Metro North & Metro West
Metro North
Using underground, surface and elevated tracks, Metro North will operate from St Stephen’s Green, via Dublin Airport, to Belinstown, north of Swords. An estimated 35 million passengers a year will travel on this service, with trains every four minutes, increasing to every two minutes as the demand builds. The journey time from St Stephen’s Green to Dublin Airport will be in the region of 20 minutes. The journey time from Belinstown to St Stephen’s Green will be approximately 30 minutes.
Metro North will initially have 15 stops available for passengers who want to make the journey from the city centre to the airport and beyond. These will be located at St Stephen’s Green, O’Connell Bridge, Parnell Square, Mater Hospital, Drumcondra, Griffith Avenue, Dublin City University, Ballymun, Northwood, Dardistown, Dublin Airport, Fosterstown, Swords, Seatown and Belinstown. Two additional stops at Estuary and Lissenhall north of Swords will be provided at a later date. This first phase will link together all of the existing rail corridors in Dublin, by interchanging with the DART, the northern, north-western and south-eastern suburban rail lines, and the Luas Red and Green lines and bus services along the route. The projected completion date is 2013.
A key milestone for Metro North was reached in May 2008 with the issuing to the four bidding consortia of the tender documents. The consortia are a mix of international and Irish companies. Metro North is a PPP project and the bidders will be asked to tender for the design, build, funding, maintenance and operation of the line. Tenders are due to be submitted to the RPA in February 2009 with best and final offers being sought following the granting of a railway order for Metro North in 2009.
On 12th September 2008 the RPA published a Statutory Notice of its intention to apply for a Railway Order to An Bord Pleanála in respect of the Metro North project and the Agency submitted that application to the Board on 18th September 2008. A copy of the draft Railway Order and each of the documents which accompanied the application were on public display for the statutory six-week period which expired on 29th October 2008.
Metro West
Metro West is a key component of the Transport 21 framework. It will be an orbital Metro connecting Tallaght in the west of Dublin with Metro North near Dublin Airport. It is expected that in excess of 20 million passengers will use Metro West each year. Metro West will link the towns of Tallaght, Clondalkin, Blanchardstown and Porterstown and will provide a fast commuter service to the city centre and the airport via Metro North.
Metro West will run on the surface and the tracks will be separate from road traffic. It will cross road junctions in a similar manner to Luas, although bridges will be required at major roads, railways and other crossings. It will have up to 20 stops for passengers who want to make the journey between Tallaght East and Metropark, south of Dublin Airport. Among the stops under consideration are: Tallaght East, Belgard, St. Brigid’s, Clondalkin, Fonthill, Rowlagh, Liffey Valley, Porterstown, Millennium Park, Blanchardstown, National Aquatic Centre, Abbotstown, Huntstown, Meakstown, Silloge, Harristown, and Metropark, where it will join with Metro North.
The projected completion date is 2014. The RPA is currently undertaking further public consultation to feed into the detailed design of this line; this involves extensive consultation with key stakeholders and the public. This process will define the exact alignment of the Metro West route, stops, Park & Ride facilities and tram depot.
