MetroLink (Dublin) - Redesign as MetroLink and Emerging Preferred Route - B

MetroLink (Dublin) - B

Redesign as MetroLink and Emerging Preferred Route

On 22 March 2018, the National Transport Authority announced revised plans for the former Metro North railway line, now called 'MetroLink'.

The new plan incorporated considerable changes from the original. If built as proposed, MetroLink would provide additional integration with heavy rail by including a new integrated heavy rail and metro interchange station at Glasnevin to provide transfers to and from the proposed DART+ West and South West lines. In addition, the updated route proposal included an interchange with existing DART services at Tara Street station.

The tunnel construction method was changed from twin-bore to single bore to minimise disruption and reduce costs. Some of the MetroNorth stations would have required expensive mined construction, while all MetroLink stations are proposed to be constructed using the simpler cut and cover method. MetroLink is also intended to be driverless with platforms proposed to incorporate platform screen doors, while MetroNorth was designed to be manually operated by drivers by line-of-sight.

Initially the route was to extend further south to Sandyford, subsuming the Luas Green Line tracks from Charlemont down to its final destination in Sandyford. According to those plans, Luas services on the Green Line would cease between Sandyford and Charlemont, and be replaced by Metro services. In March 2018 public consultations were held and the plan met with considerable opposition regarding the potential closure of the Green Line for an undetermined amount of time and issues regarding pedestrian and cyclist permeability along the line.

As a result, revised plans were published in March 2019, where the Metrolink line would be delivered in two phases, meaning the Green Line would not be upgraded during the first phase. The Green Line Upgrade would happen as a second phase at a later date after Metrolink from Swords to Charlemont was operational. By developing in two phases the closure of the Green Line could be reduced and more time given to upgrading the existing pedestrian crossings to be fully grade separated through the use of underpasses.

Before this opposition, a railway order was due to be sought for MetroLink in the third quarter of 2019. As of 2018, the revised MetroLink project was proposed to open in 2027.

In December 2019, test drilling for boreholes began for the line. Engineering consultant firm SNC-Lavalin was appointed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland in March 2020 as operations advisor for the project. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, work was halted, however in November 2020 ground investigation works resumed with work in Swords.

Originally the Railway Order was intended to be submitted in the first half of 2021 but actual submission occurred in September 2022. As of April 2023, a number of bodies (including Irish Rail, Dublin Airport, Abbey Theatre and Mater Hospital) raised concerns about aspects of the proposals outlined in the planning application.

MetroLink (Dublin) Overview

MetroLink Location: Dublin, Ireland
MetroLink Proposer: Transport Infrastructure Ireland
MetroLink Status: Design phase (pending approval of planning permission)
MetroLink Type: Metro
MetroLink Start Date: Unknown
MetroLink Completion Date: Unknown

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