[Article] SBPost: Porto points the way for Metro

[Mark Hennessy]

The technology is the easy part Colm.

The infighting and politics from civil service, DB, IE and RPA is the hard part.

The lack of clear direction from the minister down does not help at all.

[philip]

Originally Posted by Mark Hennessy

The technology is the easy part Colm.

The infighting and politics from civil service, DB, IE and RPA is the hard part.

The lack of clear direction from the minister down does not help at all.

The civil sevants are most to blame after the minister and ultimately Mr. Ahern.

It's simply not a big enough issue for most of the dopey electorate who still think widening the M50 is going to get them to work on the other side of town a few minutes earlier.

[ACustomer]

If the information in the SNP article is correct, then the cost per km of Metro do Porto was about €28.5m compared with a projected €160m for Dublin. The difference is really staggering: its not enough to explain it away by saying that property acquisition and compensation costs will be higher in Dublin, which seems like factoring the inflated prices of the property bubble into the projected cost. A more valid reason for Porto being cheaper is that (a bit like the Green Line Luas) the Metro has used old narrow guage lines and tunnels (on the Povoa line, I think) and also has used one of the existing high-level bridges to cross the River Douro.

What is most interesting in the piece is the point about the investment in security in Porto (200 personnel), campared with the bland RPA approach of zero security personnel. The utter complacency of this should be highlighted.

[markpb]

Originally Posted by ACustomer

The difference is really staggering: its not enough to explain it away by saying that property acquisition and compensation costs will be higher in Dublin

What property will have to be aquired to build the metro? I assume the depot at Metropark and the Blind Training Centre at Whitworth but what else would there be?

[philip]

Originally Posted by markpb

What property will have to be aquired to build the metro? I assume the depot at Metropark and the Blind Training Centre at Whitworth but what else would there be?

Lissenhall P&R. Bits of overground in and around Dublin airport approaches cross private lands. Not a whole lot which you'd think would be in our favour given land costs in Dublin. Is the Mater not owned by the Sisters of Mercy or something? Would they need compensating? One would hope not.

[Aphfaneire]

Originally Posted by philip

Lissenhall P&R. Bits of overground in and around Dublin airport approaches cross private lands. Not a whole lot which you'd think would be in our favour given land costs in Dublin. Is the Mater not owned by the Sisters of Mercy or something? Would they need compensating? One would hope not.

Does this mean they changed that law of owning land under a property or has that technicallity been changed when they built the port tunnel, or is just an urban myth to claim how s hit are government is.

[Colm Moore]

They have set the cost of land below 10m(?) at zero.

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by philip

It's simply not a big enough issue for most of the dopey electorate who still think widening the M50 is going to get them to work on the other side of town a few minutes earlier.

Careful now! The "dopey electorate" are commuters and their views have to be taken in context. Many have never lived with or truly experienced long term a proper public transport network, so you can't bash them for believing in the only form of transport that has worked for them - road.

Originally Posted by philip

Lissenhall P&R. Bits of overground in and around Dublin airport approaches cross private lands.

I was wondering whether such lands are actually worth much, particularly if they're not zoned for residential or industrial use.

Originally Posted by philip

Do you own it though? Maybe registry of deeds properties you do but land registry folios always say something like "does not extend to the mines and minerals".

I believe mines and minerals are considered national treasures and resources and are therefore "owned" by the Nation. I think it's in the constitution somewhere.