Rail Station for Croke Park

[stupido]

next time you are down for a game have a look at the area under the canal. A station can easily be accomodated. Also check out the ground floor plans of the stand.

The whole issue of the canal line is a contention one. Although it is currently the Drumcondra line that the interconnector is proposed to utilise, a full dart service and commuter services using the same line will result in the same problems that currently exist with the northern line (lack of loops and signalling). If IE want to expand the commuter service AND have a DART rapid service AND intercity trains then they will have to use the Canal branch. Stations will be built at Croke park and Botanic Avenue (to link with future LUAS line) and the line will go from Greystones to Maynooth. A link will not be required to Heuston from the west (but can easily be installed if required) but there will be the option of running services through the interconnector tunnel under current track layout plans.

The reason Drumcondra station is part of the interconnector route currently is a political one. The jibe about the luas lines not linking up hurt many politicians. The term 'joined up thinking' is on every PR persons brief notes. That is why every project has an emphasis on 'hubs' and 'links'. The thought of promoting a project which does not link in with other services at the moment is politically unthinkable.

Once the interconnector is built the DART will divert to it. I have no doubt about it. It is a logical development. This is part of the longer term plan. The other track would have to be quadrupled if both services were to share it, and this would be very difficult.

[Mark Gleeson]

Please do not stray from topic

Canal End is not a goer

The supporting columns for the Canal End stand come far too close to the rail line on the canal side at the outer ends of the stand they are at minimum clearance, less than 1 m. For a platform minimum 2.5 m would be required, larger given the crowds. Canal End would only serve to move people to/from Maynooth. Drumcondra covers every destination in the country save the Northern line.

Safety people would freak out totally at a station at the Canal End.

Of course the key element is the station would contribute nothing to the community

[Donal Quinn]

There are two seperate issues here

1. does there need to be a station at or around drumcondra/croker on the line that runs from liffey junction to the docklands via the canal end of croker

i think there might be because it seems as though the docklands surface station will be retained for Navan services and this station would allow reasonable connectivity with metro north and the DART services on the Maynooth-Bray line (although there are other interchange opps up at clonsilla etc)

also if built to proper spec it would provide more capacity for croker on match days, carbon footprint blah blah

2. where should that station be

there are 4 options
a. liffey junction - curves here don't seem to allow it and its too far for interchange
b. whitworth rd - not a runner as the line is in a deep pit here between the canal and whitworth rd itself - no room at all
c. canal end - space under the station is neither wide enough or long enough and there are major safety issues with a station so close - distance is needed, also looses out on interchange

d. between drumcondra and jones rd
plenty of wide open spaces for easily constructed big platforms. exit to drumcondra is close enough for interchange and the jones rd one provides access to corker on non-match days. idea would be to close that entrance on match days for safety and have crowd funnell around to drumcondra entrance
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2160406 (you may have to hit refresh to see it properly)

in terms of priorities this si clearly on the long finger - drumcondra station revamp should come first and this should probably only be considered once interconnector and metro north are making progress