This consists of a number of major projects - many of which fall outside the 10 year plan and which have been funded and announced many years ago. Combined together these works will allow an additional 75 million rail passengers per annum in the greater Dublin region, roughly 3 times current levels.
Kildare Route Project
This project includes the provision of 2 additional tracks from Cherry Orchard to just beyond Hazelhatch. The project has been delayed numerous times by government indecision. The scope of the project has been reduced in order to make the cost more palatable to government at the loss of the passenger.
The works order for this project was recently approved by Minister Cullen allowing the public consultation phase to commence.
Cost approx. €350 million and should be completed by 2009/2010.
Slightly out of date details of the project are available here.
Interconnector Tunnel
The interconnector tunnel links Inchicore to East Wall Rd, with stations at Inchicore, Heuston, High Street, St Stephen's Green, Pearse and Spencer Dock. The tunnel will allow trains to run directly from Hazelhatch to Balbriggan thus providing a second rail line through the city centre. By 2018.
Cost approx. €2.5 billion and should be completed by 2018.
Details of the public consultation available are here.
Dart Extensions
As part of the interconnector project, there will be a massive expansion of the DART network to reach Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Balbriggan. Following the opening of the Interconnector tunnel, all rail services will be restructured. Three new Dart lines will be created,
- Maynooth/Dunboyne/Navan to Bray/Greystones calling at all stations via Connolly, Tara Street and Pearse
- Hazelhatch to Balbriggan via Dublin City Centre, calling at all stations to Heuston then Christchurch, St Stephen's Green, Pearse, Spencer Dock, Howth Junction and all stations to Balbriggan
- Howth calling at all stations to Spencer Dock then Pearse, St Stephen's Green, Christchurch and Heuston
This work will take place while the interconnector tunnel is being built, total costs including rolling stock is approximately €850 million.
Further details on the Rail Users Ireland website.
City Centre Signaling Upgrade
This project will allow an increase from the current 12 trains per hour to 20 through the heavily congested loop line section between Pearse and Connolly stations.
This project was cancelled by government several years ago, the work should have been completed by now but now is quoted with a 2009 completion date. Again this is not part of the 10 year plan.
Cost unknown but not more than €100 million and should be completed by 2012.
Spencer Dock Station
A station in Spencer Dock on the north quays east of Connolly in Dublin is key to the provision of additional capacity on the Maynooth line and will also permit services to operate from Kildare to Spencer Dock thus for the first time bringing Kildare line commuters to the city centre, this is of particular benefit to those working in the IFSC.
This project was supposedly approved and funded in the 2004 budget, with €60 million allocated. Irish Rail reneged on the promise to operate services from Kildare to Docklands thus undermining the potential of the station