Madam, - Frank McDonald's piece in last Tuesday's edition on Dublin's future transport options comes at a good time. Clearly there is a need for more public transport in the greater Dublin area, but when the economy is showing signs of slowing down somewhat it is time to look at what delivers most at least cost.
Mr McDonald examines two major projects that are planned under Transport 21. One is a new, mainly underground train line from Swords to St Stephen's Green. This is the 17km Metro North. The other is a 5.2km underground line linking the current Dart line just north of Connolly Station to the Kildare commuter line at Heuston Station. This is Dart Underground. Both will have two tracks and will have about the same capacity. The Metro will serve the growing town of Swords, the airport, Ballymun, and the older suburbs of Glasnevin and Drumcondra. The Dart, by going underground before Connolly Station, will allow more than double the number of trains to come into the city centre. These will serve the fast-growing towns of Fingal, Kildare and Meath, including new towns such as Adamstown and Ongar.
Both projects were costed more than four years ago, Metro North at €4.58 billion and the Dart Underground at €1.3 billion. There are complications with the costs. The Metro North project was scaled down prior to this figure and did not include estimates for stations included since then, and for the underground section to be extended beyond Ballymun. The Dart Underground project is intended to create two Dart lines, one from Balbriggan to Hazelhatch and the other from Maynooth to Bray/Graystones. The electrification of these sections was costed at €0.3 billion by Iarnród Éireann in 2003. The Metro North Project is due for completion in 2012, the DART Underground in 2015. Final detailed route selection for Metro North is under way; tendering is due at the end of this year. The DART Underground project is only at the public consultation stage.
We believe serious consideration should be given to proceeding with Dart Underground ahead of Metro North because DART Underground costs much less and offers transportation benefits at least as important as Metro North. - Yours, etc,
COLM HOLMES, CEO, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2.
Madam, - Frank McDonald tells us we will have to wait six years to use a public transport system which has too few ticket machines, has no escalators, lacks basic platform furniture, and has outdoor stations that are not protected from the elements.
Can somebody remind me why we are spending all this money, when we have an equally second-rate system already in place? - Yours, etc,
TRISTAN MULHALL, Merlyn Park, Dublin 4.