Dublin Airport Dart

[Darrman]

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2024/0124/1428430-dart-airport/

A bit of an old report, but this has the Irish Rail CEO suggesting it could be done in about five years. He also did not cost it, nor is it funded. The closest to a detail you can get is him suggesting going over the M1.

While I think having an airport link is important, I am under no illusion that it will be built - nor do I have any faith in the Dublin Metro being built either. Pretending it will be built for a moment, I'd say the service should either be direct to Connolly or maybe allow a stop at Clongriffin for people to change onto locals. Of course, there's only so much capacity on the line and it's jammed enough as is. Divert them to the new Docklands station when/if that's built to relieve Connolly? Won't fix Enterprise traffic jams without extra tracks, which would require a lot of construction in its own right. A nice idea, but would need a lot of work to do correctly.

[GSR 800]

13 hours ago, Darrman said:

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2024/0124/1428430-dart-airport/

A bit of an old report, but this has the Irish Rail CEO suggesting it could be done in about five years. He also did not cost it, nor is it funded. The closest to a detail you can get is him suggesting going over the M1.

While I think having an airport link is important, I am under no illusion that it will be built - nor do I have any faith in the Dublin Metro being built either. Pretending it will be built for a moment, I'd say the service should either be direct to Connolly or maybe allow a stop at Clongriffin for people to change onto locals. Of course, there's only so much capacity on the line and it's jammed enough as is. Divert them to the new Docklands station when/if that's built to relieve Connolly? Won't fix Enterprise traffic jams without extra tracks, which would require a lot of construction in its own right. A nice idea, but would need a lot of work to do correctly.

Good excuse to quad track out to Drogheda, which they will need to do anyway whether they want to or not.

[Mayner]

On 9/2/2024 at 11:02 AM, Darrman said:

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2024/0124/1428430-dart-airport/

A bit of an old report, but this has the Irish Rail CEO suggesting it could be done in about five years. He also did not cost it, nor is it funded. The closest to a detail you can get is him suggesting going over the M1.

While I think having an airport link is important, I am under no illusion that it will be built - nor do I have any faith in the Dublin Metro being built either. Pretending it will be built for a moment, I'd say the service should either be direct to Connolly or maybe allow a stop at Clongriffin for people to change onto locals. Of course, there's only so much capacity on the line and it's jammed enough as is. Divert them to the new Docklands station when/if that's built to relieve Connolly? Won't fix Enterprise traffic jams without extra tracks, which would require a lot of construction in its own right. A nice idea, but would need a lot of work to do correctly.

Funding of infrastructure projects that are unable to cover their capita or operating costs is becoming a significant issue internationally, UK struggling to fund HS2 while more seriously water infrastructure in many so called advanced economies is approaching collapse.

A government was recently elected in New Zealand on a platform of tax cuts and eliminating wasteful expenditure including immediately stopping work (planning stage) on a Light Rail project serving Auckland Airport. 

This week the Government announced that its eliminating a Regional Fuel Tax used to fund public transport and roading infrastructure leaving the City with a potential $1.2b funding shortfall over the next four years. The Government claims that eliminating the Regional Fuel Tax is intended to help ordinary people faced with a cost of living crisis. Auckland Mayor has stated that he is unwilling to raise rates (residential and commercial) to fund the shortfall and that some projects may need to be axed, the Government has suggested Congestion Charging for peak road use which won't exactly help people for who public transport is not an option.

 

[226 Abhann na Suire]

On 8/2/2024 at 10:02 PM, Darrman said:

Pretending it will be built for a moment, I'd say the service should either be direct to Connolly or maybe allow a stop at Clongriffin for people to change onto locals. Of course, there's only so much capacity on the line and it's jammed enough as is. Divert them to the new Docklands station when/if that's built to relieve Connolly? Won't fix Enterprise traffic jams without extra tracks, which would require a lot of construction in its own right. A nice idea, but would need a lot of work to do correctly.

The way I would envisage it happening would be that services would run as part of the whole ‘DART Underground’ thing that the auld ‘Rialtas’ keep avoiding…

 

A Train would leave Hazelhatch, towards Inchicore, and enter the DART Underground tunnels, but instead of the current (and in my opinion, stupid) plan for DART Underground, the tunnels would head directly under the city following the Luas Red Line, with an Underground station at Connolly, and then following the alignment of the line north, it would emerge back overground at Fairview, where there is the perfect amount of space to bring the tracks above ground. 

 

It would then join a 4-tracked northern line non-stop (for congestion and speed sakes) to Clongriffin - which would be made an Enterprise stop, on some trains at least - for connection with all other suburban and Belfast services and then branch left either in another tunnel or elevated to the airport.

 

Ambitious maybe, but it’s the only way that I can see a Heavy Rail Airport Connection being able to have the highest possible effect and the greatest reach for the most amount of people, while also making the airport  accessible from all trunk routes in Ireland with only 1 change necessary.

 

If the big wigs are indeed listening in on our phones as some suspect, I hope they consider this…!

[thewanderer]

4 minutes ago, 226 Abhann na Suire said:

A Train would leave Hazelhatch, towards Inchicore, and enter the DART Underground tunnels, but instead of the current (and in my opinion, stupid) plan for DART Underground, the tunnels would head directly under the city following the Luas Red Line, with an Underground station at Connolly, and then following the alignment of the line north, it would emerge back overground at Fairview, where there is the perfect amount of space to bring the tracks above ground. 

Why would you duplicate an already existing rail corridor?

The whole point of the original DART underground was to run southside of the Liffey opening up new areas to rail. Heuston to SSG in about 6 or so mins for example. Not possible today in any form of transport. The line then curves to Pearse (interchange with DART + Commuter) and then Docklands area (another large growing area) and then goes onto the East Wall branch to rejoin the GNR line at East Wall Jct. 

Your proposal wouldn't work with the big 90 degree curve (hampers speed) around Custom House / Busaras.

[226 Abhann na Suire]

Very fair point actually I hadn’t properly thought of that. I just always thought that not connecting DART Underground with Connolly was a bit of a mistake.
 

You’re dead right though, linking it up with the southside would be fantastic but I do think that a heavy rail Heuston to Connolly rail corridor would be beneficial. I suppose it’s a case of maybe with the Luas it just wouldn’t be worth it.
 

Maybe I hadn’t thought about the specificities of it, but either way I think an airport DART link should be done in conjunction with DART Underground

[thewanderer]

59 minutes ago, 226 Abhann na Suire said:

Maybe I hadn’t thought about the specificities of it, but either way I think an airport DART link should be done in conjunction with DART Underground

 

You have no argument from me there on that point! To be radical make Dublin Airport work on the same lines as Manchester Airport Station with regional services to all over Ireland.

 

Edited February 13 by thewanderer

[Louth]

Under the EU TEN-T transport policy, Dublin Airport is part of the "core" transport network and is required to be connected to the "long distance" rail system by 2030. Metrolink will not fulfil this requirement as it will be light rail, a different gauge and unconnected to the Irish Rail system. Our transport planners have studiously ignored EU TEN-T especially in the proposed change from 32 to 40 million passenger per year.