[Articles] DART Underground

[eugene]

That sickeneds me to hear this, never voted FF since the first time I could in 1994 and never will. Great little country all the same. I just hope the Maynooth line at least is completed according to plan..

[Thomas Ralph]

Sigh...

[drumcondra commuter]

Such a critical piece of infrastructure does not get priority, even in a downturn. It shows in whose interests the resolution of the fiscal crisis is and it ain't us. We can borrow for Anglo, AIB and BoI but not for something that will improve the lives of millions of passengers?

[Colm Moore]

Surely it should enable other projects as the resources aren't being used on the DARTU.

[eugene]

The laughable thing about this too is that the poxy Green Party (the most pro-public transport party you would think), haven't stopped this decision. Won't be voting for them either any more...

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by ThomasJ

does this mean electrification is on hold too?

My guess is that the only budget will be for websites, leaflets, crayons, consultations and the odd PR release to tell everyone that the project has not been cancelled but just "elongated".

Anything that involves cold hard cash, well we know where that is being spent....

[essoII]

Interesting points being made on the archiseek.com thread on this latest news:
http://www.archiseek.com/content/sho...t=7008&page=11

Apparently Noel Dempsey wasn't aware of this date setback and was actually at a meeting this morning with IrishRail. http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0505/dart.html


Also there are open days starting from tomorrow with regards to the DartU:
http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/pdf...%20DART_03.pdf

[Mark Hennessy]

Planning permission sought for €2.5bn Dublin Dart underground system

http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/pl...tem-50158.html

[Mark Gleeson]

Happy days

[Colm Moore]

Site is there, but not live. http://www.dartunderground.ie/

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Irish Times

Dart underground plan lodged

An artist's impression issued by Irish Rail of the proposed Heuston Dart Underground station

ÉANNA Ó CAOLLAÍ

The formal application for the Dart underground rail project in Dublin has been lodged with An Bord Pleanála.

If approved, the Dart underground, which is estimated to cost at least €2.5 billion, will deliver a high-capacity rail line through the city centre.

The €2.5 billion project will involve the construction and operation of some 8.6 km of new rail, 7.6 km of which will be in twin-bore tunnels.

The tunnels will connect the northern and Kildare rail lines with underground stations located at Spencer Dock, Pearse, Station, St Stephen’s Green, Christchurch and Heuston Station, as well as a surface Dart station at Inchicore.

Frequency and capacity on the Dart Northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines will be increased while the Dart would be extended to Maynooth, Hazelhatch/Celbridge and the Northern line, with Pearse Station acting as a central hub connecting all lines.

It is estimated that as many as 7,000 people will be employed each year during its proposed construction.

Iarnród Éireann said the system will be up and running by 2018.

The Government says the network will treble the numbers travelling on the Greater Dublin rail system to over 100 million passengers journeys annually.

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said the application was "an important stepping stone" towards and improved system of public transport in Ireland.

"The submission of the Railway Order for the Dart Underground brings closer the vision of a mass transit system outlined in Transport 21, and in tandem with Metro North will transform public transportation in the Greater Dublin Area”, Mr Dempsey said.

A Railway Order is the equivalent of a planning permission for new rail schemes and, if granted, will authorise CIÉ to begin the project.

The Government will apply to the European Investment Bank - which recently pledged €500 million towards the Metro North project – for some of the financing.

Potential private backers have until July 20th to express an interest. Investors would take a share in profits under the plans.

“There has already been significant interest,” Mr Dempsey’s spokesman said.

Additional reporting: PA

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...breaking4.html

[weehamster]

New video promo showing what the stations etc will look like.

p.s requires real player as this came from RTE website

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=824

DART Underground - Railway Order application submitted by DART Underground

The DART Underground rail project takes another significant step towards delivery today (Wednesday, 30th June) when the formal application is lodged with An Bord Pleanála for the Railway Order granting planning approval for the construction of this key public transport infrastructure scheme.

The application by CIÉ represents a further milestone in the progress of the project which is considered the most important piece of rail infrastructure to be constructed under the Government’s Transport 21 investment programme.

DART Underground will transform public transport services into and throughout Dublin and will be an enduring transport legacy benefiting generations into the future.

DART Underground will deliver a second high capacity DART line which will run underground through the heart of Dublin City Centre. The twin bore tunnels will be approximately 7.6 Km in length and will connect the Northern and Kildare rail lines, with underground stations strategically located at Spencer Dock, Pearse, St. Stephen’s Green, Christchurch and Heuston Station, as well as a new surface DART station at Inchicore.

Crucially, DART Underground will link all rail systems- DART, Commuter, InterCity, Luas and Metro- to form an integrated and seamless transport network that will treble the numbers travelling on the Greater Dublin rail system to over 100 million passengers journeys annually.


Minister welcomes application

The Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey, T.D. today welcomed the news of the submission of the Railway Order application. He stated: "Today marks an important stepping stone in our efforts to increase and improve public transport in Ireland. The submission of the Railway Order for the DART Underground brings closer the vision of a mass transit system outlined in Transport 21, and in tandem with Metro North will transform public transportation in the Greater Dublin Area”.

Minister Dempsey added: “I particularly welcome the fact that this project will strengthen Iarnród Éireann's routes in the Greater Dublin Area into a network by the introduction of a second DART line. Not only will this project connect Iarnród Éireann's routes it will also provide links with the Luas and Metro at St. Stephens Green, Spencer Dock and Heuston stations. It will also provide for new stations at Inchicore and Christchurch thus opening up new areas for travel by train. This Government is committed to investment in important infrastructure that will serve us for many generations to come.''

The Railway Order is the equivalent of a planning permission for new rail schemes and, if granted, will authorise CIÉ to construct, maintain, improve and operate the DART Underground.

The project will involve the construction and operation of approximately 8.6 Km of new rail (7.6 Km of which will be in tunnels) from the CIÉ Inchicore Works to tie into the Northern mainline south of East Wall Road and north of the Docklands area. The project will be managed on behalf of CIÉ by Iarnród Éireann, supported by expert advisers with international experience of similar major infrastructure projects.

Subject to the granting of the Railway Order it is anticipated that construction will commence in 2012 and that the system will be operational in 2018.

The tunnels will be constructed using two Tunnel Boring Machines, launching from the Docklands, at an average depth of 24 metres, or some 80 feet, below ground level. The underground stations will be constructed using techniques that will minimize the effect for the local residents, communities and environment. There is potential for more than 75% of the spoil from the construction of the project to be removed by rail. This in turn has the potential to reduce the traffic impacts during the construction phase.

Advertisements have appeared today (30th June) in national newspapers detailing the display of the Railway Order plans, and inviting submissions from interested parties ahead of An Bord Pleanala’s adjudication on the project.


Major economic impetus

DART Underground will provide a major economic impetus, bringing jobs to people and people to jobs and will have a central role to play as a driver of economic growth. It will create significant employment, up to 7,000 jobs during each year of construction and thousands more indirectly as a result of the significantly improved access that the project will deliver to retail, commercial, leisure and tourist destinations in Dublin.


DART Underground to transform rail service

DART Underground is set to be developed with a capacity for up to 20 trains each direction per hour, allowing up to 64,000 commuters to use the line hourly.

With capacity for DART services to operate up to every 3 minutes, the line will complete the transformation of Iarnród Éireann’s Greater Dublin area’s rail service capacity from up to 33 million passenger journeys annually now to over 100 million passenger journeys.

The new line will dramatically increase frequency and capacity for commuters on DART Northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines - the three fastest growing population corridors in the country - and relieve the current congestion at Connolly Station. Development plans also include the extension of the DART network to Maynooth, Hazelhatch/Celbridge and the Northern line.

DART Underground provides the missing link that that will deliver a fully integrated rail network for the Greater Dublin Area , linking all modes and ensuring that suburb to suburb, as well as suburb to city centre, journey’s can be made by a frequent, high capacity public transport network.

DART Underground will open up a web of new rail connections, including-
· Spencer Dock Station with the expanded Luas Red Line
· Pearse Station will become a central transport hub as both DART lines interchange there, opening up a variety of new rail connections and options. Pearse will also link with outer Commuter services.
· St. Stephen’s Green will have convenient access to the Luas Green Line and the proposed Metro North to the Airport and Swords.
· Christchurch with future Luas City Centre-Lucan line.
· Heuston Station links to Intercity services from the South and the West, outer Commuter trains and the Luas Red Line.
· Inchicore with the Kildare DART line and the planned Luas City Centre-Lucan line.

As the project progresses to the formal Railway Order planning approval stage, there are a number of other significant developments taking place:
Ø The project is being developed as a Public Private Partnership (PPP). The formal procurement process commenced on 12th May with the publication of the Contract Notice in the Official Journal of the EU. The deadline for the submission of the pre-qualification questionnaire is set for the 20th July.
Ø The business case for the project was recently completed by Colin Buchanan & Partners Ltd, a leading international transport planning and economics consultancy, and it concluded that the economic case for DART Underground is very strong and that overall the completion of the system is crucial to the future economic development of Dublin. It forecasts that the DART Underground programme will generate 2.4 times more benefit than it will cost to build and will deliver significant wider economic benefits. This statistic demonstrates that DART Underground will be a major factor in the future economic development of the country.
Ø With average tunnelling depths of 24 metres the project is not expected to significantly impact on the vast majority of properties along the route. However, in order to allay any concerns residents and property owners may have, a Property Protection Scheme has been put in place so that they have a record of the condition of their property prior to the commencement of the construction of DART Underground. This record will be a benchmark against which any deterioration in a property can be measured.


Display of documents

Under the Railway Order, CIÉ will be displaying the full plans for the Project at various different locations for a period of six weeks.

The full Railway Order documentation, including:
- The draft Railway Order
- Plans of the proposed railway works
- A Book of Reference to the plan, indicating owners and occupiers of lands described in the plans
- Environmental Impact Statement will be on display from 7th July until 18th August 2010 at the following locations:
· An Bord Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1
· Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8
· Heuston Station, Dublin 8
· Pearse Station, Dublin 2
· CIÉ Inchicore Works (Inchicore Parade Entrance), Dublin 8.

These documents may also be viewed from 7th July until 18th August 2010 on www.dartundergroundrailwayorder.ie

The display is to allow all interested parties to view the plans. Any interested party then has the opportunity up to the end of the display period to submit any views they have on the project to An Bord Pleanála. All submissions, including the original plans, are then considered by an Inspector appointed by An Bord Pleanála.


...

[Colm Moore]

Continued

...

An Bord Pleanála may, at its absolute discretion, hold an oral hearing into an application for a railway order. The Inspector shall submit to An Bord Pleanála a report in writing of his/her findings and any recommendations he/she considers appropriate having regard to the submissions/inquiry. An Bord Pleanála will rule on the final scope of the project.

A spokesperson for DART Underground said “the Railway Order process ensures that all interested parties can make their submissions for consideration by An Bord Pleanála. While there has been extensive public consultation to date, we would encourage all residents, businesses, commuters or other interested individuals or groups to take the time to examine our proposals on display or online.”

Further project details are also available here http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/dart_underground.asp

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...273622738.html

Dart underground rail plan lodged

The formal application for the Dart underground rail project in Dublin was lodged with An Bord Pleanála yesterday.

If approved, the Dart underground will deliver a high-capacity rail line through the city centre.

The twin-bore tunnels will connect the northern and Kildare rail lines with underground stations located at Spencer Dock, Pearse, Station, Stephen’s Green, Christchurch and Heuston Station, as well as a surface Dart station at Inchicore.

It is estimated that close to 7,000 people will be employed each year during its proposed construction.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...273706905.html

New East Wall site for launch of Dart tunnelling machine
TIM O'BRIEN

INCHICORE RESIDENTS have given a guarded welcome to a decision to drop plans to assemble and launch a tunnel boring machine for Dart Underground on a sports field in the historic Railway Estate.

According to an application for a Railway Order lodged with An Bord Pleanála yesterday, tunnelling for Dart Underground is now to take place from east to west, with the tunnel boring machine launch site now located at East Wall near Docklands station.

In addition, the Inchicore portal has been moved several hundred yards away from houses and is now to be located within the CIÉ engineering yards. Houses in the Railway Estate date from the mid-1800s and were built for railway workers, including those working in the yards.

The changes mean Dart Underground is set to have a much lower impact on the community of about 700 people in the Railway Estate. While an area of green space will be required for an “intercession and vent shaft” from the tunnel, Iarnród Eireann said yesterday this would be small and not located on the playing pitch.

The Railway Order is the rail equivalent of planning permission and if approved the €2.5 billion project will deliver a high-capacity rail line through the city centre.

The line is 8.6km, 7.6km of which will be in twin-bore tunnels. The tunnels will connect the Northern and Kildare rail lines with underground stations at Spencer Dock, Pearse Station, St Stephen’s Green, Christchurch and Heuston Station, as well as a surface Dart station at Inchicore.

Frequency and capacity on the Dart Northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines will be increased, while the Dart will be extended to Maynooth, Hazelhatch/Celbridge and the Northern line, with Pearse Station acting as a central hub connecting all lines.

Separately yesterday, the chief executive of the National Roads Authority (NRA), Fred Barry, defended its policy of charging taxis to use the Dublin Port Tunnel.

Mr Barry yesterday told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport that the tunnel was just paying its operating costs through toll revenue, and if taxis were allowed to use the tunnel free then taxi drivers may want free passage extended to the rest of the State’s toll roads, bridges and tunnels.

Mr Barry agreed to refer the issue to the NRA board after the chairman of the committee, Frank Fahey, appealed to him to consider it as a way of reducing congestion in the city.

[Mark Gleeson]

The website came online last night
http://www.dartundergroundrailwayorder.ie/

I'd wager that it is impossible to actually read everything included in the time available

There is a massive amount of background material provided, including the until now secret Arup report, Dublin Suburban Rail Strategic Review which is eye opening into the vast array of (at times ingenious) possibilities considered

[karlr42]

Went for a quick viewing of the documents on display in Pearse today during a break from work. Mark is right, there is a huge amount of documentation on display that would take a commitment to read through fully. Hopefully this bodes well as it shows a lot of effort has been put in by CIE for this to go ahead.

I note though that there seems to be a problem just west of the Inchicore tunnel mouth- the tracks suddenly revert back to 2-tracks. Am I right in saying that the extension of the DART to Hazelhatch is dependent on another railway order expanding the track westward from this area to connect with the 4-track KRP? Having a bottleneck from the end of the KRP to the tunnel mouth can't be the final plan unless DARTs are to terminate in Inchicore.

I also believe there is to be a separated-grade connection off the mainline to the tunnel so that Intercity trains can bypass the tunnel and get to Heuston- the railway order doesn't seem to take account of the interaction between traffic for Heuston and traffic to the tunnel.

On another note, I was the only person to view the documents today, according to the sign-in sheet.

[Mark Gleeson]

West of Inchicore the tunnel tracks drop below the current outbound track and surface in the centre with the current tracks either side. A fly under is proposed with the current outbound track being carried on a bridge to allow the two tunnel tracks to pass under.

By virtue of the design of the Inchicore the station it's slightly below ground level so this arrangement works

4 tracks will be provided between there and Cherry Orchard

This is all a separate project.

[karlr42]

Is it intended to have that separate project complete in time for the completion of DART Underground?