[article] The Interconnector Reannouncement list

[Mark Gleeson]

Offical reannouncement 2 (T21 was one)

Originally Posted by Irish Independent

Work begins on €1.5bn DART line to run under centre of city

WORK is under way on a new €1.5bn underground DART line through the heart of Dublin city centre, it was learned yesterday.

The interconnector rail line, from Docklands to Heuston Station, will quadruple the greater Dublin area's rail service capacity from the current 25m passenger journeys annually to 100m.

Iarnrod Eireann appealed yesterday for specialists to help design the line, the Irish Independent has learned.

These will develop designs for the five planned underground stations, carry out underground tests and liaise with landowners. They will also establish detailed cost estimates.

The underground DART service is being designed to dramatically increase frequency and capacity for commuters on DART, Northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines. The plans also involve the extension of the DART network to Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Balbriggan.

The proposed interconnector route will see DART trains from Balbriggan and Howth branch off after Clontarf Road and go underground at Docklands station, where the line will connect with the Luas.

It will continue to Pearse station, connecting with what will be the Maynooth to Bray/Greystones DART.

At St Stephen's Green it is to connect with the Luas and the Metro to the airport before continuing to High Street and Heuston, again linking with Luas, intercity and commuter trains before continuing above ground to Hazelhatch and the Kildare commuter line.

Iarnrod Eireann says that the interconnector will be the single most important piece of infrastructure in the State for encouraging commuters to switch from cars to public transport.

"We want to free future generations from the gridlock which cripples the greater Dublin area today," Barry Kenny, company spokesperson, said.

The interconnector will links all rail modes - DART, commuter, Intercity, Luas and the planned Metro to Swords via Dublin Airport - to form an integrated network. The Docklands-Heuston interconnector involves a second high-capacity DART line through the heart of the city centre, a 5.2km underground line.

The result should be a dramatically increased frequency and capacity for services on the northern, Maynooth and Kildare lines - the three fastest-growing population corridors in the country.

The overall target is for a fully integrated rail network for the greater Dublin area.

Suburb-to-suburb as well as suburb-to-city centre journeys will be possible with a frequent, high-capacity network.

Iarnrod Eireann said yesterday that DART extensions to some routes were likely to be delivered in advance of the Interconnector.
Treacy Hogan

© Irish Independent
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...issue_id=14030

[Kevin K Kelehan]

Sounds great doesn't it?

But specifically what work is under way and what has been completed to date?

[Mark Gleeson]

Original consultants where contracted to provide an outline design and project sufficent to get the funding, this they did.

We know the route and roughly the station locations

Its crazy that you can get so many column inches out of this

Iarnrod Eireann-Irish Rail requires the services of a multi-disciplinary engineering consultant for the integration and design of the new Interconnector Tunnel, associated infrastructure and safety system reliability.

- The project briefly will consist of a railway tunnel connecting the two main railway stations of Dublin (Connolly and Heuston Stations) and will include 5 new underground railway stations.

The consultant will be required to have the following:
- Verify the vertical and horizontal alignment
- Develop station designs (including ventilation and evacuation shafts)
- Carry out geotechnical investigations in order to verify potential conflicts to existing structures
- Verify cost estimates
- Liaise with landowners, local authorities, the Rail Safety Commission and third parties in general.
- Interface with existing on-going projects affecting the Interconnector route alignment and existing track designs at the connection point.
- Prepare dedicated asset risk management for the main contract.
- Develop the Safety requirement specifications for the main contract.

Interested candidates should note that experience in Design & Build
projects in a multi-disciplinary engineering environment will be
essential to pre-qualify for this tender.

http://www.etenders.gov.ie/search/se...x?ID=MAY058435

Its only a six month contract

What the papers missed was the potential €300 million tender IE issued on the same day for the trains to run through it

[Kevin K Kelehan]

- The project briefly will consist of a railway tunnel connecting the two main railway stations of Dublin (Connolly and Heuston Stations) and will include 5 new underground railway stations.

It looks like Olivia wasn't too far off the mark

[Donal Quinn]

heard it announced on today fm news
almost fell out of bed

even if it's old news it's the first time i heard it explained properly in the media

all good

[Mark Gleeson]

Well the Church Rd junction where it starts is classifed as being part of the Connolly Station area

[Kevin K Kelehan]

What timescale for delivery do you anticipate on the basis of this appointment?

[PaulM]

There was an article on the front page of herald AM (Also independant). Must be a slow news day.

[Mark Gleeson]

Contract is six months of duration, based on this and on other tenders IE have issued they are clearly running things several years ahead of the T21 deadlines in terms of planning

[Kevin K Kelehan]

Taking a hypothetical view

3 months to recruit

6 months they have prelim spec

12 months to tender

12 months to clear planning & assemble the plant

Bringing the timescale for construction to March 2008

When is it likely to emerge?

[Thomas J Stamp]

Yeah, I heard it again on 2fm this morning. Well, it fills the news slot a bit, dosnt it? The point really being that the order of the EMU's shows that IE are fully committed to this, despite what some might think.


[Insert usual rant about Treacy Hogan/Barry Kenny re-announcement mania]

[philip]

Surely the most interesting line in that piece was;

Originally Posted by Treacy Hogan

Iarnrod Eireann said yesterday that DART extensions to some routes were likely to be delivered in advance of the Interconnector.

Maynooth anyone?

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by philip

Surely the most interesting line in that piece was;

Maynooth anyone?

Not news IE already working on it, its the only route they can electrify in advance as Heuston won't be wired up anyway which makes Kildare line not feasible till interconnector

The size of the accompanying rolling stock tender is insufficent for the full interconnector project enough for Maynooth and Ballbriggan though

[James Shields]

Two questions...

First, if sufficient funding were available, how soon would it be reasonable to expect the Interconnector could be finished?

Second, could IE press ahead and electrify to Maynooth now? Is a railway works order or planning permission needed to put up pylons? Would it make sense to electrify the Midland line to Spencer Dock as well as the Drumcondra route to Connolly? Would Maynooth DARTs be able to run to Brey without evicting northern line trains? Between work on the line and ordering stock, how soon could Maynooth DART be up and running?

[PaulM]

Is it not more likely that they would extend the electrification on the Northern line?

[Mark Gleeson]

Interconnector could be 2012/13 if pushed ahead

Based on IE's tender and past experience it will be mid 2009 before any stock ordered would be available, that includes commissioning time. 2009 is a critical year

Rolling stock takes longer than infrastructure, overhead gear does not need a works order, 2 to 3 years to do if pushed must be noted DART project took 4 years but most of the time was spent on station, signalling and track works all of which have been done on the Maynooth line already

[Kevin K Kelehan]

Work on underground DART begins

12 May 2006 09:58
Iarnród Éireann has announced that it is starting work on a new underground rail link from Dublin docklands to Heuston Station.

It said that the underground DART will quadruple the number of rail passengers in Dublin from the current 25 million journeys a year to 100 million.

Construction work is due to start in 2009 and be completed in 2015.

just saw this on archeire

[Mark Gleeson]

Well it appears IE have taken the bait

http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/images/upload/news/172.pdf
http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/images/upload/news/78.pdf

[Kevin K Kelehan]

Two things from the images;

One>< there is no location for the Dart 1 and Metro intersection station

Two>< commuter services stop at Carlow on the Waterford line

[Colm Donoghue]

three>< glasnevin station