Metro North reports denied

THE Department of Transport
and the Railway Procurement Agency have denied media reports that Metro North
and the DART underground projects have been deferred indefinitely.

The reports followed Iarnród
Eireann’s publication of further details of its plan to bring the DART to
Dublin Airport – seen as a cheaper alternative to Metro North – fuelling
speculation that a decision had already been made.

Reports in a number of local
and national media outlets quoted unnamed sources in the Railway Procurement
Agency (RPA) as suggesting that the Department of Transport had decided to

“defer

? the scheme indefinitely rather than scrap it altogether.

But both the Department of
Transport and the RPA have denied the reports, saying a decision hasn’t been
made on Metro North, the DART underground or the DART extension to Dublin
Airport.

“The Government has not made
a decision about any of the major rail projects proposed for Dublin, including
Metro North or the DART extension to Dublin Airport,

? a spokesperson for the
Department of Transport said.

“A comprehensive review of
all capital spending is currently underway in all Government departments,
including the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

“Because we do not have the
resources to proceed with every project, and cannot borrow funding with the
markets closed to us, this review will determine which projects and programmes
will be prioritised.

?

The RPA also denied the
reports on its Twitter feed.

“Metro North has not been
put on the long finger,

? it read.

“No decision has been made
about any of the projects which the Government is considering.

?

A capital review of Dublin’s
major transport projects is currently underway. They are being assessed on
their potential to stimulate the economy, create jobs and provide important
transport links.

But the Department of
Transport has admitted that the most important factor for progressing any
project is

“affordability

?.

As reported in Northside
People back in June, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar had asked Iarnród
Ã?ireann to prepare a detailed business case for its plan for a e400 million
rail spur which would branch off the Malahide DART line at Clongriffin and
connect to the airport.

This is now being considered
along with the business cases for all of the other major projects as part of
the review which is not due to be concluded before next month.

The fall in construction
costs over the last few years means that Metro North would cost considerably
less if it were built today rather than when it was originally proposed in
2006. However, it is still estimated that the project would cost around e3
billion.

The RPA has already spent
nearly e200 million on preparatory work on the metro proposal, which would run
from St Stephen’s Green to Swords, via Drumcondra, Ballymun and Dublin Airport.
The project was approved by An Bord Pleanála last October.

It’s believed the State is
only likely to have the funds to complete one of the three major transport
infrastructure projects in Dublin – Metro North, the DART underground or the
LUAS BXD line.

Many observers believe that
the Government will go ahead with plans for Luas BXD – a city centre link
between the existing green and red Luas lines.

Initially, estimates for the
BXD line were that it could cost more than e300 million, but it is understood
that current estimates put the scheme at just e280 million.

It’s possible that the both
the BXD line and Iarnród Eireann’s DART spur could get the thumbs up as the
combined cost would still be significantly cheaper than any of the other two
projects.

Blanchardstown based
councillor, Ruth Coppinger (SP), said the suggestion that the Metro North
project might be deferred would cause

“despair throughout Fingal

?.

“It would be incredible if
the Government was to turn its back on the job creation and transport potential
of this project for the north Dublin region,

? she said.

“The Government promised the
electorate it would invest in jobs. Up to 6,000 jobs are estimated as being
immediately possible from Metro North construction and related services, while
an independent study predicted 25,000 jobs could be created along the line.

“Some well-heeled people in
the media have dismissed Metro North as some sort of vanity project.

“Fingal’s population has
risen by 14 per cent since 2006 to over 273,051 people, yet there is no Luas,
DART or decent public transport system, or none in Ballymun and the north city
either.

?

Cllr Coppinger promised to
make the Metro North project a

“major issue

? in the upcoming by-election in the
Dublin West constituency.