Rail Passengers Welcome Planning Application for DART Underground
June 30th 2010
Rail Users Ireland welcomes the formal submission of the railway order (planning application) to construct the DART Underground / DART Interconnector tunnel between Inchicore and Dublin's North Docklands
Irish Rail has addressed the majority of concerns raised and in particular by bringing the tunnel to Inchicore has not only provided the long sought after station for Inchicore but ensured the full separation of commuter services, Intercity and regional approaching Heuston and also provides a connection to the proposed Lucan Luas which will have a stop at Inchicore station.
The DART Underground / Interconnector project will resolve the majority of complaints raised by passengers. By providing a streamlined conflict free network, eliminating the bottleneck at Connolly station, allowing for a higher frequency services with shorter journey times with a higher level of punctuality. Combined with connections with Luas, Metro and long distance trains, this project will deliver the integrated transport experience needed to relieve Dublin of car dependence.
Mark Gleeson, spokesperson Rail Users Ireland said "This is simply the most important transport project in Ireland's history and will deliver the long promised integrated public transport network for Dublin with significant benefits for all rail routes countrywide with better connections and frequencies. It will address many of the most frequent complaints raised by passengers"
Rail Users Ireland remains convinced that this project could have been delivered sooner had it not been for the lack of priority the Department of Transport assigned the project from the outset of Transport 21. The failure to provide flexibility in funding to Irish Rail has resulted in delays and will result in extra cost and disruption to passengers in the future
The economic evaluation clearly demonstrates that the DART Underground / Interconnector project will make an enormous contribution to the Irish economy and how it will change public transport in Dublin and Ireland forever for commuters, for leisure travel and for tourists. We simple cannot afford not to build this and with land and construction costs at considerably reduced levels the time is now to build