Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Clifford-Lee for raising this problem which is one I am familiar with in my own constituency and a lot of other areas. Transport is crowded in certain areas. In some ways, it is a problem we should welcome in that it means there are far more people going to work and there is greater demand for public transport. However, I agree that there are difficulties about capacity and that there are too many passengers for too few carriages in certain areas. It is something we are addressing, as is the National Transport Authority, or NTA, with growing energy and as quickly as possible.

The NTA has statutory responsibility for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the greater Dublin area, including in consultation with larnród Éireann for the provision of rail fleet. The NTA's transport strategy for the greater Dublin area for 2016 to 2035 provides the overarching framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the greater Dublin area over the next two decades. The National Development Plan, or NDP, provides a national level framework for the delivery of transport infrastructure over the next ten years. Both the NTA's statutory transport strategy and the NDP provide for the DART expansion programme, with the NDP committing €2 billion in Exchequer funding to the programme and prioritising the delivery of the non-tunnel elements for delivery by 2027. As part of that programme, the northern line will be electrified. Electrification as far as Balbriggan is expected to be delivered by 2022. The proposed enhancements to the heavy rail system will create an integrated rail network which will deliver a very substantial increase in peak-hour capacity on all commuter lines in the greater Dublin area, including the northern line.

Public transport passenger number have increased in recent years, reflecting broader economic and employment growth. Rail passenger numbers have similarly increased across the network and in particular on the commuter network in the greater Dublin area. While these increases are welcome, they clearly place pressure on the capacity of the network. The NTA and larnród Éireann have made and are continuing to make service and infrastructure improvements to address these pressures. In September this year, the DART moved toward a ten-minute service during the core operating day. Since the introduction of the new services, the NTA and Iarnród Éireann have monitored the impact on the broader commuter network and made adjustments as necessary in response to any issues identified. A number of additional services in the morning peak period on the northern side of the network have recently been approved and these will provide additional capacity. All peak-time DART services are now operated using six or eight car train sets which will provide a moderate increase in capacity. In addition, the revised timetable launched at the start of the month means additional off-peak capacity has been added to the northern line to provide passengers with additional travel options throughout the day.These are all immediate measures which will enhance overall capacity but, obviously, other medium and long-term measures are required.

Key to all of this is the provision of additional rail fleet. In the medium term, it had been hoped to refurbish a number of older trains with a view to their reintroduction to service. However, following a tender process, the overall cost of the refurbishment tripled as compared with initial estimates. The refurbishment proposal simply does not represent value for money. However, the need for additional rail fleet remains and the NTA and larnród Éireann have begun a process of identifying the potential of acquiring second-hand rail fleet by means of either lease or purchase. The Senator may be aware that this is complicated by the fact that the Irish rail network operates to a different gauge than that of the UK and most other European countries and that any second-hand vehicles would require modification for Irish use. A decision on the viability of the second-hand vehicle option will be made shortly, following market availability and procurement options analysis.

In the longer term, and as part of the DART expansion programme, there is a need to increase the fleet significantly in any event. Work on developing tender documentation and train specifications for the proposed bi-mode fleet of rail vehicles is progressing. The formal procurement notice seeking interested train manufacturers is expected to issue before year end, and a formal contract for the new fleet is expected to be signed in 2019.

As can be seen, a number of measures are either already in place or planned. These measures are designed to deal with the increased numbers of passengers availing of services on our rail network. I am confident that the improvements planned in the short, medium and long term will enhance services along this important commuter line.