[Colm Moore]

http://www.airrailnews.com/index.php...:breaking-news

Dublin airport rail link receives planning board approval

IRELAND: Plans for an underground rail link connecting Dublin city centre to the airport have been approved.

metro_north_railway_order_welcomed_by_rpa_image_pr An Bord Pleanala approved the scheme, which will serve a number of key destinations including the airport, hospitals, universities, retail centres as well as residential and employment districts.

An estimated 35 million passengers a year will use the service, which will travel between the city and airport in 20 minute. It is estimated to cost in the region of 3 billion euro, with the majority funds coming from private investors and the remainder from the State.

Project managers Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) said the decision was a significant milestone in the creation of a high quality, sustainable, integrated public transport network for Dublin.

“This order provides sufficient clarity for RPA to now proceed to the final stage of the PPP procurement process. This is due to be complete by the end of 2011, by which time we would expect the conditions attached to the order to be satisfied.

In the meantime, the order also permits RPA to proceed with the enabling works as planned. These works, involving diversion of utilities in the city centre and heritage works are due to commence in March 2011,” the RPA spokesman said.

Key Information About Metro North

* 18 km
* 17 Stops
* City Centre to Airport in 20 minutes
* City Centre to Swords in 25 minutes
* 3 Park and Ride Facilities
* Interchange with Luas and DART
* Runs to Mater, DCU, Ballymun, Airport and Swords
* Runs every 2 minutes in peak
* Capacity for 20,000 people in each direction per hour
* 34 million passengers per year
* Net benefit to Irish economy over €1 billion

http://www.fiannafail.ie/news/entry/5594/

Metro North planning permission is a significant development - Kennedy
Posted on 28/10/10 by Michael Kennedy

Dublin North TD Michael Kennedy has warmly welcomed the granting of planning permission by An Bord Pleanála for Metro North from the Estuary Stop in Swords to St. Stephen’s Green.

“This is the most important piece of infrastructure for the capital. It is essential that Metro proceeds to create up to 4,000 direct jobs during the construction phase and another 2,000 indirect jobs. A further 37,000 new jobs can potentially be created and sustained along the ‘Metro North Economic Corridor’,” said Deputy Kennedy.

“I have always maintained that Metro can and must be built. The RPA is engaged with the two bidders for the project, Celtic Metro Group and Metro Express, and this element is also progressing well. This will ensure a good deal for the taxpayer and will not cost the taxpayer billions of euro as it will be carried out under the public-private partnership model. This will see the project being built and operated privately before later coming into State control.”

“It is important to make the point that a major investment in the public transport network in the Greater Dublin Area is fundamental to the continued role of the region in creating wealth and employment for the country as a whole.”

“The detractors of Metro are mainly Southside economists who have the privilege of not having to experience the traffic jams endured every day by North Dublin commuters and enjoy DART, bus corridors and the Luas. The Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has also said as recently as October 11 when he told the Evening Herald that Metro North was one of those projects that “can wait”. He couldn’t possibly be more wrong and clearly doesn’t seem to realise or understand just how many jobs Metro North will create.”

“I have said previously that Fingal is the fastest growing county in Ireland and its population is set to double over the next two decades. Metro North will transform the public transport experience in Dublin. When the project was first proposed it was to be a Metro to the airport. I was one of the first public representatives to begin work on ensuring this was expanded to take the Metro out to Swords. It was clear to me that the project would need significant commuter travel and not just travel to and from the airport to make it viable.”

“An Bord Pleanála has decided not to approve certain elements of the scheme in the area north of Swords, namely the depot and ancillary facilities at Belinstown, and proposed line and stop at Lissenhall and Seatown. The proposed depot site location at Belinstown is located too far from Dublin Airport or Swords and faces a risk of flooding. I note this ruling by the board but I continue to maintain the Metro North is vital for the local, regional and national economy,” concluded Deputy Kennedy.

http://www.tommybroughan.com/content...ontent&id=2006

GREAT DAY FOR THE NORTHSIDE AS METRO NORTH APPROVED
28 Oct 2010

Dublin North East Labour Deputy Tommy Broughan has congratulated the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) on their successful application to An Bord Pleanala for approval for the development of Metro North.

Deputy Broughan said, \"The decision by An Bord Pleanala to grant planning approval to the Metro North is a positive step forward. Not only will it provide a much needed fixed line transport link from Dublin City Centre across the Northside to Dublin Airport and beyond. But it has also been estimated that the construction of Metro North will provide 7000 construction jobs each year and up to 14,000 jobs in the wider economy.

\"In their judgment, An Bord Pleanala decided that the development of Metro North would provide adequate interconnection with existing and future transport systems and would not have unacceptable environmental, traffic, congestion or unsustainable planning impacts. The Board also found that it would not adversely affect the character or setting of any protected structure or National Monument. The Board acknowledged the potential impacts of the construction phase of the development but \"accepted that the long term benefits of the scheme would outweigh the short term impacts due to construction.\"

\"However, there were a number of elements of the Railway Order that were not accepted by the Board. These include the decision not to approve the depot and ancillary facilities at Belinstown and a proposed line and stop at Lissenhall. The Board said that the Lissenhall and Belinstown lands are remote from development lands and population centres and their development is not supported by the National Development Plan or Transport 21.

\"An Bord Pleanala also set out a detailed series of conditions for the development of Metro North to address the concerns of local residents and business people along the proposed route. These include measures for environmental mitigation; environmental risk management; the construction method through the Ballymun area; stop locations and design specifications including at proposed stations at Seatown, Drumcondra and O’Connell Street; a comprehensive public information strategy; a property owners protection scheme; a programme to address the impact on buildings and structures of architectural and historical merit (including the Fusiliers Arch at St. Stephen’s Green which can now be temporarily relocated); vibration impacts and airborne noise and water and drainage considerations. \"

Deputy Broughan added, \"The case for proceeding now with Metro North is now overwhelming and the detailed Cost Benefit Analysis is massively positive. It is now down to the final two bidders and a final decision will be made by April 2011. Both final bidders have strong Irish connected companies and the project will provide a massive fillip to the Irish construction industry.

\"€140 million has already been spent on the project and the enabling works for Metro North will cost just a net €80 million in 2011. The CPO costs have also have been wildly exaggerated by vested interests and the first Implementation Payment will not be incurred until late 2012 or early 2013 (at the earliest). Lastly, of course there are great fears that the Irish government would probably be sued by the bidders (as in the case of Slovakia recently) if the Metro is axed or badly delayed. (In fact the Slovakian government ended up paying out €81 million in compensation to the last bidder for the D1 Motorway PPP after they cancelled the project).\"