[article] Rail plans on the wrong track

[Mark Gleeson]

Well it wasn't till March 13th that DCC got the planning application, I didn't see it till a week or so later. It could be a cunning plan or it could be they just don't talk to each other and that looks the more plausible

[Colm Donoghue]

not to worry, I'm sure the good people in the DTA will have made an issue of this.....

I suppose I'll have to use Hanlon's razor in this.

[why_does_planning_suck]

i am not impressed by your arguments i am afraid. I had a look at the plans for the luas today and it is blindly obvious that there won't be any interchange. Did you raise this in your submission . if not, then as the only people talking any sense , you have let us down.

[Derek Wheeler]

MarkG and I are working on the response to Barry Kenny right now. Hopefully, it will make Thursdays edition of the Times.

[Navan Junction]

Originally Posted by why_does_planning_suck

you have let us down.

you are part of the solution too.. don't be too quick to knock

[why_does_planning_suck]

yes i would accept that. But you as a group are making it your business to represent the consumer in all matter rail. It is clear that it was obvious that the was no connection between the two routes. It remains doubtful that there will be a connection in the future.

If this had been raised at the planning application stage for the train station it might have changed things.

I assume that you will make a submission to the luas extension enquiry. You should ask for the tram stops to be moved. With this in mind there are two simple alterations that would not change the timetable for the luas. First move the spencer dock stop so that is lies over the future rail track. Or second remove both the mayor square stop and the spencer dock stop and replace them with a single stop just to the west of the canal , on mayor street. Then the tram stop would be very close to a possible train station underneath.

Continued support for this joke is not an option.

[Navan Junction]

Originally Posted by why_does_planning_suck

yes i would accept that. But you as a group are making it your business to represent the consumer in all matter rail.

No, you are talking to an ordinary 'board' user/member like yourself. And literally all of us on this board are operating from outside the 'rail' process and establishment, and yes at times that can involve putting the pieces together.

I think a fair way to describe Platform 11 is as a group that seeks to act in the interests of others that are similarly outside of the process and the railway planning establishment.

This board has no statuatory footing - it is comprised of interested parties and individuals.

Don't come to the party empty handed - bring something other than criticism.

[Mark Gleeson]

As has been pointed out the submission deadline for the Luas C1 inquiry was the 23rd Feb, plans for Spencer Dock were submitted to DCC 13th Mar

Moving the stop is not a valid option for two reasons.

1) It is then distant from the permanent underground station at Spencer Dock which will be carrying 4 times more people

2) The square at Spencer Dock is designed to allow for a stop to fit as has the traffic plan of the area, there is a bridge at the Mayor Street/Guild Street over the canal which has road traffic on its outer lanes

Objecting to the station as proposed is fruitless as no other option exists, it can't be moved to a more accessible location. In addition if permission was refused, the line to Pace and hence Navan would be on hold until post 2015, it a no win situation as any action to block the station will lead to more trouble elsewhere. And before someone says Broadstone thats no good either and its got nothing to do with the RPA its to do with a planning condition on the Hansfield SDZ.

The only issue we would love to disagree with is the track layout of the station but Iarnród Éireann are exempt from planning regulations in that matter and we have no recourse of appeal (and I have checked)

I've seen the blood drain out of the faces of senior Irish Rail mangers when they get caught out in Newbridge in March when the Spencer Dock Kildare question was posed they well know.

This is miles more complex than what the media make it out, and your simplistic approach is not helpful

[Derek Wheeler]

Originally Posted by why_does_planning_suck

yes i would accept that. But you as a group are making it your business to represent the consumer in all matter rail. It is clear that it was obvious that the was no connection between the two routes. It remains doubtful that there will be a connection in the future.

If this had been raised at the planning application stage for the train station it might have changed things.

I assume that you will make a submission to the luas extension enquiry. You should ask for the tram stops to be moved. With this in mind there are two simple alterations that would not change the timetable for the luas. First move the spencer dock stop so that is lies over the future rail track. Or second remove both the mayor square stop and the spencer dock stop and replace them with a single stop just to the west of the canal , on mayor street. Then the tram stop would be very close to a possible train station underneath.

Continued support for this joke is not an option.

The history of the deals in spencer dock are reserved for my book.

As for Luas, its planned stop will be adjacent to the Interconnector/spencer dock stop on the Mayor street extension. The current "temporary" station site was a closely guarded secret within the mafia that is CIE/IE/Treasury Holdings. Not much we can do, when IE don't want to engage with us...unlike the RPA, despite our criticism of them.

Sorry you feel that we let people down. But you know, this is a funny game and I personally never give up. Big shocks for IE are ahead. We won't go away and we believe that there are many ways to skin a cat.