[Mark Gleeson]

Needless to say this all started because Platfrom 11 made the d connector presentation

Originally Posted by Irish Times

Iarnrod Eireann urged to reopen tunnel

Tim O'Brien

Iarnrod Eireann has reneged on a promise to reopen Dublin's Phoenix Park Tunnel to passenger services from Kildare to the new Docklands station in the financial services centre.

The twin-track route from west of Heuston station passes under the Wellington Monument, and the Garda Depot before emerging near the North Circular Road and serving Cabra, Glasnevin, and Phibsboro on its way to the docklands.

A spur runs into Connolly Station providing access for trains to Tara and Pearse stations. Iarnrod Eireann had proposed to reopen passenger services on the route as part ofit plans to integrate city centre stations.

Former managing director of Iarnrod Eireann ]oe Meagher told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport as far back as early 2004 that passenger services would resume following the opening of Docklands station.

However, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen who recently travelled the route with larnrod Eireann executives said he had been told the route was now considered secondary to the proposed Heuston, Pearse, Docklands interconnector which is not due until 2015.

While Mr Meagher had initially proposed to run services as early as 2006, Mr Cullen said he was now being told the route was longer than the interconnector and that capacity was still an issue in relation to accessing Connolly Station and the new station in the Docklands.

A spokeswoman for Iarnrod Eireann confirmed the company view that the link was Iess desirable than the route through Pearse Station.

But the campaign group Platform 11 said the issues was never supposed to be a choice between the Phoenix Park tunnel or the Heuston/Pearse route.

Labour Party spokeswoman on transport Roisin Shortall called on Iarnrod Eireann to resolve the issue and to immediately open the route to passengers "as promised".

Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell also said the route should be opened in the short term as the other interconnector was not due until 2015.

© Irish Times 2007

And the evidence
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate...Node=11&Page=5

Mr. Meagher: I will try to take the questions raised, and if I leave
anything out committee members can come back to me. The first related
to the Phoenix Park tunnel, and perhaps I did not explain myself well.
We certainly intend to use the Phoenix Park tunnel in the short term
to bring trains from the Kildare-Newbridge area into Spencer Dock
because there is a demand for that