Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy McManus for her kind words and for giving me the opportunity to discuss the DART upgrade project and its consequences. This week the Government announced the largest ever investment, €460 million, in the history of Iarnród Éireann. Separately, we are investing €176 million in DART services, which is the largest single investment since the DART was introduced in 1984. It is good news all around for the commuters to whom Deputy McManus referred. Passenger numbers have been increasing in each year since the service began and the system is almost at capacity. Iarnród Éireann has informed me that it will deliver a 33% increase in peak capacity on the service by the end of this year, thereby completing a five-year process which doubles peak capacity on the service.

Deputy McManus may not be aware that the project entails the lengthening of platforms to accommodate eight-carriage trains, renewal of overhead lines, enhancement of the power supply to operate eight-carriage trains, development of sidings to accommodate the expanded fleet and the improvement of accessibility in stations to facilitate mobility-impaired customers and the increased passenger numbers forecast in the years ahead. In addition to the DART upgrade project, €80 million has been spent on 40 new DART carriages to allow eight-car trains to operate. Iarnród Éireann decided that the most effective way to achieve its objectives with the least disruption was to close the line at weekends. This approach minimises the impact on customers and ensures the core Monday to Friday service is unaffected. The weekend closures allow Iarnród Éireann to carry out a week's work in two days by working round the clock.

Deputy McManus will be aware that from October 2003 to July 2004, excluding the weekends before Christmas, services were suspended between Pearse and Greystones stations. During that time, all platforms on the south side were lengthened and all overhead lines renewed. Similarly, from the August holiday weekend 2004 to the end of May 2005, weekend services are suspended between Pearse and Howth and Malahide stations. By May, all north side platforms will have been lengthened, all overhead lines renewed and all accessibility features completed. No further disruption to services on the north side is expected after that date.

From June 2005, it will be necessary to suspend services for a period of approximately three months between Pearse and Greystones on weekends to complete accessibility works, including the installation of lifts and ramps. When these works are completed in September 2005, no further disruption to customers is expected from the project. Remaining works, including electricity sub-station commissioning, completion of new station buildings at Howth Junction and Bayside and new sidings at Fairview to accommodate the expanded DART fleet will be completed by the end of 2005 without impacting on services. Once the work is completed, the benefits of a major increase in capacity will be delivered to DART customers.

Iarnród Éireann has stated that the methodology being employed is the only way the urgently needed capacity can be delivered quickly to the commuters of the greater Dublin area. A benefit of confining works impacting on services to weekends is that other public transport modes can cater for the smaller number of customers affected. Deputy McManus mentioned additional services, especially buses. Deputy McManus may not be aware that throughout the DART upgrade project, additional Dublin Bus services have operated on routes adjacent to the DART at weekends. This will be the case for the south side works this summer. Up to 25,000 additional customers were carried by Dublin Bus every weekend during the previous south side works. In addition, express coach links have been provided for intercity customers affected at weekends during the works on the Belfast and Sligo services during north side works and on the Rosslare route during the south side works.

Iarnród Éireann has publicised its intentions well in advance of any work that impacts on services. Notices have been placed in newspapers, on billboards and on board trains. Regular announcements are made over public address systems and on the real-time passenger information displays at all DART stations. I understand that all public representatives are kept apprised of the company's intentions.

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