Major MetroLink project delayed for a further 10 years
Bray Station Leaves Train Dart Niall A In Dublin Picture: Carson/pa
The landmark MetroLink project for Dublin has officially been postponed for another 10 years, a draft strategy from the National Transport Authority (NTA) shows.
The NTA’s updated strategy for the capital also shows that no new train or tram lines will be completed by 2031.
Major rail projects including Luas lines to Finglas, Lucan, Bray and Poolbeg are not expected to be delivered until after 2031.
The draft report also shows that Navan rail line and Dart extensions are also not expected to be delivered until after 2031.
The planning and design for additional Luas lines and the Dart tunnel has been pushed back until after 2031, with no date for completion.
The MetroLink project is to consist of a 19km railway service between Swords, Dublin Airport and Dublin city centre.
The previous version of the plan set the completion date as 2027.
The draft strategy show that the NTA is to seek planning consent for MetroLink in early 2022 and, subject to receipt of approval, to proceed with the construction of the project.
The cost of constructing the greater Dublin transport plan over the next 20 years has increased from 10.3 billion euro to 25 billion euro in current prices.
This investment is set to deliver the public transport infrastructure, cycling network, roads, park and ride provision and various other parts of the transport plan.
Labour TD Duncan Smith said: “Absolutely unacceptable.
“The NTA confirmed to me at Transport Committee last week that the business plan for MetroLink makes economic sense.
“We know it makes environmental sense.
“This delay must be a political decision. Unacceptable.”
Sinn Fein’s Lynn Boylan was also critical of the delay.
“How is our capital city supposed to transition to sustainable modes of transport and meet the carbon emission targets when we don’t provide the alternatives,” the senator tweeted.
Solidarity People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said: “The only conclusion to draw is that the Government has fallen at the first hurdle in terms of reaching the target set out in the Climate Action Plan which they launched just last week.
“Transport is our second biggest emitting sector, the targets are between 42 and 50% reductions by 2030 and yet many of the big public transport infrastructural projects are now being postponed and put on the long finger under a Green Party Minister for Transport (Eamon Ryan).”
In its report, the NTA also claimed that bus and commuter rail fleet in the greater Dublin area will be 100% electric and zero emission by 2035.
The NTA is required under statute to review the GDA Transport Strategy every six years.
Today’s plan is a revision of the current plan that was adopted by Government in 2016.
Under the Strategy, greenhouse gases linked to public transport will fall dramatically, the report claimed.
This will come about as a result of further investment in Dart and Luas, which are already fully electric, but also as a result of the complete transition away from fossil fuels for buses within 13 years, the report added.
Overall transport emissions have to fall by 51% by 2030 under the Climate Action Plan published last week and by 69% over the course of the strategy.
The NTA said it will undertake a detailed assessment of additional measures which is likely to include new parking arrangements, zonal charging, tolling and road pricing and further vehicle electrification.
Among the elements of 2016-2035 Strategy that have been completed or significantly progressed are the Luas Cross City, Phoenix Park Tunnel, roll out of cycle tracks and greenways.
NTA chief executive officer Anne Graham said: “There is no doubt that people are looking to us to provide better, more sustainable transport alternatives in all areas, so it is incumbent on us as an authority to respond to that in a positive way.
“I believe that this strategy has the potential to be truly transformative from that point of view.
“As far as NTA is concerned, the single biggest step that can be taken to tackle climate change is to encourage as many people as possible to use public transport and other sustainable modes, rather than the private car.
“In broad terms, our strategy will facilitate this by investing in services and infrastructure, now and into the future.”