The announcement that MetroLink has been given full planning permission is a significant milestone in delivering a sustainable transport network for Dublin. While planning permission was granted for a very similar project 15 years ago, there is real momentum behind the project now. Given that the metro could still be at least a decade away, and there are many more hurdles to overcome before services begin, it may seem a little premature to ask which project is next.
But that this is the exact question we should be asking ourselves right now.
If we look at cities internationally that have transformed their public transport networks, the one thing that they all have in common is a pipeline of projects. The successful expansion of the Madrid metro system is often attributed to two main factors: strong governance that prioritised quick, inexpensive delivery and a pipeline of projects. Over a 12-year period, the city was able to add 200km to its metro system. To put this in context, Dublin began construction of light rail in 2001 and 24 years later we have a network of 42 kilometres with the last light rail extension being delivered almost 8 years ago.
One of the key arguments around planning a pipeline and gaining momentum is driven by economies of scale and capacity to deliver. This pipeline would not only consider projects in Dublin but also the much-needed light rail projects in our other cities. Cancelling the Metro North project in 2011 resulted in many of the skilled workers required for delivering large projects leaving Ireland, and it has taken a long time for teams with those skills to return.
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Having this skill set in Ireland gives us the opportunity to expedite and deliver many of the vital light rail projects. We have a track record in delivering large pipelines of transport projects in this country. In 2010 alone, the country opened over 270km of motorway right across Ireland. It is this scale and ambition that is required in order to modernise our public transport networks and to give us a fighting chance of achieving our climate ambitions within the transport sector.
The first Luas services began in 2004, and in the early years the delivery of line extensions happened relatively quickly, with three new extensions opening in 2009, 2010 and 2011. It would then be a further six years before the Luas Cross City would open in the city. While there are ambitious plans to expand the network, right now there is only one small extension that is with An Coimisiún Pleanála: Luas Finglas. It is anticipated that this 4km extension could open by 2032, meaning that there will have been a gap of 15 years between its opening and the opening of the last extension. Had the initial momentum of delivering over 13km between 2009 and 2011 continued, we would be looking at a much more extensive network today.
The 2022 Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy outlines how a further 30km of Luas could be delivered by 2042. This includes new lines that would serve Lucan, Bray, Finglas and Poolbeg. The strategy also details a further 85km of potential lines, servicing areas such as Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, Rathfarnham, Clongriffin and UCD. However, many of these new lines have been spoken about for a long time; the first public consultation on an extension to Lucan was launched in 2007. Given the pace of light rail delivery in the city, you could be forgiven for being sceptical of these delivery targets.
There’s better news in the delivery of heavy rail in and around the Greater Dublin Area. The progress of DART+ has kept to schedule, and these extensions will provide much-needed connectivity in the region. However, there is one notable laggard in the delivery of a rail line to Navan.
Not all of this new construction will be in the Dublin region, of course. Plans are advancing for light rail in Cork and Galway. Limerick has a very ambitious plan to extend and reuse existing heavy rail lines around the city region. Expediting these projects must be a priority; to take one example of what we are facing if not, the cost of congestion in Galway city is expected to triple by 2040 unless action is taken.
Lessons must be learned from the stalled progress in project delivery and the expensive mistakes of the past should not be repeated. One of the main arguments against such large rail projects is the cost, which is undoubtedly high. However, as a society, we need to consider the costs of not doing these projects and the benefits that we are missing out on. The recent National Household Travel Survey results for 2024 showed that 71.3 per cent of all trips taken in Ireland are made by car; this is the highest percentage ever recorded by this survey (running since 2012). Equally, congestion in our cities is expected to cost over €2 billion annually by 2040.
One of the biggest benefits of these projects would be that they can be developed alongside new housing stock. The construction of housing adjacent to these high-quality public transport corridors will provide much better connectivity, reduced travel times, improved air quality and wellbeing in these areas. What are we waiting for?
Brian Caulfield is professor in transportation at the school of engineering, Trinity College Dublin
