[PR] Transport 21 delivering for Dublin

darkman2

Delivering for Dublin
Date: 19 June 2008

TRANSPORT 21 – DELIVERING FOR DUBLIN



Extensions of Luas lines ongoing, with the lengthening of Luas trams on the Tallaght line completed







Significant expansions of Dublin Bus services, and introduction of new routes






Important developments of Metro North and Metro West progressing






New interchanges and more lanes on the M50 offering less congestion, and quicker commutes






Thursday, June 19th






Transport 21, the largest investment package ever in Ireland’s transport infrastructure, has already delivered real benefits for Dublin and many more significant improvements are on the way. Since it was launched two years ago, Transport 21 has invested €4.7 billion in transport networks across Ireland. Almost €3 billion is being invested through Transport 21 in 2008.



Commenting on the ongoing investment in Dublin’s transport infrastructure, Noel Dempsey TD, Minister for Transport, today said:

“Transport 21 has already delivered longer Luas trams on the Tallaght line, and Luas extension works are underway to Cherrywood and to the Point. More Luas developments are planned, to Bray in Wicklow, and to Lucan and Citywest. Transport 21 is also delivering more buses and enhanced bus services, and better commuter services to Wicklow, Meath and Kildare.

“And, in developments that will serve the city not only for years but for generations, the planning and development for Metro North and Metro West, and for the Dart underground, is also progressing. Coupled with the ongoing M50 upgrade, which will double the capacity of this route, transport in the Greater Dublin Area has never witnessed this level of activity in the history of the capital.

“Under Transport 21, €34 billion is being invested in Ireland’s road, rail, bus, tram, metro and regional air services between 2006 and 2015. Transport 21 is transforming the quality of life of families and commuters, linking communities together, and making it easier to do business right across Dublin and into Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. There are significant transport challenges in these areas but we are investing now to systematically address these challenges. Hard pressed commuters deserve to know that relief is on the way.”


Luas

Some 28.4 million passenger trips were made on the two Luas lines in 2007. Contributing to this, the tram extension programme on the Red Line has now extended all 26 trams from 30 to 40 metres.

Construction work is also continuing on the two Luas extensions – the 7.5 kilometre stretch from Sandyford to Cherrywood, and the Docklands extension to the Point Depot.

Once the new Cherrywood line is complete, a further extension is planned which will bring the Luas to the high density residential and commercial developments west of Bray. It is also planned to provide a Luas link to Bray Dart station.

Work on a 4km extension of the Red Line to Citywest, that will see a 4km spur serving communities in West Tallaght, is pending. An oral hearing was held in March at An Bord Pleanála on the project.

And, extensive public consultations have taken place regarding the proposed Luas from Lucan to the city centre, with the RPA hoping to announce the emerging preferred route later this year. More than 2,300 submissions were made to the RPA regarding this Luas development.

Dublin Bus

Over eighty buses have been deployed across the Dublin Bus network under Transport 21. This has allowed for new services to be introduced and existing services to be improved, including:

In February 2008, Route 140 was introduced in the North Finglas area. Loading studies undertaken by Dublin Bus have shown that Route 140 carries approximately 40,000 commuters a week.

Another new service introduced by Dublin Bus was Route 68X, which entered service in March. This provides a vital link between Greenogue Business Park and the city centre, and has increased customer capacity from Newcastle and Greenogue Business Park by 25%.

In addition to the introduction of new routes, Dublin Bus has worked towards enhancing existing routes. In March 2008, the Route 102 was extended.

Also in March, a further 22 routes across the Dublin Bus network were designated low floor wheelchair accessible. By the end of 2008 78% of the fleet will be low floor accessible, rising to 100% by 2012.

Transport 21 is part-funding 50 new triaxle buses for the Dublin Bus fleet. These vehicles can carry 33 more passengers than a standard bus.

Metro

Work on the exciting projects of Metro North and Metro West is ongoing.

Metro North is a 17 kilometre metro line from St Stephen’s Green via Dublin Airport to Lissenhall, north of Swords. Expected to carry 34 million passengers a year once operational, it will allow passengers to travel from Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre in under 20 minutes.

The procurement process for Metro North is ongoing. Four pre-qualified consortia have been invited to submit their tenders for the project.

Metro West will link the important towns of Tallaght, Clondalkin, Blanchardstown and Porterstown and will provide a fast commuter service to the city centre and the airport via Metro North. The Metro West route was announced last summer, and it is estimated that the construction of Metro West will take up to 5 years with completion expected in 2014.

Iarnród Éireann

Projects to improve, expand, and develop our rail infrastructure are progressing fast. Recent successes include the major expansion of the Dublin/Cork service that has seen the introduction of an hourly service between the two cities. New Intercity railcars, funded by Transport 21, were also introduced on the Sligo line last year, resulting in a significant increase in frequency of services up from 5 to 8 per day. At the end of 2008, the new railcars will also be introduced on the Dublin/Westport and Dublin/Galway lines. These are all important links from Dublin to major urban areas outside the capital.

In Dublin City, the development of the Dart underground – the 5.2 kilometre interconnector tunnel which will link the Northern line to the Kildare line, with underground stops at Docklands, Pearse, St Stephen’s Green, Christchurch and Heuston – is progressing.

The Interconnector, along with the electrification of the Maynooth, Kildare and Northern Lines and the four tracking of the Kildare line, will quadruple the capacity of the Greater Dublin commuter rail network to over 100 million passenger journeys annually. It is due to be completed by 2015 under the Transport 21 package of investment. A Railway Order application - the equivalent to planning permission - will be made in 2009, and it is expected that construction will begin in 2010.

Roads

The Transport 21 funded major route to Northern Ireland, the M1, is already completed and in use. This has revolutionised how residents and business people move between Dublin and Northern Ireland.









425kms of new road linking Dublin to Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford is under construction, and is on time and on budget for 2010 completion. The N2 Finglas to Ashborne road development (17kms) is open to traffic, as is the M50 Dublin Port Tunnel.

One of the most significant developments for Dubliners, ongoing right now, is the major overhaul of the M50. When completed, the capacity of the M50 will have doubled. The M50 Upgrade scheme involves adding a third lane in each direction on the M50 over a distance of 31km between the M1 and Sandyford Interchanges.

Work began on Phase 1 of the scheme in autumn 2006, consisting of the upgrading of 8kms of the existing carriageway between the N4, (Galway Road), N7 (Naas Road/Red Cow Roundabout) and Ballymount Interchange, and will be completed this year. Already new lanes, including new dedicated lanes for moving from one interchange to another, are open to traffic. The construction of new full and partial free flowing interchanges at the Red Cow, Liffey Valley and Ballymount roundabouts will also bring real relief from traffic congestion.

Ends

www.transport21.ie


Log on to see Delivering for Meath, Kildare etc:rolleyes:

KC61

Should someone tell them that the 68X has been cancelled?

murphaph

.....and most of that stuff that's 'in service' was planned and funded before anyone had ever heard of T21 anyway!

Colm R

Dublin and roads to Dublin - well done Noel - you're doing well.

Honestly, they are doing sweet f*** all for the rest of the country and what they are doing for Dublin and its commuters is just shoddy!!

Carawaystick

And the M1 doesn't go to Armagh, it stops outside Dundalk at Ballymascanlon

Chris_533976

Yeah I love how Cork is mentioned in that list.

Yup, lots has been done for Cork! A road to Dublin and a couple of NEW (read: replacement) buses is all we've gotten so far.

fh041205

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Yeah I love how Cork is mentioned in that list.

Yup, lots has been done for Cork! A road to Dublin and a couple of NEW (read: replacement) buses is all we've gotten so far.

Isn't the Midleton line on the way soon...??? (by soon i mean 2009). I thought that would be quite a big thing for Cork.

MiniD

Another new service introduced by Dublin Bus was Route 68X, which entered service in March. This provides a vital link between Greenogue Business Park and the city centre, and has increased customer capacity from Newcastle and Greenogue Business Park by 25%.

That is hilarious. As KC mentioned, this service was launched in March and cancelled in June. it consisted of one departure at 7.30am. So much for it being a vital link and increasing capacity. :rolleyes:

markf909

Why was it cancelled?

Xylophonic

markf909 wrote: »

Why was it cancelled?

http://www.dublinbus.ie/news_centre/latest_news.asp?action=view&news_id=791

AlekSmart

It`s long past the time for some drastic action at the top of the Transport Tree.

This entire document is little more than an embarrassment and all right thinking observers would simply bin the stupid thing.

This drivel coming from a Minister for Transport who,at a time of record oil and other energy prices,is still unconvinced that Dublin Bus requires any EXTRA capacity.

:mad:

IIMII

Pity there isn't a transport 21 shadow website tracking announcements, reannouncments, lies etc on each T21 project

A blog, or an update forum of some sort with sections either on transport mode or geographic breakdown.

The information is too scattered, cluttered, randomised.

Something which could become a media source in its own right.

Something needs to be done. Getting Transport 21 scrapped and replaced with a realistic and credible plan would be a good start.

Proper costings, projections, feasability studies.. No PR, no spin. Project ratings with realistic step by step implementation schedules.

We can but dream. We'll all be retired by the time most or any of these projects are built at this rate.

dereko1969

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Yeah I love how Cork is mentioned in that list.

Yup, lots has been done for Cork! A road to Dublin and a couple of NEW (read: replacement) buses is all we've gotten so far.

why would cork be mentioned in an article stating what had been delivered for Dublin? if it had been no doubt you'd have on complaining about dublin taking over the world or other people's republic crapola

Hotblack Desiato

AlekSmart wrote: »

This drivel coming from a Minister for Transport who,at a time of record oil and other energy prices,is still unconvinced that Dublin Bus requires any EXTRA capacity.

That reminds me, saw this yesterday. 127 RA/RVs up for sale :rolleyes:

KC61

ninja900 wrote: »

That reminds me, saw this yesterday. 127 RA/RVs up for sale :rolleyes:

Dublin Bus is committed to having a completely low floor fleet by 2012. Given that in 1999 there was a large influx of buses to increase the fleet, the rate of replacement has to be increased over the newxt few years.

There are 150 replacement buses due to be delivered in the next year or so to replace the buses advertised for sale.

jank

Isn't the Midleton line on the way soon...??? (by soon i mean 2009). I thought that would be quite a big thing for Cork.

That was announced 2 years before t21 but re-packaged to fit into it.
It will open next year 3-4 years late.

jank

why would cork be mentioned in an article stating what had been delivered for Dublin? if it had been no doubt you'd have on complaining about dublin taking over the world or other people's republic crapola

I would agree but where is the link stating "Delivering for Cork"..... or even Limerick, Galway, Waterford etc etc.
Hell even "Delivering for Munster" would be nice!:)

They should rename the thing Dublin 21 as there is very little else for the rest of the country in this, apart from the interurbans to Dublin (which yet again was planned for about hmmm... 7/8 years before T21!)

Not that this is a bad thing, Dublin needs this investment to get over its traffic woes, but regional development is something not applied in this countries transport or planning policy.

Oh and get off your high stereotypical horse.

markpb

KC61 wrote: »

There are 150 replacement buses due to be delivered in the next year or so to replace the buses advertised for sale.

Ignoring the fact that DB could use 150 extra buses instead of 150 replacement buses, why are the buses being sold now before the extra buses arrive?

KC61

markpb wrote: »

Ignoring the fact that DB could use 150 extra buses instead of 150 replacement buses, why are the buses being sold now before the extra buses arrive?

What gives you that impression?

The buses leave the fleet once the new buses arrive and are commissioned - not before. How else could Dublin Bus maintain services?

All that's happening now is that they are being offered for sale.

AlekSmart

I would suggest that at THIS particular juncture the fleet replacement programme should be suspended to allow for a rapid Enlargement of the fleet in order to significantly increase Public Transport capacity in Dublin.

The RA/RV vehicles currently being offered for tender have many years of worthwhile service left,as their UK buyers will be well able to attest to.

Dublin Buses committment to 100% low floor operation should be tempered with a nod at the present REALITY which now sees energy price increases threatening the entire structure of the world economy.

These 100% committments to various worthy ideals may have been achievable 12 months ago but I venture to suggest they are counterproductive in todays vastly different social and economic climate.

Not for the first time is it becoming necessary to focus on the GREATER good which can be served by increasing the scope and availibility of public transport rather than constricting it as persistent rumours appear to be suggesting :mad:

dereko1969

jank wrote: »

I would agree but where is the link stating "Delivering for Cork"..... or even Limerick, Galway, Waterford etc etc.
Hell even "Delivering for Munster" would be nice!:)

I'm sure the 3 counties included on the website will just be the start of the roll-out of press releases and the rest will be put up there soon. They have to start somewhere

jank

dereko1969 wrote: »

I'm sure the 3 counties included on the website will just be the start of the roll-out of press releases and the rest will be put up there soon. They have to start somewhere

I wouldnt bet on it.

KC61

To clarify the position regarding Dublin Bus vehicles:

50 VT (Tri-axle buses) and 50 EV Class Double decks have now been delivered replacing 100 RA Volvo Olympians.

There are now for sale 140 vehicles:
127 RA/RV Volvo Olympians
13 driver trainer vehicles

The current order book is for 150 vehicles as follows, all of which are replacement vehicles:
50 Volvo B9TL/Enviro 400 - delivery August to October (EV Class)
50 Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse - delivery October 2008 to March 2009 (New to Dublin)
50 Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 with Integral body - delivery March 2009 onwards. (New to Dublin)

The 127 RA/RV vehicles will be withdrawn as the new vehicles are delivered. 13 other RV vehicles will replace the driver trainers, while another 10 vehicles will probably be open-topped for use on the tours.

As Alek Smart correctly points out, a sensible move would be to decide to redesignate at least 50 of the vehicles on order as additional to the fleet and delay the disposal of 50 Volvo Olympians. This would enable the fleet to deliver on the much needed improvements on the Lucan QBC.

Gnashers

where is the link stating "Delivering for Cork"..... or even Limerick, Galway, Waterford etc etc. Hell even "Delivering for Munster" would be nice!

Its not exactly what you're looking for but I assume that all the information that they would stick into a 'delivering for cork' press release is in the South West Regional seminar powerpoint on this page of their site

http://www.transport21.ie/Publications/Information_seminars_on_Transport_21/Information_seminars.html