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ANY CHANGES TO the route of the proposed MetroLink project – including changing the terminus from Charlemont to the city centre – would cost “several hundred million” and result in a further delay to the project.
One expert told The Journal that moving the terminus would mean “a complete redesign of the system” and he believes could result in the delivery of the project being delayed until the 2040s.
The proposed MetroLink will have 16 new stations running from Swords to Charlemont and carry 53 million passengers annually. Construction is set to begin next year, with an opening year of 2035.
Addressing the second day of an oral hearing into the project, O’Callaghan said Charlemont will not be capable of supporting the estimated 10 million people that will visit the station each year, saying it will have a “detrimental impact” on the surrounding residential area.
Independent Senator Michael McDowell also called for the terminus to be changed, with both politicians in agreement that Charlemont was chosen for the terminus in order to facilitate a potential upgrade to the Luas Green line in the future.
MetroLink project director Aidan Foley said the chosen terminus would still allow connections to the southeast and southeast, and would also facilitate an upgrade of the Luas Green line. He said he had visited the proposed location “several times” and thought it was an appropriate location for the terminus.
If the terminus were to be changed, it would be a costly process and could see the project delayed even further.
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An artist's impression of the MetroLink station at Charlemont. MetroLinkMetroLink
During his submission to the hearing, Labour TD Duncan Smith asked Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) what impact a change to the proposed route of the scheme would have on the planning process and questioned how much of a delay it would cause.
MetroLink project director Aidan Foley told him it would have “a significant impact” and involve elements of “significant redesign”.
It would also have a negative impact on the cost scheme, he said, adding: “The cost for every year of delay is several hundred million.”
It was initially thought that Foley had quoted a figure of €700 million. However, a spokesperson for TII later clarified to The Journal that Foley actually said “several hundred million”.
There have been a number of figures quoted in relation to the estimated cost of any delays to the project.
Speaking at the Oireachtas Transport Committee on 14 February, TII chief executive Peter Walsh said that it would cost around €250 million for every year that the MetroLink is delayed.
“During the pre-application consultation with An Bord Pleanála, we made it clear that delays to the project, given the scale of it, could be measured in time alone at about €250 million a year,” he said.
A route map of the proposed MetroLink. MetroLinkMetroLink
Last July, Public Accounts Committee chair Brian Stanley said it had been estimated that each year of delay “would add additional costs of between €100 million and €300 million.”
Duncan Smith told The Journal that he believes any added cost and redesign of MetroLink “could throw the entire project into doubt”.
“The engineering and interconnectivity reasons for the current route are well explained by TII and I believe equally a robust plan for a city that desperately needs this Metrolink. We cannot countenance any calls for such changes or removals of Terminus. It would be grossly negligent to the needs of the city,” he said.
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Brian Caulfield, a professor in transportation and Head of Department at Trinity College Dublin, told The Journal that to move the terminus would mean “a complete redesign of the system” which would cost “millions”.
“It wouldn’t be a whole route redesign, but I think once you open up one part of it for redesign, you probably open up the whole thing,” he said.
Caulfield said to look at a redesign, along with conducting further transport modelling and cost benefit analysis, “you’re adding at least another four years to the project at a conservative estimate before we could even get to start dates”.
“When you start to do that, we’re talking about the 2040s by the time this would be operational.”
A spokesperson for the MetroLink project told The Journal that the Charlemont station is “an integral part” of the proposed scheme.
The spokesperson said the station was chosen as the terminus because it provides a short interchange distance to the Luas Green Line and is within a five-minute walk of the proposed Bus Connects A Spine and E Spine routes.
“The capability and flexibility to further extend the metro in the future, whether to connect onto the Luas Green Line or to provide a metro to the southwest of the city, is much better enabled and facilitated by the planned arrangements at Charlemont, which future-proofs the opportunity for such extension,” the spokesperson said.
“Any change to the design of the scheme would lead to significant delays in the delivery of the MetroLink scheme and ultimately result in significant additional costs to the taxpayer.”
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@Louise Tracey: it wasn’t the west cork fishermen that frightened the russian navy it was their irish mammys with the threat of the dreaded wooden spoon
@Edward Fitzgerald: Lol or maybe not lol. Even the threat of the wooden spoon is serious.
I remember a story of some hurlers in NY that got mugged. They found the perpetrators and got their stuff back. The perpetrators then complained to the Police, saying they were attacked by Irish people with ‘gigantic wooden spoons’ :)
@tirnanog1979: Not sure how that’s relevant? The US and Europe are our closest partners and friends. You accommodate your partners and friends. The relationship with Russia, on a bilateral basis, is at best businesslike.
@tirnanog1979: are they “war planes” or civilian airlines like ATA carrying American troops? As far as I’m aware no weapons travel through Ireland. Am I wrong?
@Eoin Roche: Not sure about you being the God that decides what is relevant or not.
Maybe this can be the start of better relations with Russia. It would help Ireland massively in not been so dependent on the US and being at risk from issues and changes in the US.
@tirnanog1979: as a signatory to the international air transport agreement Ireland allows 2nd freedom rights to all signaturies, which is the right to land for a maintenance stop or refueling stop. We cannot break this agreement and flights that are commercial charters or scheduled operators and entitled to land in Shannon. We even extended these rights to Aeroflot to allow them operate flights between the USSR and Cuba. The USSR even had it’s own fuel depot in Shannon. So we are even handed any complying with our obligations https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Convention_on_International_Civil_Aviation
@Gerry McCaughey: You are right ..They just get the weapons when they get to where they are going…A nice technicality..legal ,but tell that to Iraq that they invaded because of weapons of mass destruction that never existed,
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Shanon airport also used sell Russian fuel but the US airlines had to be supplied with different fuel. Aeroflot was a big earner back in the day.
All the military aircraft from various nations used Shannon. it was a perfect place for them.
Massive runway and a neutral country.
@Ed Cooper: So why did Richard O Halloran especially thank Simon Coveney and Michael D for their help ? These things are sorted out quietly and diplomatically in the background, albeit too slowly. Give credit where its due for God’s sake. No need to be so bitter about it.
@Ed Cooper: so aside from him contacting the Russian
Representative and requesting them to consider moving, and then receiving a letter from said representative confirming they would indeed move, it had nothing to do with him? Good man Ed you dumpling.
Wonders is this another case of a politian taking the credit for others endeavours
Well done to our fantastic diplomatic department in Cork and their stealthy fleet of fishing boats
@Sean Higgins: In fairness Putin has done us all a favour in shutting up Duffy and in showing how wrong Duffy was in his ‘opinions’. That wont bodder Joe though, never has before, he will find something else to be outraged about.
Good news if true. A good win for soft power. I’m sure the Russians won’t mind if we verify their position throughout, just to be sure. Also the pollution of the ocean with munitions doesn’t respect any lines on a map, but one step at a time.
@Eoin Roche: Ya tis amazing what can be achieved when people actually talk to another, as opposed to saber rattling rhetoric, dubious predictions and dubious intelligence driven hypothetical maybes.
Do you still think your ‘inevitable invasion’ prediction is possible?
@Eoin Roche: If ya now worried about the environment, maybe ya can send a complaint to the US navy about all the damage being done by their many Fleets and Task Forces operating in almost every Ocean. Their carriers operate flights ops every day.
@Roy Dowling: The cables are 5,000 kms long Roy, they are just easier to access in the shallow waters of the Celtic Sea. Don’t tell me you’re that naive.
Well done to the fishermen who are the real people who got this moved. But Coveney will take all the credit, just like he did with the U. N security Council a man that never served on a U. N. mission in his life. So again well done to the real hero’s of the hour, the fishermen
Quaking in their fur-lined boots at the prospect of massive retaliation from our navy and fishing fleet! Or is the West Cork fishing fleet now our Navy…
@Da Dell: The immaturity of representing the national interests of a country as a singular person reduces real human issues to almost cartoon immagery. Putin, Xi, Kim, etc. It facilitates propaganda.
It would be great if Mr. Coveny would now request the same of the US military and its use of Shannon Airport. Also if Ireland could put its UN seat to good use and become an honest peace broker in Ukraine. We must remember that the Russians are terrified of invasions from the west they have had many, Sweden, Napoleon, about 10 countries in 1919. In the last invasion by Germany they lost 25,000,000 people and suffered catastrophic devastation. They do not want NATO missiles on their borders, as the US did not want missiles in Cuba.
We are a powerful little country really. With all the media talk about the military drills and protests and talks with fishermen and Simon coveney’s interference’s and the DOF the Russians agreed to move away. I wonder would they be so obliging if they planned drills in other countries waters and were asked to relocate. Eire abú
Just a few fishermen won’t change Russians thinking. No disrespect but it was meant to be fingers in to NATO backside rather atack to the Irish Fishery
@Karel Pumpernikel: I agree with the giving fingers to NATO as the reason. The fishermen however have said that their concerns were listened to carefully and respectfully by the ambassador who fully understood their worries. He assured them that he would take them to the highest level and return with a timely reply. A decision was made to accommodate them. I don’t think there was any other adjenda.
Is this not a classic. All the negatives about Ireland depending on Britian and Nato to make up for our lack of spend on defence. Yet see what a bit of common sense and discussion can do.
Russia backs down amid Ireland thr eateing to deploy the most feared special forces unit in the world, The west Cork Fishermen, these highly secretive and highly trained men are often called in when the SAS or seals are unable to take on a complex mission and require the elite of the Special forces, the Dept of defence declined to confirm the details stating that for operational reasons we can not divulge information about the WCF but the people of Ireland can sleep knowing that we have an elite unit who will protect our country
@alan scott: Just curious, why are you anti-Russia? I mean, not anti-Putin but anti-Russia? I find this attitude common here, and hard to explain. Would you say you are anti-English, at least that animosity would have some historical explanation?
@alan scott: I will give you credit though for coming out and stating clearly that you are anti-Russia. Its clear in your comments but fair play anyways.
@Zmeevo Libe: sorry mate I should have made myself a bit more clear. Not actually against Russia as a country, as a people as a culture. Politically I am against their government with Putins authoritarian way of ruling.
Sorry I did not specify that more clearly!
No I’m pro British. but I have reason why I’m that way. Another article another comment.
@alan scott: You should really look into the why & how Putin took power. The US reneging on promises made his predecessors and Russia look weak . And unfortunately for most of these leaders including US leaders appearing weak is a mortal wound that their opponents exploit.
It’s a win for polite diplomacy. Good to see. I know it’s the weekend, but too many silly comments. Let’s all go back to The 42. Now that’s proper serious stuff.
@John Devine: As usual the politicians claim the credit and get their photos on the papers. YouTube tells a different story there the fishermen discuss it with the Russian ambassador with no sign of Coveney. The fishermen had been told that the government couldnt do anything. A compliant press is the enemy of truth
It was the fishermen who got the result. Thay had asked the politicians and were told there was nothing they could do. Of course when the fishermen got the result the politicians were all over the papers claiming the credit.
This shows up the Journal’s security ” Expert” Declan Power for the total amadan that he is. The previous article which was based on his ramblings was laughable.
This was published on MSN, at least at the time I made this posting. Would you believe such a thing “Ireland a NATO member”? Just shows that some people/organisations are either uneducated (which it looks like), or don’t check their facts or are just stirring the preverbal s#it.
Russia moves naval exercise that rattled NATO member Ireland (msn.com)
Are future government the West Coast Fishermen the only bunch of people that played David and Goliath with Russian and won a battle that political Red tape couldn’t well done lads
They might move out of Irish waters , and that’s great, but the sea creatures do not know about borders and can still be hurt and killed. It would be better if Russia stayed out of the sea altogether .
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