Dart underground cancelled

[Junctionmad]

I see the whole project is being officially canned , pity , but expected

[Noel]

I see the whole project is being officially canned , pity , but expected

 

A short sighted lack of vision. Business and Leisure travellers will not be too interested in a slow Luas link to Airport that stops off every few mins for "local" needs. The existing AirPort express bus will be much faster and hence the capital spend on Luas only of benefit to local communities but not air travellers, nor Ireland Inc. A great pity the big picture for Ireland Inc has not been grasped.

[jhb171achill]

dare one suggest, PARTICULARLY some of the "local" needs......

 

If they put a LUAS on the airport link, stand back and watch as the unpoliced, fare-dodger-friendly system that they operate attracts a lot of people who, themselves, are "attracted" to tourists, their wallets, cameras and handbags. It'll resemble Temple Bar but without any garda presence. Oh, wait....

 

Time and time again, on red and green lines, we see people hopping on and off without a care in the world, not wanting to concern ticket machines with issuing them a ticket. Maybe they are just being eco-friendly in not wanting tickets using up paper, but maybe they are tight, or scumbags.

 

You don't get that on buses. The LUAS system of having nobody anywhere to regularly check tickets is an open invitation to the stingy, to druggies and other low life, to travel the rails for free, annoying or frightening other passengers en route.

 

This is before we address the timing issue. How long will it really take from, say Stephen's Green to the airport? Will they at least give the thing priority at traffic lights so it actually never has to stop at them? Will they have special trams with extra luggage space, as the current ones are quite unsuitable for a large group of tourists with luggage?

 

Northside city certainly needs a tram line out to say, Phibsborough, Glasnevin, Finglas. But the airport needs heavy rail, no doubt about it. Governmental pottering about, and wittering on about budgets, won't solve that one, especially with Dublin's population racing ahead of its current 1.25 million, and tipped to exceed that of all of Northern Ireland withing twenty years, by which time over a quarter of all the people on this island will live in greater Dublin. (It's heading that way already; and what have we got in recent years - two tram lines, more buses to choke the roads, and a few miles of reopened Dublin & Meath line!)...

[irishrail201]

Does the government not realise that DART underground had the capacity to add millions of extra passengers to the network, not to mention direct Dublin Airport - Dublin city centre - Cork/Limerick and Galway trains. This could have allowed the government to reduce subvention proportionatly given increased ticket receipts.

 

The extension to the airport has been lobbied by Irish Rail for the past 15 years or so, the land is available etc. sure there would be congestion from Connolly - clongriffin but this will need to be looked at anyway. A situation where Enterprise and commutter services could have stopped providing a shuttle interchange with a DART shuttle could have been looked at.

 

Where does this leave the Maynooth, Hazlehatch and Balbriggan electrification schemes (as planned with DART underground) now?

[jhb171achill]

It is a complete and utter no-brainer, Irishrail201. They know perfectly well, but (a) they see no votes in it, especially if they are from outside the area; and (b) sure, we have to see if any of our property developing friends want the land first. Oh, it' reserved for public transport? Ahhh, well, c'mere and we'll talk about that, ok? Say nothing. Certainly don't post it on IRM or I won't get re-elected.....

 

Think I've blown that one, haven't I?

 

The underground system is by far the best, but the Clongriffin spur would do. The underground needs to be revived - fifteen years is a long time, though it took them FORTY long years to reopen the Harcourt Street line!

 

The LUAS is still needed, however, northside, possibly out to Santry / Swords. But that's not all - the south west side of the city is growing very rapidly as we speak - I look out of my window right now and see two large housing estates of 4 bed family homes being built across the road and beyond that. The population in this area is probably growing more rapidly than anywhere else. Places like Terenure / Rathfarmham / Ballyboden / Kiltipper need a tram line, and if the authorities were any use, they'd be looking at building it all the way up to Stocking Wood for the (currently underway) massive expansion up there.

 

It's going to have to happen some day. Meantime, the underground? (Oh.... this is the first time I've ever seen the Dáil bar empty....)

[Noel]

Heuston intercity routes will remain an island as long as they are not directly connected by fast heavy rail to the other lines and routes, especially the Dart. Both commuter and intercity traffic would grow. You can't get on a train north, south or east city and connect to trains to our other cities Cork, Limerick, Galway or Waterford. Its a joke - no wonder its easier to take the motorway and go by car.

[jhb171achill]

Correct. As a railway enthusiast and public transport advocate, any time I have to go to Belfast my choice is:

 

1. Car. Quickest, cheapest, especially if more than one person.

2. Bus

3. "Enterprise"

 

Hmmmm....