Written answers

Tuesday, 13 December 2005

11:00 pm

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in view of the interconnector along with the provision of the DART on the Maynooth and Kildare lines which will be prepared for electrification by 2010 which will provide the greatest public transport capacity improvement in the Transport 21 plan; the reason same has been scheduled to be completed last in 2015. [38770/05]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The interconnector is intended to be the final phase of a programme to extend and reconfigure the DART and suburban services and to provide higher capacities, frequencies and integration of services to meet forecast demand levels in the Dublin inner-suburban area and to develop an integrated transport system for the capital.

The phased programme involves implementation initially of projects to meet short to medium-term demand levels, including the city-centre resignalling project, the quadrupling of a critical section of the Kildare line between Cherry Orchard and Hazelhatch, the opening of a new station in the docklands, and the opening of the first phase of the Navan rail link as far as Pace, near Dunboyne. While these projects are underway, detailed technical, planning and design studies, as well as the Railway Order and procurement processes will be completed for the interconnector. Construction will start in time to achieve completion of the tunnel, the underground stations and the electrification programme by 2015, thus providing the additional capacity required on the suburban rail network for longer term needs. It is considered this phased approach to implementing Transport 21 is adequate to address changing demand levels. It also addresses the management of the construction programme by, for example, phasing tunnelling work in the city centre, with tunnelling work on metro north preceding the interconnector. Finally it makes sense from the perspective of the effective management of the overall capital envelope.

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 307: To ask the Minister for Transport if, in view of the Government's statement that Transport 21 must deliver value for money, the way in which same is consistent with the waste of public money in digging Stephen's Green up twice in a three year period first for the metro north station and then for the interconnector station and purchasing additional Arrow rolling stock for the Kildare and Maynooth lines by 2010 and to replace these with DART rolling stock in 2015. [38771/05]

Photo of Martin CullenMartin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I said at the launch of Transport 21 that I was convinced that we need a new approach to transport in the greater Dublin area, delivered through a single authority with the power to ensure joined-up thinking and delivery across all transport modes. The St. Stephen's Green interchange facility is a good example of where such joined-up thinking is an absolute necessity. I have appointed a team chaired by Professor Margaret O'Mahony to finalise the remit, structures and human resource requirements of the proposed authority and I look forward to receiving the report of the establishment team in the new year.

Under Transport 21 the metro north line between St. Stephen's Green and Swords will be completed by 2012 while the interconnector between Heuston station and the docklands will be completed three years later in 2015. These lines will connect with Luas at St. Stephen's Green. Clearly construction of the new underground station for both metro and the commuter rail services at St. Stephen's Green will need to be effectively managed in order to ensure the maximum efficiencies are realised and that disruption is minimised. In this regard it is envisaged that there will be a single interchange station at this location.

With regard to rail rolling stock, Iarnród Éireann is currently finalising a rolling stock strategy to meet current and future needs. The company is currently acquiring diesel railcars to meet the ever-increasing demand for services on suburban routes. When the interconnector between Heuston station and the docklands is completed a number of suburban lines will be electrified and DART-style carriages will be acquired to operate on these routes. At that time, the diesel railcar fleet will be used on new routes, will enhance existing outer suburban services and will replace life-expired rolling stock. I expect to receive the rolling stock strategy from Iarnród Éireann in the near future.

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