Private developers are to pay for four new commuter train stations planned for Dublin, it has emerged - at Park West in west Dublin; Adamstown; at Phoenix Park and at Grange Road in north Dublin.
A spokesman for Irish Rail said last night that it was the policy of the company that where a new rail station would provide a major benefit to a development, that the developer had to pay for it.
Under its development plans, Irish Rail is to move its station at Cherry Orchard to a site near the Park West Business Park. Adamstown and Phoenix Park stations will be near major new housing developments in west Dublin while Grange Road, on the Dart line in Raheny, north Dublin, will serve what will be in effect a new town area on the fringe of the city.
Details of the private-sector involvement in the provision of commuter stations comes as three developers are reported to be planning to finance the extension of the Luas line to Citywest.
It emerged yesterday that three developers were in talks with the Railway Procurement Agency about funding a Luas spur line which would run from the Tallaght route to Citywest.
It was reported that Davy Hickey Properties and Harcourt Developments had agreed to provide about €27 million to bring the Luas spur as far as Fortunestown Lane.
Developer Jim Mansfield is understood to be in talks about funding an additional extension to take the Luas line to his Citywest Hotel, conference centre and golf complex.
A Luas service would add considerably to the value of properties in the immediate area.
Minister of State for Transport Ivor Callely has welcomed private-sector involvement in the provision of transport projects. He said yesterday that the principle behind public- private partnerships was that the private sector played a role in funding infrastructural projects.
