The Public Transport Thread

Sort out Galway city while the nra are at it.

Limerick is a smart travel city by comparison

Cork Bus Éireann passenger numbers increased by 27% last year (echolive.ie)

congrats to all our Galway based posters

Senator Pauline O’Reilly, MEP Candidate on X: “Update - Redevelopment of Ceannt Station Galway is underway. Minister O’Brien visited us today and we met with @IrishRail @Buseireann * Work on 5 platforms and double tracking to Athenry to be completed in the 2 years * 10 minute commuter service from Athenry and Oranmore https://t.co/VDSfwCaPPB” / X (twitter.com)

Can someone put up a screen grab of a map with pins to demonstrate what this is about. Not sure if i want to agree or disagree with this.

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1759919186338304228?t=PFFir9g0kOeEugrlAjViYw&s=19

I drew this up for you just now.

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This is the route south of Dublin Airport.

When a Metro project came back to the table, the original plan was for it to “takeover” the Green Line south to Sandyford. Essentially chopping the Green up and providing much needed extra capacity to Sandyford (where the line, that runs along the old Harcourt Street line, can handle Metro capacity).

There were an assortment of objections to this, some with overlapping motivations;

  1. those who didn’t want the Green line south of Charlemount closed for a period (the line can take Metro, but junctions and stations need upgrading);
  2. those who want a Metro to the south west (Terenure, Rathfarnham etc) and/ or UCD (Eamonn Ryan was amongst this contingent);
  3. old fashioned NIMBYs and rail haters
  4. there is also a group led by Frank McDonald who say that Metrolink is the wrong project to choose

This gained traction and Sandyford was dropped with the line ending at Charlemount with a turn back into Ranelagh. The Green line will get other upgrades but it is dubious if they will really help capacity. Another intention is a Luas to UCD that continues to Sandyford and a Knocklyon Luas that would alleviate capacity further but that isn’t planned until post 2042.

This appeased group one and somewhat appeased group 2. Notionally the line could go south east or south west for Charlemount.

There are many though that don’t believe that the NTA will stick with this and that Sandyford will be back on the table. The NTA did a study with Jacobs that made a fairly laughable suggestion that UCD wouldn’t justify the expense. I’d be fairly certain myself that the NTA hope to ram Sandyford through once building has commenced here. It is ultimately cheaper and connects Sandyford to better transit (it is bigger than many of Ireland’s so called cities).

Group #3 include locals in Ranelagh who don’t want there to be more construction under their homes. That includes McDowell.

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NIMBYism disguised as concern for the location of the terminus

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27% of objections to this were from people in Charlemont

my understanding that the route has been chosen & it would slow things down changing it so he is playing to the crowd. @Tim_Riggins please clarify.

is it highly unusual to have trains that pass through a city from an airport? @Mac

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Why does it have to be a terminus?
Why can’t people just get on and off at the city stations?

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yeah, i dont get that argument at all

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To follow on from the above;

  1. the NTA deny that Charlemount prohibits going south east or south west in time. Many don’t believe this as the tunnel boring machine will be buried under Ranelagh going by current plans and you’d probably need to start again digging up the area
  2. Charlemount itself is clearly becoming an important city interchange (you’ll be able to change from the Green Line there to get to the airport, for example. And Bus Connects will link a load more people in there too) and some plans for the DART Tunnel have the line running through there. I think that will ultimately happen myself. Charlemount is city core imo, with so many offices around it and the general importance of Ranelagh
  3. by going to Charlemount, you somewhat alleviate Green Line capacity issues as it is regularly packed by Ranelagh

Opposition to it continues from NIMBYs. I also suspect that the additional time that it will take from SSG to Charlemount will be cited. You could probably cut out a year in construction time by stopping it at SSG.

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The benefits of it are above.

  1. Green Line interchange
  2. Snappier bus interchange as on the Canal
  3. Relieves Green Line capacity issues to an extent
  4. likely future critical city interchange (Green Line, new UCD and Knocklyon lines, DART+ Tunnel)

Possibly its the convenience of getting on and off a train with luggage, when it’s fully stopped at a station, as opposed to a rush to get off when it’s passing through?

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The argument would hold water if Dublin had one central station.

In reality it has three and it used to have four.

You’ll be able to get onto Metrolink with one change from Pearse, Connolly or Heuston via DART with the current plan.

That people have to wheel a bag is a pointless discussion, it’s a standard for any transport to an airport. Having to switch trains is also fairly normal.

As it happens, Dublin Airport connectivity is down the list on the reasons why Metrolink is needed.

They don’t want people from Swords and Ballymun getting a train to Ranelagh.

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Zurich is my high bar for public transport systems. Trains from the airport go to both the city centre and far flung Swiss destinations. However I think the airport is just a stop on the line rather than a fixed terminus.

If you think of the big English airports then most of the airports train stops are focused on getting people into the city centre rather than anywhere along the way or beyond. There are trains that pass through the airport though.

For Dublin, I guess because there’s no existing rail line through it they’re prioritising the movement of people to the city centre as that’s where the greatest need is. I’d be the same as yourself and @TreatyStones in not understanding why they have to have a city centre terminus. I’m guessing its logistics and fleet size so they can get trams back going towards the airport from the city centre.

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thanks mate

Oh great, now I’m in a category with @Little_Lord_Fauntleroy

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your move to green marxism hasnt gone unnoticed mate

& i apologise for the can of dutch gold

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What will Paula from Portlaoise or Gretta from Gort’s journey to the airport be like? Train into Heuston. Red Line to Abbey St. Walk in the rain and avoid being stabbed or mugged to the O’Connell St stop and then hopefully avoid further stabbings between Ballymun and Dardistown?