Madam, – I concur with Frank McDonald’s views (Opinion, July 28th) on the proposed Metro North and Dart underground and would like to add some points. The recent extension to the Luas light rail line at Cherrywood (Home News, May 6th) is very good value for money costing €300 million, working out at €40 million per kilometre for the 7.5km track. What is not good value is the €6 billion about to be spent on the Metro. The present Cherrywood to St Stephen’s Green Luas line should be extended to go via the city centre to Dublin Airport.
Using a mixture of ground level and elevated tracking as used in all Luas projects, this enterprise would deliver greater economic and social value than the proposed €6 billion Metro North, which involves the destruction of St Stephen’s Green, the vast construction of unnecessary underground stations, and tunnel works which will endanger the structures of many old Dublin buildings.
The light rail model of Luas transportation in Dublin (everybody would be able to take the A train to the airport) is cost effective and would deliver a light rail line at a fraction of the cost of the Metro North. Another example of Government project money wastage is the proposed €2 billion underground Dart going from Heuston Station to the Docklands which Iarnród Éireann is in the process of building. There is no reason for this new line as there is already a useable and well-built railway line which runs from Heuston Station via a tunnel at the Phoenix Park; the line then traverses a semi-circle around the northside and terminates at Connolly station. Iarnród Éireann has made no attempt to incorporate this great railway asset into its commuter network. – Yours, etc,