Line A1 (Belgard to Saggart)
Q: Will my property be devalued if it is adjacent to Line A1?Q: What is the risk of damage to property during construction?Q: Will there be much disruption due to noise and vibration from construction?Q: Are you proposing to demolish any buildings?Q: What are the existing ground conditions like?Q: Will Luas services be interrupted when Line A1 is being built?Q: What will traffic disruption be like during construction?Q: What will the hours of construction be?Q: Will there be many construction compounds and where will they be?Q: Will mature trees be felled along the route?Q: How big are the stops likely to be?Q: Will I be able to hear and feel the Line A1 during operations?Q: Where will interchange with Luas services be located?Q: Where will interchange with bus be provided?Q: Will P&R be charged or free?Q: What are the risks associated with emissions during operations?Q: How do Line A1 passengers change to Metro West ?Q: How often will Line A1 run?Q: Will there be disruption to traffic when Line A1 is operational?Q: Is there a risk of damage to property during operations?Q: What will the fares be on Line A1?Q: Can I take my bike on Line A1?Q: Will there be good security and safety arrangements at stops?Q: Will the stops be manned?Q: Will Line A1 run 24 hours per day?Q: What is the journey time to the City Centre from Saggart?Q: How many people can Line A1 carry?Q: Is Line A1 the same gauge as Luas?Q: How will people cross Line A1 if it runs on the surface?Q: Is an EIS prepared for the project for the project?Q: What will the stops look like?Q: What will access be like to stops for people with impaired mobility?Q: What will the Line A1 trams look like?Q: What are the benefits of Line A1?Q: Is Line A1 subject to a cost benefit analysis?Q: Will Line A1 require an operating subvention?Q: How long will it take to build Line A1?Q: Where do I get more information?
Q: Will my property be devalued if it is adjacent to Line A1?
A: Experience from Luas, and other cities where similar systems have been built, suggests that the value of properties close to Line A1 will actually increase in value once Line A1 is operational as a direct result of the improvement in the public transport system. This effect is likely to be at its greatest for those properties that are closest to stations.
Q: What is the risk of damage to property during construction?
A: The risk of significant damage to property during construction is extremely low.
Surveys will be undertaken, protective measures will be developed for those structures likely to be affected and buildings will be monitored during and for a period after construction.
Q: Will there be much disruption due to noise and vibration from construction?
A: There may be some noise and vibration experienced when construction is taking place. This will however be kept to a minimum and work will generally not be undertaken late at night.
Throughout the consultation process, RPA will be listening to and taking into consideration the genuine concerns of residents and businesses and other institutions that may be affected by construction.
Q: Are you proposing to demolish any buildings?
A: The design of the project has minimised the need for property acquisition and demolition. There will however be some acquisition and demolition of derelict buildings to facilitate the development of Line A1 and this is agreed with the affected property owners.
Q: What are the existing ground conditions like?
A: Although there is a considerable amount of information on the ground conditions along the route, detailed investigation was carried out to identify the conditions on the line at specific locations, particularly where structures are proposed. No issues are forseen.
Q: Will Luas services be interrupted when Line A1 is being built?
A: For Line A1, the main impact will arise out of the requirement to reconfigure the Belgard Stop and modify the existing Red Line infrastructure at Cookstown reservoir to construct the physical connection to the Red Line at this point.
The construction of this connection at Cookstown reservoir and the reconfiguration of Belgard will require some disruption of Red Line services and could require trams to temporarily terminate at, for example, Red Cow over a number of weekends with a replacement bus service running over the section between Red Cow and Tallaght. This disruption however would be temporary and of short duration.
Q: What will traffic disruption be like during construction?
A: A key aspect of the track construction is the installation of tracks across road junctions. Good traffic management is essential to this process and detailed construction sequencing and traffic management plans will be discussed with the Roads Authority in advance of the construction works.
Currently there are two road schemes being developed by South Dublin County Council that Line A1 will cross at-grade. The first of these is the Outer Ring Road scheme in which the detailed design accommodates the Luas Line A1 at-grade crossing of the junction of Outer Ring Road Phase 3 with the Embankment Road extension. The construction of this junction is being finalised. Provision for Luas infrastructure was made by the local authority in the construction of this key road crossing to mitigate construction disruption once this road is opened to road traffic.
RPA will be working closely with the relevant local authorities, the Gardaí, the DTO, the Emergency Services, the bus transport companies and will be consulting with local residents and business to develop traffic management plans aimed at minimising this disruption.
Q: What will the hours of construction be?
A: Some work, particularly where there is a need to tie-in to the existing Red Line at Cookstown and to reconfigure Belgard Stop is likely to continue around the clock over a short duration. This will be in order to reduce possible impact on the existing Red Line tram service, to achieve efficiencies and to keep the work safe at all times.
The exact duration of works will be considered during the construction phase in consultation with the local residents, local authorities and other stakeholders.
Q: Will there be many construction compounds and where will they be?
A: RPA proposes to locate two compounds in non residential areas at Fortunestown lane in a green field site and the second in the Citywest Busines Campus in industrial lands. The compounds will be temporary and on completion of the works, will be reinstated.
Q: Will mature trees be felled along the route?
A: A small number of semi-mature trees will have to be removed in the Citywest Campus. The design of Line A1 minimises this impact. Where appropriate and possible, replanting will be considered.
Q: How big are the stops likely to be?
A: The stops will initially be approximately 40 metres long. Each platform will be approximately 3.3 metres wide and in some cases these will be 4.1 m wide. These stops are designed on straights so that they can be extended to 90m if required.
Q: Will I be able to hear and feel the Line A1 during operations?
A: Line A1 will create generally the same minimal noise and vibration as existing Luas. Vibration can be mitigated by various damping mechanisms. These include seating the rail on resilient pads and in more sensitive locations (e.g. beside hospitals, houses and public buildings) placing the concrete rail bed on a resilient mat or pads.
Q: Where will interchange with Luas services be located?
A: Interchange between Line A1 and the Luas Red line and the proposed Metro West will be accommodated at the reconfigured Belgard Stop.
Q: Where will interchange with bus be provided?
A: Provision is made for bus interchange on Luas A1 with proposals to site bus and car set-down facilities at 5 out of 6 stop locations as follows:
- Bus lay-by at the reconfigured Belgard Stop;
- Car drop off and turning facility at Fettercairn Stop until the Fettercairn Link Road to Embankment Road is constructed;
- Bus lay by and taxi stand at Cheeverstown stop and Park & Ride;
- Planned car and bus turning circle at Citywest Campus Stop;
- Planned bus lay by on Fortunestown Lane adjacent to the Fortunestown stop to be provided as part of the road and widening in this area and controlled pedestrian crossing; and
- Proposed bus layby and taxi stand at the Saggart stop terminus and controlled pedestrian crossing.
Q: Will P&R be charged or free?
A: Although the charge has not yet been decided the proposed P&R at Cheeverstown will be charged, similiar to the existing Luas Park & R sites.
Q: What are the risks associated with emissions during operations?
A: There should be no risk of emissions during normal operation. The trains will be electrically powered as will most maintenance equipment.
Q: How do Line A1 passengers change to Metro West ?
A: Passengers can interchange between Line A1 and the Metro West emerging preferred route at Belgard stop. In addition the Metro West Design Team is evaluating an engineering link proposal between Line A1/Red Line and Metro West in the vicinity of Belgard. Operations
Q: How often will Line A1 run?
A: Although the operating timetable for the extended line has not yet been finalized, it is likely that there will be 5 services per hour providing a direct connection between Saggart and the city centre.
Q: Will there be disruption to traffic when Line A1 is operational?
A: Where Line A1 crosses roads at grade, traffic signal control will be used to minimise delays for both modes. The impact is likely to be minimal, similar to Luas.
Q: Is there a risk of damage to property during operations?
A: Once all civil engineering construction works are complete and the tramway is in operation the risks to adjacent properties, structures and utilities is insignificant.
Q: What will the fares be on Line A1?
A: Line A1 fares will be set much closer to the time of opening. A full range of products including period passes for regular commuters will be available. Fare levels will reflect the commercial requirements of the system and may attract a small premium over similar journeys on other modes of public transport to reflect the faster journey times and other additional benefits. Luas Smart Card will be available for use on the proposed Line A1. This is a permanent card the size of a credit card which allows Luas customers to pay-as-they-go when they travel on Luas.
Q: Can I take my bike on Line A1?
A: No. It is a policy of RPA that all capacity on Luas and Metro is for passengers and not taken up by bicycles. This is the same on DART and suburban rail. Bike racks will be provided at stops however.
Q: Will there be good security and safety arrangements at stops?
A: Line A1 will be a very secure system for the passengers. The stops will be extensively monitored by means of CCTV and the vehicles will also have on-board cameras to deter unruly behaviour. In both cases the output will be recorded and retained for a while so that it can be used as evidence if required.
In addition all vehicles and stops will be patrolled on a regular basis by uniformed staff.
Q: Will the stops be manned?
A: Like Luas, stops will be extensively monitored by CCTV and by other means from a central control room. They will also be visited on a regular basis by mobile staff.
Q: Will Line A1 run 24 hours per day?
A: Line A1 will not run for 24 hours per day although it is designed to do so. It will run from early in the morning until late at night similar to the existing Luas. Luas operates from 05:30 to 00:30 each weekday.
Q: What is the journey time to the City Centre from Saggart?
A: The journey time from Saggart to Connolly Station is expected to be approx. 50 minutes during the peak periods while the journey time from Tallaght to the Point Depot will be approx 53 minutes.
Q: How many people can Line A1 carry?
A: Line A1 will be designed to carry similar volumes of passengers as existing Luas. (up to about 5,000 persons per direction per hour).
Q: Is Line A1 the same gauge as Luas?
A: Yes. All Metro and Luas lines will be the same gauge to allow future interoperability.
Q: How will people cross Line A1 if it runs on the surface?
A: Line A1 will operate on the surface in much the same manner as the existing Luas. This means that in some sections pedestrians will be able to cross the track when it is safe to do so. Such locations will be where specific crossing points are provided, at all stops, and where the track has been constructed through a pedestrian friendly area.
Q: Is an EIS prepared for the project for the project?
A: Yes. In fact the Line A1 Railway Order Application can be viewed by clicking here.
Q: What will the stops look like?
A: The final look of the stops is the subject to ongoing detailed design work, but it is based on the existing Luas stop design. The stops will have a modern, bright, open, safe look to them much like the existing Luas.
Q: What will access be like to stops for people with impaired mobility?
A: Accessibility is an important operational feature of Luas. There will be full accessibility to all stops with such features as low level platforms, ramps, tactile paving, signage and low floor trams similar to existing Luas. Full consultation will take place to ensure that the best solution for mobility impaired passengers is utilised.
Q: What will the Line A1 trams look like?
A: The final look of the stops is the subject to ongoing detailed design work, but it is based on the existing Luas stop design. The stops will have a modern, bright, open, safe look to them much like the existing Luas.
Q: What are the benefits of Line A1?
A:
Line A1 passengers will spend a lot less time commuting every day
Line A1 will offer a frequent, fast and reliable service for commuters. The journey time from Saggart to Connolly Station is expected to be approx. 50 minutes while the journey time from Tallaght to the Point Depot will be approx 53 minutes.
Line A1 will allow West Tallaght and the emerging Citywest District to fulfil its potential
The provision of improved public transport to residential communities in Cheeverstown and Fettercairn will offer better opportunities for social inclusion in employment and education. Extending light rail to Citywest business campus, whose development has tended to be car-dependent, should redress that balance and influence the further development of the commercial area. RPA believes that the proposed Citywest Luas extension is well-planned and structured and now that it is approved will make a positive contribution to the quality of life of the communities in its catchment area.
Line A1 will attract large numbers of passengers
While Line A1 will naturally attract people already using other forms of public transport, Line A1 will remove car journeys from the road network each year. Fewer car journeys can also contribute to fewer accidents on the road.Preliminary forecast suggest that Line A1 may carry up to 5 million passengers per year.
Line A1 will have positive environmental benefits
The decrease in road traffic as a result of Line A1 will reduce air pollution, noise and vibration from road traffic. By reducing the amount of car traffic, Line A1 will result in a reduction in the number of accidents and injuries caused on the highway.
Line A1 will contribute to urban and suburban sustainable development
Line A1 can be a catalyst for urban and suburban regeneration similarly to the experience on Luas. Investment will be attracted into the areas served by Line A1 and new commercial and service facilities will be developed. The construction of Line A1 can contribute to the renewal of local areas through careful integration of the Line A1 infrastructure with the local environment and high quality landscaping. RPA believes that the development of the Luas line to Citywest offers an excellent example of how public transport can be planned and implemented as a partnership between public and private sectors.
Q: How does Line A1 represent value for money?
A: RPA has worked closely with Citywest Luas Ltd., a group of landowners who control much of the developable land in the catchment area of the proposed line. These landowners fully support the development of Luas A1 and plan to develop their property in an integrated way with light rail.
RPA have entered into an agreement with these landowners that provides for them being responsible for the delivery of a substantial part of the civil works for the Line, providing all required land and making a capital contribution to RPA. RPA are responsible for the power supply, system controls, trams and for integrating the new spur with the existing Red Line. Having secured the statutory powers and required private and exchequer funding, when the project is completed RPA will own, operate and maintain the infrastructure.
The arrangement is in line with RPA and Government policy and by capturing part of the increase in development gainfrom the private sector resulting from the new Line represents good value for money for the Exchequer. This gain is risk free and is fully realised at a very early stage in the life of the project.
Q: Is Line A1 subject to a cost benefit analysis?
A: Line A1 has been subject to economic and financial appraisal that is required by, and consistent with, current appraisal guidelines on the methodology and parameters for cost-benefit analysis of transport projects by the Department of Finance and Transport. The economic benefits of Line A1 are substantial and far outweigh the economic cost of the scheme resulting in a project of significant economic and societal worth. In the financial appraisal, the additional forecast revenue that results from the operation of Luas Line A1 will exceed the operating and maintenance costs of the project. The results of both a financial and economic evaluation demonstrate a strongly positive case for the Line A1 project.
Overall, the implementation of Luas Line A1 is of considerable economic and societal worth. It represents a positive investment in economic terms. In addition, due to the part-private financing of construction, the project represents significant value for money for the Exchequer, and ultimately the tax-payer.
Q: Will Line A1 require an operating subvention?
A: It is expected that Luas Line A1 will cover its annual operating costs from revenues.
Q: How long will it take to build Line A1?
A: It is estimated that the construction of Line A1 will take approximately 30 months from the time that an Enforceable Order is granted.
Q: Where do I get more information?
A: More information is available from the RPA and Luas website or by using the freefone number below:
Luas Website: www.luas.ie
RPA Website: www.rpa.ie
Telephone: 1800 67 64 64
E-mail: info@rpa.ie