Transport 21 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Transport 21 is an Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

infrastructure

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...

plan, announced in November 2005. It aims to greatly expand Ireland's transport network. A cost estimate of €34 billion was attached to the plan at the time.

The plan includes continuing investment in Ireland's road network, along with investment in public transport in the form of buses and rail.

A significant portion of this investment will focus on the creation of an integrated rail network in Dublin. Projects include a tunnel

Interconnector (rail tunnel)

DART Underground , previously known as the Interconnector, is a planned railway tunnel in Ireland, projected to run under the city centre of Dublin. The tunnel would allow for the expansion of the electrified DART and the Dublin Suburban Rail network, and connect Heuston Station with Pearse Station...

under Dublin city centre connecting Heuston Station with Pearse Station and Docklands station

Docklands railway station

Docklands Station is a new railway station serving the Dublin Docklands area in Ireland owned by Córas Iompair Éireann planned as part of the Government Transport 21 initiative....

at Spencer Dock

Spencer Dock

Spencer Dock is a location within North Wall, Dublin, Ireland. The dockland area was originally part of the end of the Royal Canal, which still reaches the River Liffey here...

. This will facilitate the expansion of the Dublin Area Rapid Transit

Dublin Area Rapid Transit

The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...

(DART) system from one line to two. Also included are several new Luas

Luas

Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...

lines, a metro

Dublin Metro

The Dublin Metro is a proposed metro system for the city of Dublin. The first two lines were set out in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21 transport plan: they are known as Metro North and Metro West...

system, and tighter integration between all rail systems, particularly at the planned St. Stephen's Green

St. Stephen's Green

St Stephen's Green is a city centre public park in Dublin, Ireland. The park is adjacent to one of Dublin's main shopping streets, Grafton Street, and to a shopping centre named for it, while on its surrounding streets are the offices of a number of public bodies and the city terminus of one of...

interchange. This will create a single integrated rail network in Dublin that serves the north, south, east and west of the city.

Other rail investment includes the planned Western Railway Corridor

Western Railway Corridor

The Western Railway Corridor , or Conair Iarnróid an Iarthair , in Ireland is a recent term for a mostly disused railway line running through the West of Ireland...

, redevelopment of a rail link from Navan to Dublin

Dublin-Navan railway line

The Dublin-Navan line was a commuter railway line between Dublin and the town of Navan in County Meath.- History :Navan was originally a significant part of the expanding rail network in Ireland. The Dublin and Drogheda Railway first constructed a branch from the Dublin-Belfast main line through...

and upgrading and extending suburban rail in Cork

Cork Suburban Rail

The Cork Suburban Rail network serves the Metropolitan Cork area in County Cork, Munster, Ireland.There has been a suburban rail system in Cork since the middle of the 19th century however it suffered serious neglect and line closures in the 20th century...

.

Also included in the plan is the significant expansion of the Dublin Bus passenger-carrying capacity, completion of the motorway system linking all the major urban centres on the island, and better integration of all transport systems.

St. Stephen's Green to Luas Red Line (Line BX)

The RPA (Rail Procurement Agency) has announced the new preferred route extension from St. Stephen's Green to Luas Red Line (Line BX). The route would continue on from St. Stephen's Green towards Dawson Street, Grafton Street Lower, College Green, Westmoreland Street, O'Connell Street and Parnell Square.

The projected completion date is currently under review.

Connolly to Point Depot (Line C1)

The route for the Red Line extension (Line C1) from Connolly

Dublin Connolly railway station

Dublin Connolly, commonly called Connolly station , is one of the main railway stations in Dublin, Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. Opened in 1844 as Amiens Street Station, the ornate facade has a distinctive Italianate tower at its centre...

to the Point Depot was fixed in the early 2000s and the Railway Order was signed by the Minister of Transport in December 2006. Construction works got underway in June 2007, with the centrepiece being a new bridge at the Harbourmaster Place end of Mayor Street. The line opened on 8 December, 2009.

Sandyford to Brides Glen (Line B1)

The route for the Green Line extension (Line B1) from Sandyford to Brides Glen has been chosen by the RPA and the Railway Order was signed by the Minister of Transport in August 2006. The line opened on 16 October 2010.

Brides Glen to Bray (Line B2)

The route for this line has been selected (Route 2). Public consultation is ongoing.

Belgard to Saggart (Line A1)

A Red Line extension was planned from Belgard to Saggart to be built as a Public Private Partnership Initiative (PPP). The line received planning permission in June 2008 and construction got underway in February 2009. The track from Belgard began preparing for track laying on January 11, 2010 by closing the Belgard Stop. It will become operational in early 2011.

Line BX to Liffey Junction (Line D)

Luas Line D is currently at the Preliminary Planning Stage. Public Consultation initiatives will commence as plans for Luas Line BX progress. It is believed that route will use the former Broadstone rail alignment.

City Centre to Lucan (Line F)

Luas Line F is currently at the Preliminary Planning Stage. As possible route options are identified Public Consultation initiatives will start focusing initially on Route Selection. It is believed that it will join the proposed Green line (Line BX) extension at College Green and will travel down Dame Street, passing by Christchurch and Intersecting the Metro West at Liffey Valley.

Light Rail Metro - Dublin

A metro

Dublin Metro

for Dublin had been discussed for many years. It has now been decided that a light metro

Light rail

Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

system similar to the Porto Metro

Porto Metro

The Porto Metro , part of the public transport system of Porto, Portugal, is a light-rail network that runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's suburbs...

in Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

will be built.

Stephen's Green to Belinstown (Metro North)

Map

The RPA has announced the Metro North from St Stephen's Green

St Stephen's Green station

St Stephen's Green is planned as a major public transport hub in south Dublin under the Transport 21 plan to create an integrated rail network for the city comprising both heavy and light rail.-Luas:...

to Belinstown north of Swords via Dublin Airport and has sought public comments on the route. A total of 17 stops are planned, and the length of each train would be 90m. There will be a frequency of at least one Metro every two minutes on this service. At peak times, the frequency would be one Metro every 90 seconds.

In October 2006, RPA published an initial route for Metro North, with a revised route appearing in April 2008. This route is to be a Public Private Partnership initiative (PPP) and in September 2008 the RPA applied to An Bord Pleanala for a Railway Order. Because of the current economic climate, Metro North has been deferred until further notice. Metro North is expected to cost over 1 billion euro less than initially indicated due to a 20% drop in Irish construction costs

Tallaght to Dardistown (Metro West)

Map

The RPA has announced the Metro West from Tallaght to Dardistown, and has sought public comments on two route options. On 5 July 2007 the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor was announced. The route runs from Tallaght to Metro North at Dardistown, south of Dublin Airport via Clondalkin, Liffey Valley and Blanchardstown and is approximately 25.5 km long. This route is also to be a Public Private Partnership Initiative (PPP).

There is no timescale available for the Metro West project.

DART - Greater Dublin Area

Map

Under the Transport 21 Plan, the DART

Dublin Area Rapid Transit

network will go through a fundamental change from the coastally-focused north/south line which currently exists, to a two-line system which crosses the city. One of these lines (DART Line 1) would run from Maynooth/Pace-M3 to Greystones via Connolly

Dublin Connolly railway station

station, while the other (DART Line 2) would run from Balbriggan to Hazelhatch, south of Celbridge, via the Interconnector

Interconnector (rail tunnel)

. Both lines will intersect at Pearse Street Station.

Maynooth to Greystones (Line 1)

The existing DART line from Greystones to Connolly

Dublin Connolly railway station

will remain unchanged. However the current service from Connolly to Clontarf Rd and beyond will no longer continue. Instead, trains after Connolly station will divert to Druncondra Station on the Sligo/Maynooth line, which will be electrified and continue onward to Maynooth.

Balbriggan to Hazelhatch (Line 2)

The existing DART line from Malahide/Howth

Howth

Howth is an area in Fingal County near Dublin city in Ireland. Originally just a small fishing village, Howth with its surrounding rural district is now a busy suburb of Dublin, with a mix of dense residential development and wild hillside, all on the peninsula of Howth Head. The only...

to Clontarf

Clontarf, Dublin

Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...

Rd will remain unchanged. However the current service from Clontarf Rd to Connolly

Dublin Connolly railway station

and beyond will no longer continue. Instead, trains after Clontarf Rd station will divert through East Wall

East Wall

East Wall is an inner city area of the Northside of Dublin, Ireland.-Location:East Wall is bounded by the North Strand Road to the west, by North Wall and the Royal Canal to the south, and was bounded by East Wall Road, Dublin to the north until land reclamation extended that part...

to a new underground

Tunnel

A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...

extension called the Interconnector

Interconnector (rail tunnel)

, heading into a new Docklands station

Docklands railway station

Docklands Station is a new railway station serving the Dublin Docklands area in Ireland owned by Córas Iompair Éireann planned as part of the Government Transport 21 initiative....

in Spencer Dock

Spencer Dock

Spencer Dock is a location within North Wall, Dublin, Ireland. The dockland area was originally part of the end of the Royal Canal, which still reaches the River Liffey here...

. The extension continues to Pearse

Dublin Pearse railway station

Dublin Pearse, also known as Pearse Station , located on Westland Row in the Southside in Dublin, Ireland, is Ireland's busiest railway station and an important commuter terminus for the Dublin area.-Services:...

Station, where interchange will be possible with Line 1, and onward to Heuston

Dublin Heuston railway station

Dublin Heuston , commonly called Heuston Station , is one of Ireland's main railway stations, serving the south, southwest and west. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann , the national railway operator...

Station. The extension will go overground at Inchicore

Inchicore

-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...

where it will join the existing Kildare line, which will be electrified as far as Hazelhatch

Hazelhatch and Celbridge railway station

Hazelhatch and Celbridge railway station serves the village of Hazelhatch and the neighbouring large town of Celbridge in County Kildare.The station opened on 4 August 1846 and closed for goods traffic on 9 June 1947...

Station. At the other end, the existing Northern Commuter line between Malahide

Malahide

Malahide is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal, within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.-Name:...

and Balbriggan

Balbriggan

Balbriggan is a town in the northern part of the administrative county of Fingal, within County Dublin, Ireland. The 2006 census population was 15,559 for Balbriggan and its environs.- Name :...

will be electrified.

Kildare Route Project

When the DART is extended from Heuston Station to Hazlehatch, it will quickly find itself in trouble, as the busy Cork

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

, Limerick

Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

, Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

and Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

Intercity

Inter-city rail

Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...

service as well as the Kildare

Kildare

-External links:*******...

and other Commuter

Regional rail

Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...

services use the same track. This would cause major interference to the DART frequency and service. So Iarnród Éireann

Iarnród Éireann

Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...

decided to quadruple the track (currently 2 track) from where the Interconnector goes overground at Inchicore to just past Hazlehatch station. This will physically separate the DART service from the busy Intercity and Commuter service and guarantee a regular frequency, not only for the DART but the Intercity and Commuter services. The Railway Order was signed by the Minister of Transport in December 2006. Construction is well underway, with several new train stations already open. The project is anticipated to be complete in early 2010.

Interconnector

See full article: Interconnector
Interconnector (rail tunnel)
DART Underground , previously known as the Interconnector, is a planned railway tunnel in Ireland, projected to run under the city centre of Dublin. The tunnel would allow for the expansion of the electrified DART and the Dublin Suburban Rail network, and connect Heuston Station with Pearse Station...

The Interconnector is a tunnel, currently costed at €1.3bn, which connects the Northern DART line to the Kildare line. It will have underground stations at Spencer Dock, Pearse Station, Stephens Green, High St (Digital Hub) and Heuston Station and it will form a part of the new DART Line 2 (see above).

The Interconnector is one of the most important public transport projects as it will fundamentally change not only the DART but other public transport systems, as well as road traffic in the Greater Dublin Area. As a result of cutbacks, construction has been postponed.

Docklands Station

Under Transport 21, a new Docklands railway station

Docklands railway station

Docklands Station is a new railway station serving the Dublin Docklands area in Ireland owned by Córas Iompair Éireann planned as part of the Government Transport 21 initiative....

was built in the Spencer Dock

Spencer Dock

Spencer Dock is a location within North Wall, Dublin, Ireland. The dockland area was originally part of the end of the Royal Canal, which still reaches the River Liffey here...

area of Dublin city centre. Its purpose was to increase the capacity and frequency of rail services that operate along the Sligo

Sligo

Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...

rail line, which was restricted by the heavily congested Connolly

Dublin Connolly railway station

Station.

Groundbreaking

Groundbreaking

Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...

ceremonies for a temporary location for the new station were held on 9 March 2006 and the station opened in March 2007.

By by-passing Connolly and using the new Docklands station, it is now possible to add extra services on the Maynooth and Longford Commuter services and a brand new service on the re-opening of the Clonsilla to Pace-M3 Line. (see Commuter - Greater Dublin Area below)

Clonsilla to Navan

The former Clonsilla to Navan

Navan

-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....

railway line was closed in 1963, but the trackbed was largely preserved.
Under the Transport 21 plan, a section of the disused Navan rail line will run from Clonsilla station in west Dublin to Navan in county Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

(42 km). It will use the newly open Docklands Station in Dublin city center. The first phase of the line (Clonsilla

Clonsilla

Clonsilla is a suburb of Dublin in the district of Fingal, Ireland.-Location and access:Originally a small village in its own right, Clonsilla is now a large residential suburban area, with Ongar and other localities developing their own subsidiary identities...

to Pace) will include 3 new stations. It is currently under construction and will open in 2010. The second phase will complete the line as far as Navan and is expected to open in 2015.

Mallow to Midleton - Cork

Map

This project, to reopen part of the Cork

Cork (city)

–Youghal

Youghal

Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...

railway line as far as Midleton

Midleton

Midleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...

, started construction in November 2007. New stations were to be built on the Northern Line to Mallow

Mallow, County Cork

Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....

from Cork's Kent station and on the Eastern Line to Cobh and Midleton, as well as a new 10 km section of rail line from Glounthaune to Midleton. A total of 7 new or reopened stations were to be constructed, in addition to the existing 7. The Cork Suburban Rail

Cork Suburban Rail

got increased funding under Transport 21 and in the coming years most parts of Metropolitan Cork

Metropolitan Cork

Metropolitan Cork is an unofficial term which refers to the city of Cork, Ireland, its suburbs and the satellite towns that surround it. The term was used in the Cork Area Strategic Plan to refer to the area whose labour and property market is shared with the city...

will be connected by rail.

The spur to Midleton piece of this project opened in July 2009. The 7 new or renovated stations will follow during 2010.

Western Railway Corridor - Phase 1

Map

Under Transport 21, the Western Rail Corridor (WRC) from Ennis to Claremorris will be re-opened in 3 sections.

Ennis to Athenry

This section re-opened on March 30, 2010. An Intercity service is now provided between the cities of Limerick

Limerick

and Galway

Galway

. On the 26 September 2006, the Minister for Transport announced that the Government had approved funding for Iarnród Éireann

Iarnród Éireann

to proceed with the development of the section. Work began in 2008.

Athenry to Tuam

This section is expected to re-open in 2011. The Government has approved funding for the development of the Athenry to Tuam

Tuam

Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...

section, subject to completion by Iarnród Éireann of a fuller appraisal of this section.

Tuam to Claremorris

This section is expected to re-open in 2014. With this opening, the Westport

Westport, County Mayo

Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....

- Dublin, Galway - Dublin and Limerick - Dublin lines will be connected together and will help to facilitate the provision of inter-regional services within the BMW Region.

Regional Airports

A total of €86million has been allocated to regional airports around Ireland with the main focus on improving safety and security. The airports included in the scheme are Ireland West Airport; Kerry Airport

Kerry Airport

-Ground transportation:Kerry Airport is approximately from both Cork and Limerick. Iarnród Éireann's Farranfore railway station is located to the south with services to Killarney, Tralee, Cork and Dublin....

; Sligo Airport

Sligo Airport

Sligo Airport is located in Strandhill, County Sligo, west of Sligo in Ireland. The airport is a small regional airport and has no scheduled routes.-Introduction:...

; Donegal Airport

Donegal Airport

Donegal Airport is located south-west of An Bun Beag , being located at Carrickfinn, a townland in The Rosses, a district in north-west County Donegal, Ireland. The small airport is located right on the county's north-west coast. It is about a 15 minute drive from Dungloe and Gweedore and 45...

; Waterford Airport

Waterford Airport

Waterford Airport , is south-east of Waterford. It is in Killowen near Waterford City serving the south-east of Ireland. The airport is operated by Waterford Regional Airport Plc. In 2009 112,000 passengers passed through the airport...

and Galway Airport

Galway Airport

Galway Airport is located at Carnmore, north of Galway City, County Galway, Ireland and is managed by Corrib Airport Limited.On 31 October 2011 the airport's sole remaining operator Aer Arann ceased commercial operations at the airport...

.

€38.7million will be spent on projects aimed at improving safety and security, including better fire fighting equipment, new Instrument Landing Systems and navigational aids and the provision of Runway End Safety Areas at a number of airports.

The remaining €48million has been approved for projects aimed towards catering for prospective businesses at these airports and will support investment in a range of facilities.

External links

Transport 21 Official Site
Val de Durance Marseille North Cost Estimations per kilo-metre normal track works 5&10M€ per kilometre; Viaducts 50M€ per kilometre; Tunnels 30-70M€ per kilometre.
Navan Railway Project.com - Website tracking progress on reopening the disused Meath line
Platform 11 Information on Transport 21
Department of Transport Press Release
Iarnród Éireann Press Release
Rail infrastructure History
irrs.ie pages
RPSI online
Midlands Gateway ATM Midlands Gateway
Midlands Gateway
-Midlands Gateway or Lake-Counties Gateway:Centered between the major Irish airports, of Dublin, Shannon, and Knock, with ever improving ground infrastructure, the Irish government and local authorities plan to alleviate urban problems, by decentralising to growing gateways such as the Midlands...

Launch Documents

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

St. Stephen's Green to Luas Red Line (Line BX)

Connolly to Point Depot (Line C1)

Sandyford to Brides Glen (Line B1)

Brides Glen to Bray (Line B2)

Belgard to Saggart (Line A1)

Line BX to Liffey Junction (Line D)

City Centre to Lucan (Line F)

Light Rail Metro - Dublin

Stephen's Green to Belinstown (Metro North)

Tallaght to Dardistown (Metro West)

DART - Greater Dublin Area

Maynooth to Greystones (Line 1)

Balbriggan to Hazelhatch (Line 2)

Kildare Route Project

Interconnector

Docklands Station

Clonsilla to Navan

Mallow to Midleton - Cork

Western Railway Corridor - Phase 1

Ennis to Athenry

Athenry to Tuam

Tuam to Claremorris

Regional Airports

See also

External links

Launch Documents