Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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187. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure the service on the Luas green line extension is maximised; the additional funding his Department is providing in respect of this and of new park-and-ride facilities in the Dublin area to maximise public transport use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2247/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Green Line Capacity Enhancement project was recently approved by Government. The purpose of the project is to address current capacity limits at peak hours on the Luas Green Line and to cater for future demands along the line. The project will cost approximately €90 million and is proposed in the National Transport Authority's (NTA) Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035. It includes the lengthening of the existing green line tram fleet, the purchase of additional trams to meet future passenger demand and modifications to Sandyford Depot to stable and maintain these trams. A complementary investment project to lengthen the platforms at the Green Line stations was completed last year.

The capacity increases at peak periods provided by the project will assist in reducing crowding on the Green Line and enhance accessibility for mobility and sensory impaired users during these periods. The NTA have advised that the first of the new 55 metre long trams is expected to be deployed in the coming weeks.

In relation to the provision of new park and ride facilities in Dublin, I wish to advise the Deputy that future provision is being made under a number of programmes. The recently announced 4 Year Capital Plan provides for investment of over €770 million to progress the BusConnects programme to address growing congestion in the Dublin region in the short to medium term, including the provision of bus based Park and Ride facilities. BusConnects was launched last summer by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and work is ongoing on the redesign of the bus services network and also on infrastructure proposals for Core Bus Corridors which will be an integral part of the programme. When this work is completed the proposals will be launched for public consultation in the first half of this year. The results of the public consultation will inform the final decisions to be made on the network redesign, Core Bus Corridors and park and ride facilities.

The NTAs Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area also includes the planned development of a network of strategic rail-based park and ride facilities where rail services intersect with the national road network. It is proposed that these facilities would be located at Swords, Finglas, Dunboyne, Liffey Valley, Naas Road, Carrickmines, Woodbrook and Greystones. The Strategy indicates that further development of local park and ride facilities will also be considered at appropriate locations on the rail network in the outer parts of the Dublin metropolitan network and hinterland.

The Government’s Capital Plan published in 2015 provides for investment of over €700 million to progress new Metro North. Based on the outcome of the recent Fingal/North Dublin Transport Study, the National Transport Authority has recommended that a revised metro project be selected as the appropriate public transport project to address the transport needs of the Swords/Airport/City-Centre Corridor. This Metro line will run from Dublin’s south city centre via Dublin Airport and terminating at Estuary that will be served by a strategic Park & Ride. Arising from an option analysis and selection study of possible metro alignments and station locations, a final route and station location will be established, after which a public consultation process will be undertaken on the Emerging Preferred Route in early 2018.