[Article] Iarnród Éireann failed to tell Minister of Dart delay at meeting

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...269793618.html

Iarnród Éireann failed to tell Minister of Dart delay at meeting
MARIE O'HALLORAN

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN failed to tell Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey about a major delay in completing the Dart underground when he met them hours before the company made the announcement.

Mr Dempsey told the Dáil that he heard about the decision at lunchtime yesterday. “I was with the board of CIÉ this morning but the matter was not mentioned,� he said. But he added, “as far as the Government is concerned, there has been no postponement�. He said the two “priority public transport projects are the Dart interconnector and Metro North�.

Iarnród Éireann blamed planning delays for the postponement of the €2 billion project until 2018. The 7.6km Dublin underground rail link or interconnector will join the docklands with Heuston Station and Inchicore through underground stations.

Mr Dempsey told Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus O’Dowd during Dáil question time that the delay “was not mentioned to me even though a presentation was made regarding the Dart interconnector at this morning’s meeting�. He said: “I don’t know how the statement could be made in relation to planning because – again, if I’m wrong I’ll stand corrected in relation to this – but I understand that the statement that was made that because of delays in the planning process that it was likely to go out to that time.

“But I don’t know how anybody could make a statement like that – because nobody knows how long it’s going to be in the planning process.�

Mr O’Dowd had said costs, particularly relating to steel, had never been lower. “While it is obviously expensive to build an underground connector, it would never be less costly to do so than now,� he said. “Should the planning process relating to such a major infrastructural project not be accelerated?�

The Minister said, “I am unaware of any change the company has proposed on this matter.� He was aware of the statement “and I will seek clarification�.

Mr O’Dowd said it was “amazing� that the company would not tell the Minister of the delay in such an important project, and he described it as a “snub�.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...269793388.html

...

Iarnród Éireann confirmed yesterday there would be a three-year additional delay to the planned opening of its Dart underground project.

Public consultation on the project, now not due to be completed until 2018, continues.

Meetings will be held between 5pm and 8pm on each of the following dates at these venues: Today: the Atrium, Civic Offices, Wood Quay; Monday, May 10th, the Alexander Hotel, Fenian Street; Tuesday, May 11th, Hilton Hotel, Kilmainham, Dublin 8; and Thursday, May 13th, Sean O'Casey Community Centre, East Wall, Dublin 3.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/pdf/dartunderground/Meetings%20DART_03.pdf

DART Underground: Public Consultation Evening


Dear Sir/Madam,

There will be a series of Public Consultation and Information evenings in the
coming weeks to inform and update property owners and occupiers about
the DART Underground. The table below gives details of the date and
venue of the Public Consultation and Information evening within your area.

The format will be an open visual display of detailed information on the
project for a three hour period in each venue between 5pm and 8pm.

Members of the Project Team will be available on the night to explain,
inform, listen and advise on any questions or concerns you may have.

The project website is www.irishrail.ie/DARTUnderground. Should you have
any queries please do not hesitate to contact the office by sending an email to the following address: dartunderground@irishrail.ie


Public Consultation Evenings. Each event will be held between 5pm and 8pm.

Christchurch Thursday,
6th May 2010
The Atrium, Dublin City Council Offices, Wood Quay, D2

Pearse St. Area / St. Stephens Green
Monday, 10th May 2010
Alexander Hotel, Fenian Street, off Merrion Square, D2.

Heuston Station/Inchicore
Tuesday, 11th May 2010
K1 Venue, Hilton Hotel, Inchicore Road, Kilmainham,D8

Docklands/East Wall
Sean 0’Casey Community Centre,
Thursday, 13th May 2010
St Mary’s Road, East Wall, D3

Yours faithfully,
DART Underground Team
DART Underground, Iarnród Éireann, Heuston Station, Dublin 8

JOINED-UP THINKING FOR DUBLIN
DART Underground
The Missing Link
EU TEN-T

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tráthnóna Comhchomhairle PhoiblÃ* ar an DART Faoi Thalamh

A chara,

Tionólfar sraith tráthnónta Chomhchomhairle PhoiblÃ* agus Eolais PhoiblÃ*
sna seachtainÃ* amach romhainn chun úinéirÃ* agus áititheoirÃ* maoine a chur
ar an eolas agus iad a thabhairt cothrom le dáta ar an DART Faoi Thalamh. Tugann an tábla thÃ*os mionsonraÃ* ar dhátaÃ* agus ar ionaid an tráthnóna
Chomhchomhairle agus Eolais PhoiblÃ* a bheidh i do cheantar féin.

Is fÃ*sthaispeáint oscailte an leagan amach a bheidh ann ar eolas mionsonraithe an tionscadail a mhairfidh trÃ* uair an chloig i ngach ionad idir 5pm agus 8pm.

Beidh comhaltaÃ* ón bhFoireann Tionscadail ar fáil ar an oÃ*che chun mÃ*niú, insint, éisteacht agus comhairle a thabhairt ar cheist nó ar ábhar imnÃ* ar bith a d’fhéadfadh a bheith agat.

Is é láithreán gréasáin an tionscadail ná www.irishrail.ie/DARTUnderground. Má bhÃ*onn aon cheisteanna agat ná bÃ*odh drogall ort teagmháil a dhéanamh leis an oifig seo trÃ* rÃ*omhphost a sheoladh chuig an seoladh seo a leanas: dartunderground@irishrail.ie


Tráthnónta Comhchomhairle PhoiblÃ*. Tionólfar gach imeacht idir 5pm agus 8pm.

Teampall ChrÃ*ost
Déardaoin, 6 Bealtaine 2010
An Atrium, OifigÃ* Chomhairle Cathrach Bhaile Ã�tha Cliath, Cé an Adhmaid, D2

Limistéar Shráid an Phiarsaigh / Faiche Stiabhna
Dé Luain, 10 Bealtaine 2010
Óstán Alexander, Sráid na bhFÃ*nÃ*nÃ*, gar de Chearnóg Mhuirfean, D2.

Stáisiún Heuston /Inse Chór
Dé Máirt, 11 Bealtaine 2010
Ionad K1, Óstán Hilton, Bóthar Inse Chór, Cill Mhaighneann, D8

Ceantar na nDugaÃ*/ An Port Thoir
Déardaoin, 13 Bealtaine 2010
Ionad Pobail Sean 0’Casey, Bóthar Mhuire, An Port Thoir, D3

Is mise le meas,
Foireann DART Faoi Thalamh
DART Faoi Thalamh, Iarnród Éireann, Stáisiún Heuston, Baile �tha Cliath 8


SMAOINEAMH AR LEAN DO do Bhaile �tha Cliath
DART faoi Thalamh
An Lúb ar Lár
EU TEN-T

[Rashers]

It's really disgraceful how IE are so relaxed about such a substantial delay.
They keep saying how important this project is, yet at the drop of a hat, they extend the completion date, and forget to tell their paymaster.
I assume this will add significantly to the costs. All the projections for the PPP will need to be rewritten etc.
I also wonder will the minister actually challenge IE on this?
Finally, I do not believe planning delays alone would hold this project up by 3 years (> 1,000 days). They either had a massive miscalculation, or there is something else up which they are not telling us.
Yet again, the public suffer, while IE fluff along.

[Mark Gleeson]

We have contacts in the project team and we are seeking clarification as to what happened but it looks like An Bord Pleanala has pulled a stunt of some kind.

[Mark Gleeson]

What is interesting here are the emerging facts

1. The DoT and NTA KNEW of 2018 last week
2. The consultation notices appeared last week so the delay was known, since there would be no need to consult if the plans had been finalised.
3. An Bord Pleanala seem to have told IE to go back to the drawing board. We will find out tonight if that is the case.

Edit Seems ABP seem happy enough

[karlr42]

Can IE appeal the decision? Seems ridiculous for this project to be blocked now.

[Mark Gleeson]

I'll find out later what on earth is going on

[Mark Gleeson]

ABP have certainly taken a look but I'm told there was no serious issues with the project

Plans are as before and the tunnel portal in Inchicore has been moved into the CIE site so no digging of the football field, beyond a small vent shaft

[Oisin88]

Originally Posted by Rashers

Finally, I do not believe planning delays alone would hold this project up by 3 years (> 1,000 days). They either had a massive miscalculation, or there is something else up which they are not telling us.
Yet again, the public suffer, while IE fluff along.

It could be because Irish Rail made such a mess of the "consultation" by telling people what they were doing but not listening, that they were told to go back and do it properly. There is an EU convention called the Aarhus convention that is meant to be enacted in Ireland this year (10 years after it was agreed) that might be forcing this.

[Mark Gleeson]

Bids for Dart underground sought
OLIVIA KELLY

BIDS TO construct the Dart underground from Dublin’s Docklands to Inchicore have been sought by Iarnród Éireann just one week after the company announced a three-year delay in the project.

The 7.6km underground line, which will link Heuston Station to the Dart line, was due to open in 2015. Iarnród Éireann last week said it did not now expect the project to be completed until 2018.

A spokesman for the company yesterday said the original timeframe had been set in 2007 when the line was due to terminate at Heuston Station. The subsequent decision to extend it to Inchicore meant there would be 40 per cent more tunnelling than had been proposed.

Iarnród Éireann was not delaying the project and was now formally starting the procurement process by seeking tenders to design and build the line, he said.

The company intends to submit an application for a railway order, planning permission for the project, to An Bord Pleanála next month.

The tender documents, which will be published in the EU official journal in the coming days, seek submissions from interested parties by July 20th.

The successful candidate will be required to undertake tunnelling, track-laying, signalling, station construction, car-park construction and other mechanical and electrical works associated with the project.

© Irish Times 2010
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...270379242.html

[ACustomer]

So the previous 3-year delay is now followed up by a request for bids with the apparent implication that delays were not due to planning issues but due to a large (40%) increase in the amount of tunnelling.

So where does the truth lie?

Also the new NTA would appear to be yet another pointless quango: what does it do which is not already done or sanctioned by the DoT, the D of Finance, the Planners or even CIE/IR. Most of these bodies never have real power to allocate resources: the Dept of Finance calls the shots on anything which has a € sign.

Colm McCarthy's Bord Snip listed a pile of quangos to be hunted down and exterminated. Meanwhile the more of them are being created. The scipe for cunfusion and misunderstandings with so many bodies being involved must be huge.

[Colm Moore]

In fairness and without wanting to go off-topic, I doubt the Dublin Bus network review would be going ahead without the NTA.

[Mark Gleeson]

There is a construction delay as it will take longer

Planning wise IE can't move until the RPA have got approval on Metro North as there is a shared station at Stephen's Green which might force some changes on IE first

The RPA have had a horrible time with the planning setup, ABP are not geared up for this level of project. IE have learned the lessons and will get through faster.

The NTA sucked up the DTO and will take the taxi regulator in as well, so fewer agencies. The NTA will prove handy for us