Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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216. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated cost of the electrification of both the northern rail line to Balbriggan and the Maynooth line; when he anticipates this project will go to planning; and when it will begin construction. [44392/17]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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224. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress and spend to date on the DART expansion programme; the stage it is currently at; and when the project will finish planning stage and begin construction phase. [44400/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 224 together.

As the Deputy is aware, the National Transport Authority's (NTA) Transport Strategy for the GDA 2016-2035 proposes implementation of the overall DART Expansion Programme involving electrification of the Northern line as far as Drogheda, the Kildare Line to Hazelhatch, the Sligo line to Maynooth in the west and to the M3 Parkway and construction of the DART Underground Tunnel. The original cost of the overall DART Expansion Programme (including the tunnel element) was estimated at €4 billion, of which €3 billion was in respect of the tunnel as originally designed.  

The Government decided in September 2015 that the original proposal for the tunnel should be redesigned to provide a lower cost solution.  There are ongoing deliberations on this issue which I expect to be completed soon. 

Building on the Government’s budgetary framework set out in Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021 published in September 2015, Government's recently announved Budget 2018 provides for an increase in the multi-annual capital investment for public transport with a four-year capital envelope of €2.7 billion over the period 2018-2021.  The additional funding over this 4 year period will, amongst other projects, enable acceleration of the initial stages of the DART Expansion programme, focussing on additional fleet and extending the electrified DART system. It will allow further progress to be made on the electrification of both the Northern rail line to Balbriggan and the Maynooth line.  

In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy’s question to the Authority for further information on the issues raised.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.