New cross-city line to link Luas is derailed until 2018 at earliest

[Gruffalo]

Another cost cutting exercise in Infrastructure and another lame excuse from Dempsey to explain why:


A second high-profile rail project has fallen victim to the recession -- this time with a delay of at least six years.

The link-up between the Red and Green Luas lines in Dublin won't be finished before 2018 -- 13 years after it was first announced in the Government's Transport 21 programme.

The line was due to be finished in 2012 according to the original plans. The delay means the 5.6km line will also cost more than budgeted.

Internal documents on the project say construction is expected to begin in 2014, but this depends on planning permission being received by the end of this year. This is highly unlikely given that an application for a Railway Order has yet to be made.

The delay comes less than a week after Transport Minister Noel Dempsey was forced to admit he only became aware of a three-year delay to the €3bn DART Underground project from the media. A "breakdown in communications" meant Iarnrod Eireann, which is developing the line, did not inform the minister that the project was being pushed back from 2015 to 2018.

A spokesman for Mr Dempsey last night said the cross-city Luas line would not be built until a separate project -- Metro North -- was completed. This was because if construction works for both lines happened at the same time, it would bring the city to a standstill.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/new-crosscity-line-to-link-luas-is-derailed-until-2018-at-earliest-2173955.html

It seems amazing how they have only discovered this problem now despite years of planning. It does seem like a good decision though as DART Underground will do most of what this line does, making this perhaps the most suitable line to be pushed back.

[DCon]

Metro North is doomed it appears


PROPERTIES bought as part of a €150m spending spree in preparation for Metro North are being rented out instead of demolished in a clear indication the project is doomed.

Rail chiefs spent €25m buying up properties on the ill-fated rail route, an Irish Independent investigation has found.

But most of the houses are being rented out in a clear sign the project will be scrapped.

The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) spent €200,000 on refurbishing and maintaining the houses in the strongest indication yet that the Metro North project will be shelved.


Documents obtained by the Irish Independent reveal the RPA's multi-million euro expenditure on Metro North, with most of the costs relating to the disastrous property purchases and large payments to consultancy companies.

All the properties are in Drumcondra, the political heartland of former Fianna Fail Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and were to be demolished to make way for the construction of a new Metro station.

Premium prices were paid even though the property market had crashed.


The purchases went ahead a full year before planning permission for the Metro project was granted by An Bord Pleanala in October 2010.

The project had been pushed hard by former Transport Minister Noel Dempsey, who at the time refuted predictions that the project would be shelved.

An RPA spokesman defended the purchase of the properties in advance of planning permission for the Metro.

He said the RPA had been sensitive to the needs of the owners in acquiring new accommodation.

Some of these properties are now worth less than half what was paid for them and the RPA has been forced to rent out many of then in a bid to recoup some cash from the purchases.


At least the FF property scam went through OK

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/end-of-line-for-metro-as-euro25m-of-property-rented-out-2841519.html

[matt]

Metro North is doomed it appears








At least the FF property scam went through OK

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/end-of-line-for-metro-as-euro25m-of-property-rented-out-2841519.html

Any word on the Luas/Metro that was supposed to go from Tallaght to Blanchardstown ?

The thing is, they've been paying architects,draughtsmen and surveyors as recently as this year for some of these projects. I don't begrudge them the work, but it's been pretty certain that most of these projects at best were indefinitely deferred, and the money could have been better spent than on infrastructural cul-de-sacs.

[Steewal]

It's sad to see that the metro north project is scrapped. Typical Irish though ... Great fallers but not great at doing! This is the best time to get it done in terms of value for money as tender prices would be much much lower, thousands of unemployed people would need to be employed which of course benefits the economy and everyone. And we could have a world class transport system we could be proud of. But alas, whattya know, the Irish government just doesn't have the testicular fortitude or foresight to go ahead with it. Another missed opportunity, but we are used to it by now.

[C. Flower]

It's sad to see that the metro north project is scrapped. Typical Irish though ... Great fallers but not great at doing! This is the best time to get it done in terms of value for money as tender prices would be much much lower, thousands of unemployed people would need to be employed which of course benefits the economy and everyone. And we could have a world class transport system we could be proud of. But alas, whattya know, the Irish government just doesn't have the testicular fortitude or foresight to go ahead with it. Another missed opportunity, but we are used to it by now.

Is metro north really gone ?

I was never convinced by it personally, because of the damage to Stephens Green, and because there is a very sparse population along most of the line. For that amount of money, there could be a bus route on every street in Ireland.