Luas Red Line

[Derek Wheeler]

Does anyone else think that the closure of the red line in the connolly area is disgraceful. Is it not yet another example of how we plan ahead for nothing. Slap bang in the middle of the tourist season, we have to dig it up, because nobody factored in the extension when it was built. Not to mention that the extension is a waste of time anyway as it serves a route that currently has no traffic congestion anyway.

This has to happen at the red cow aswell no doubt.

[Mark Hennessy]

The millions wasted on the Connolly ramp are really going to be shown up with a picece of track about 50m long that in all my travels I have never seen on any other tram system in the world.

Where else would you get it?

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Derek Wheeler

Does anyone else think that the closure of the red line in the connolly area is disgraceful. Is it not yet another example of how we plan ahead for nothing. Slap bang in the middle of the tourist season, we have to dig it up, because nobody factored in the extension when it was built. Not to mention that the extension is a waste of time anyway as it serves a route that currently has no traffic congestion anyway.

This has to happen at the red cow aswell no doubt.

Ah sure what do we know, despite saying it at the time.

Connolly ramp........... god's it should be up there with e-voting as one of the biggest and most shamefell waste of money ever.

They'll operatre a token service into Connolly, maybe a shuttle to Heuston that runs twice a day, everything else will go to the point, which makes this junction even more of a waste of money.

Keith Waterhouse couldn't make this stuff up.

[Brian Condron]

Would it not make sense to continue with Connolly as the terminus to the Red Line, and run a shuttle service between Connolly and The Point? Beats running a shuttle service between Connolly and Hueston the most congested part of the line.

It is a farce having to shut shown this section of the line for so long, but at least ever time I have been down there they have been busy. I was expecting to find the place fenced off and quiet, with a solid security guard in a hut surveying his empire. The main question is how do we define "early" Autumn. does reopening on the 29th November count?

[Mark Gleeson]

There is a certainly extensive work ongoing in Connolly, and seems to be moving along at good pace. The wall at the Connolly stop was designed with the C1 line in mind. No matter what the ramp had to go, the real issue is how on earth some simple muck moving cost so much

The RPA and Veoila have put in place a very reasonable arrangement at Abbey Street to handle the temporary terminus. The advertising of the close has been good as well

The vast majority of Luas passengers are not effected

We should of course remember that under the original plans the Luas terminus was to be outside Easons on Abbey Street so we should be thankful that it even got to Connolly

[Derek Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There is a certainly extensive work ongoing in Connolly, and seems to be moving along at good pace. The wall at the Connolly stop was designed with the C1 line in mind. No matter what the ramp had to go, the real issue is how on earth some simple muck moving cost so much

The RPA and Veoila have put in place a very reasonable arrangement at Abbey Street to handle the temporary terminus. The advertising of the close has been good as well

The vast majority of Luas passengers are not effected

We should of course remember that under the original plans the Luas terminus was to be outside Easons on Abbey Street so we should be thankful that it even got to Connolly

Jesus you sound like the minister for transport. Actually no. You sound like you accept the situation. The concept of being "thankfull" is what has transport in this country screwed up. Thats why Government and muppets like the RPA get away with it. So what if the vast majority of users aren't affected. The linkage between train stations is broken, during the tourist season, when and based on my on site (do you like that? Its one of your lines.) investigations its busier than usual. Neither would I forget the hard working paddies who use it to connect between modes. The work may be defensible in engineering terms, but in planning and customer service terms its plain rediculous and a prime example of how joined up thinking is still sadly lacking in this country.

[James Shields]

I have to agree here.

The advertising is good up to a point, but two weeks notice is insufficient in my opinion. I've also yet so see an actual completion date. "Early Autumn" give a lot of leyway.

There should be no reason for the closure to take so long. It should be a case of do everything that can possibly be done with the line running, then shut it down for the minimum possible time and work like crazy 24/7 until it can reopen. Contractors should have a scheme in place where they're paid a bonus for early completion and penalties for delays.

I would think that when the line is complete there should still be a decent service out of Connolly. There's no way the point will need the same frequency as Connolly-Heuston. Will trams run Connolly-Point as well?

I think we're sometimes too willing to let IE/RPA away with stuff. This should have been thought out properly in the first place, and we shouldn't have to listen to excuses.

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There is a certainly extensive work ongoing in Connolly, and seems to be moving along at good pace. The wall at the Connolly stop was designed with the C1 line in mind. No matter what the ramp had to go, the real issue is how on earth some simple muck moving cost so much

The RPA and Veoila have put in place a very reasonable arrangement at Abbey Street to handle the temporary terminus. The advertising of the close has been good as well

I'd disagree here, we are putting in a massively expensive and complicated piece of track that only serves 50 metres of track!

It's absurd. It's not as if that track is planned to go any further.
I agree with James' point above also, where is the 24/7 working?

Were we not told by the Spanish professor to start building infrastructure and keep going non stop until it is built.

The RPA have done a decent job running the Luas by Irish standards but they shouldn't get off the hook because of this. Their planning skills on the Red Line/Connolly area have at a conservative estimate, cost the taxpayer over €60m!

[Brian Condron]

Originally Posted by Mark Hennessy

It's absurd. It's not as if that track is planned to go any further.

I have seen some preliminary stuff to extend C1 out to the Irish Glass Bottle site, though that was just speculative. The way I see it though this should be seen as a new Luas line Connolly to the Point, not an extension to the Red Line.

[Mark Gleeson]

Across Europe I've seen very complex tram track arrangements since they suit the needs of people, in fact they have no trouble throwing away bits as well. Issue of 24-7 working is a question of planning approval, the IFSC/Mayor Street area has a considerable residential element

If there was no stop at Connolly we would be up in arms, the ramp is gone not much point to moan about it now

C1 is happening, standing in the way of positive progress is not going to help any one. It was clear there would be a close down to handle the junction at Connolly, regardless of a delta junction or not the close down was always going to be prolonged. The June - August period is the quietest from a commuter point of view

Veoila and the RPA have greatly exceeded the expectations of Dubliners, the service is vastly superior than anything we have ever experienced, its not perfect but having travelled on trams in Europe we are getting a good deal