National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are announcing details of the Emerging Preferred Route for MetroLink, the metro service that will run from Estuary north of Swords to Sandyford on the southside, serving Dublin Airport and the City Centre.
Public consultation on the project gets under way
immediately with MetroLink scheduled to be operational in 2027.
The Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area
(2016-2035) envisaged a rail link from the south city centre to Swords. It also
envisaged the upgrading of Luas Green Line to metro standard, which would link
up to the metro services running north to the airport and beyond, to provide
Dublin with “a high capacity, high-frequency cross-city rail corridor”.
Under the National Development Plan 2018-2027,
Metro North and Metro South will now proceed as one project known as MetroLink.
Consultation on the project commences next week
with a series of information events for communities along the route taking
place at local level. There are information evenings organised for areas such
as Swords, Ballymun, Dublin City, Glasnevin, Ranelagh and Leopardstown.
National Transport Authority CEO Anne Graham said:
“There are very significant benefits associated with MetroLink, particularly in
terms of the integrated transport system that it will bring about for Dublin.
“For example, thanks to MetroLink, there will
finally be a rail link to Dublin Airport, and with easy interchange with other
modes including bus, Dart and commuter rail, MetroLink will make it easier than
ever to move into and around the capital.
“There will be 25 stations in total, 15 of them
brand new, so it will also make sustainable transport a viable option for more
and more people in areas like Swords and Ballymun.
“We have modelled future passenger numbers and we
predict that capacity for 15,000 passengers per direction per hour during the
busiest peak times will be required along this corridor. We don’t believe that
a bus system or a standard Luas line would be able to accommodate that number
of passengers and that is why MetroLink makes so much sense.
“MetroLink will have the capacity for 30 trains per
hour in each direction, so there is no doubt that it will greatly enhance the
public transport offering in Dublin.
“In addition, we envisage the creation of about
4,000 jobs during construction, which is very significant for the economy in
the region.”
Transport Infrastructure Ireland CEO Michael Nolan
said: “Really what today is all about is the launch of the consultation process
for MetroLink, because we want to make sure that people at local level have a
say.
“What we are publishing here is the ‘Emerging
Preferred Route’ (EPR), rather than the final route. Having examined in detail
the various alignments and options, the EPR is the one that we feel is the best
fit for the project. But we remain open to looking at other proposals, and if
people or communities feel there are better ways of doing it, we will of course
be happy to consider any alternatives put forward.”
Anticipated timeline:
2018 – Consultation on Emerging Preferred Route
2019 – Application for a Railway Order
2020 – Granting of Railway Order
2021 – Construction commences
2027 – MetroLink becomes operable
More info: www.metrolink.ie
No comments:
Post a Comment