Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 1055: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the public transport projects that commenced in 2011; the public transport projects that were completed in 2011; the public transport projects that will commence in 2012; the public transport projects that will be completed in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1423/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Funding for Public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) is provided to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for allocation to projects and programmes. In 2011 projects funded included the following -

The Luas extension to Citywest and Saggart was completed and opened for service in July 2011;

A new Park and Ride facility with 350 spaces was opened for Luas users at the Carrickmines Stop on the Green Line;

Work also progressed on the City Centre re-signalling project which will facilitate a greater number of train paths through the city centre;

A project to install Wi-Fi on the Dart and commuter rail fleet commenced in 2011 and this will be completed in 2012;

60 new buses for Bus Eireann PSO routes were funded in 2011 and will enter service in 2012;

Preliminary works commenced on the new Marlborough Street public transport Liffey bridge in November last and the new bridge is scheduled for completion in 2013;

The new integrated ticketing system for the GDA, the Leap Card, was launched at the end of 2011 and this will be further developed throughout 2012;

Numerous smaller projects were also completed last year by Irish Rail and the RPA including the upgrade of various stations on the railway network and accessibility improvements at stations;

Almost 200 projects under the traffic management /sustainable transport investment programme were on-going or completed last year in the GDA such as the resurfacing of bus and cycle lanes in Dublin City along primary routes (co-funded with the NTA); and

Work on the Lucan QBC in Chapelizod, involving bus priority and traffic management from the village to the N4, continued last year and will be completed in 2012.

For 2012 in the GDA work will progress on completing or further developing existing projects such as the Marlborough Street bridge, integrated ticketing, City Centre re-signalling, bus refurbishment and replacement, continued roll-out of RTPI and station improvements and upgrades. In addition, Dublin Bus will be facilitated to place an order this year for 80 new buses for delivery in 2013. Subject to approval of the Railway Order preliminary work will commence on Luas BXD. Funds will also be provided to allow the future proofing of the Metro North project at the location of the new Mater Adult Hospital site. The traffic management programme will also be continued during the year.

Outside of the GDA the following projects were the main beneficiaries of funding in 2011:

Iarnród Eireann continued work on the 3rd Railway Safety Programme 2009-2013 with track improvements and associated works, signalling projects, level crossings closures, new on track equipment and improvements with safety management systems;

Iarnród Eireann also took delivery of 51 new railcars in 2011 and these will begin to enter service shortly on intercity and commuter routes;

A project to install Wi-Fi on the remainder of the existing Inter-City fleet commenced in 2011;

Iarnród Eireann also continued work on a number of other small multi-annual Programmes, including the Road Crossing Automation Programme, the Platforms and Car-Park extensions Programmes and the Elimination of Speed Restrictions Programme, of which work was completed at Limerick Junction in early 2011. Under the Road Crossing Automation Programme, the works currently underway on the Westport, Sligo and Waterford lines will be completed early this year and the next phase of works will be on the Galway, Westport, Limerick and Cork routes;

Progress also continued during 2011 on a number of ticketing projects including the installation of Automatic Ticketing Machines. This programme will continue in 2012.

A number of traffic management and bus priority measures were also completed in the provincial cities

The priorities in 2012 outside the GDA for Iarnród Eireann will be the completion of the projects listed above and the continued roll-out of the Railway Safety and Road Crossing Automation Programmes. Planning permission was received for both Oranmore and Crusheen stations along the Western Rail Corridor in 2011. Some funds will be provided to commence construction of one of these stations in 2012. In addition, further progress will be made in the delivery of traffic management and bus priority measures in the provincial cities.