DART+ (DART Expansion)

The biggest (only) delay so far has been in the internal planning phase. The initial proposals went for consultation in August 2020, with a target of getting the second consultation done by year end and a railway order application in the first half of 2021. That was never going to be achievable but still, a year to get to the second consultation was a phenomenal gap.

The only way they're getting a railway order lodged in the first half of 2022 is if they ignore all the comments in the latest consultation...

There was never going to be a Metro North Station anywhere near Pearse. The stations were O'Connell Bridge and St Stephens Green.

Are you talking about the clongriffin tracks that the Enterprise uses to bypass the DART platforms?

Indeed lots of people banging their heads in frustration. I think we are past a tipping point where they outnumber the naysayers and knit pickers at least in the world of policy making and planning.

There's also a bit of culture involved. There have been, in the past, and still today, a large number of people in official Ireland who's job and passion in life is finding reasons not to do things. A recent big example being how we simply could not use the phoenix park tunnel to improve commuter services for 40 years until one day we could.

If you are interested have a look at the RTÉ archives for the videos of when the original DART was open in 1984. Every commentator was bemoaning that the new system would not generate an instant profit based on ticket sales, Ireland had voluntarily wrapped its self up in Thatcherism when it came to policy. While the Netherlands was deciding to turn away from American/British car centric schemes. Not surprising because Ireland was firmly tied to the UK and the anglosphere at the time.

As we drift away from anglosphere culture at an ever increasing rate its clear that thinking is becoming ever more antiquated. Its only since the 1990s that you start seeing comparisons to cities not in the UK in reports compiled for transport projects. They actually used to reference USA cities in these reports back in the 70s, as they were considered the cultural and technological leading light for all things.

Regardless, there were no prep-works done for it. The Pearse Street / Trinity Biomed entrance was going to happen anyway.

You've fallen for mythology / simplistic attempts to talk stuff down.

For anyone who got off at Pearse before that entrance was built, the crushes in the morning were dangerous. It was well overdue getting a new entrance. It also opened up the catchment area.

I actually think more could be done in relation to access to city centre stations.

Irish Rail themselves mentioned that the new entrance at Pearse future proofed for DART Underground at a talk I attended for Engineers Ireland. However the amount of future proofing was basically that the tunnel for platform 1 to access the Trinity biomed entrance was also extended slightly further south to tie into and entrance planned for DART Underground. They were just giving an example of how they try to future proof. However despite the very interesting talk on a number of railway topics, the media ran with a "Work has begun on DART Underground" story.

Well, P10 isn't going to come back in to use until Heuston West / P11 is built, and hopefully sense is seen and they put an entrance to Conyngham Road from the off. There is access to Clancy Quay proposed; and the yards/bus station redevelopment proposal would have new bridges to Conyngham Road.

What's the plan for the diesel locomotive sheds at Connolly for Dart+West? I think there were plans for a new shed to be built with new housing & offices planned for the IFSC.