NEARLY €750 MILLION will be invested in Dublin’s public transport networks by 2018 under a plan unveiled today.

The National Transport Authority’s Integrated Implementation Plan outlines how the NTA will put into practice plans for the Greater Dublin Area.

Under the plan there will be:

• An investment in new buses and bus stops
• A beginning of work on the Dublin Rapid Transit system
• Integration for rural networks
• The completion of the Luas cross-city line
• The reopening of the Phoenix Park tunnel rail link
• An overhaul of the city’s train network, which will unblock the bottleneck at rush hours
• Integration and simplification of the fare system

The plan will see investment in the transport network peak at €150 million a year from 2016 on.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said that it is vital that investment in the network is made in recessionary times.

“As the economy picks up again and traffic levels rise, it’s vital that we continue to invest in public transport to keep Dublin and the surrounding counties moving. A return to congestion could seriously undermine our recovery and stunt economic and employment growth as well as reducing our quality of life.”

Read: New ‘Luas on rubber wheels’ could cut commute times by almost 40 per cent

Read: NTA defends planned use of Phoenix Park Tunnel following Irish Rail concerns