Counting the cost of Metro North

Madam, – I refer to the recent statement by An Taisce that the cost of Metro North “may now be closer to €8 billion” (Home News…

Madam, – I refer to the recent statement by An Taisce that the cost of Metro North “may now be closer to €8 billion” (Home News, October 26th).

This figure is wildly inaccurate and Metro North will cost a fraction of this to build. The National Transport Authority recently approved an updated business case for Metro North which considered the full impact of the current economic circumstances and which continued to demonstrate a positive economic case for the project. High-quality integrated public transport is a key feature of the most successful cities worldwide.

While Metro North may have been planned in more prosperous times, it is economically robust for today and remains a vital artery in the ongoing development of the city’s infrastructure. If Dublin is to move forward and continue to compete with other European cities for investment in job creation it needs to ensure it has a 21st- century public transport system. – Yours, etc,

TOM MANNING,

Public Relations Manager,

Metro North Project Director,

Railway Procurement Agency,

Parkgate Street,

Dublin 8.