drivers should have to pay less car tax as they are loosing more of the Road they pay hi road tax for less Road it mad.
Where the hell is broom bridge?!
It’s the new bridge they’re building next to O’Connell St. Bridge
It may well mean the closure of the train station at BroomBridge.
Let’s hope for improvement instead, as a Luas/train link.
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