Metro Orbital (Metro West)
Q: What is Metro West Q: What is the route of Metro West?Q: What are the benefits of Metro West?Q: How many cars will be taken off the road?Q: Will Metro West relieve congestion on the M50?Q: Will my property be devalued if it is adjacent to Metro West?Q: Will Luas services be interrupted when Metro West is being built?Q: How big are the stops likely to be?Q: Will I be able to hear and feel the Metro West during operations?Q: How high will the Liffey Valley Bridge be?Q: Can Metro West avoid crossing the Liffey Valley?Q: Where will interchange with the Kildare Railway Line be located?Q: Where will interchange with the Maynooth Railway Line be located?Q: Where will interchange with Luas services be located?Q: Where will interchange with bus be provided?Q: Will Metro West run to the Airport?Q: Will Metro West run to the city centre?Q: Will Metro West join with the Luas Red Line?Q: Can Luas trams run on the Metro West line?Q: Can Metro North vehicles run on the Metro West line?Q: Can DART/suburban rail Trains run on Metro West?Q: How often will Metro West run?Q: Will there be disruption to traffic when the Metro West is operational?Q: Will Metro West run 24 hours per day?Q: What is the journey time to the Airport from Tallaght?Q: How many people can Metro West carry?Q: Is Metro the same gauge as Luas?Q: How will people cross Metro West if it runs on the surface?Q: Will you be doing an EIS for the project?Q: Where will the Metro West depot be?Q: Why can Metro West not use the Metro North or Luas depots?Q: Why does Metro West not serve Lucan?Q: Why does Metro West not serve Finglas?Q: What will access be like to stops for people with impaired mobility?Q: What's the difference between Metro West and Luas?Q: When will the Metro West Railway Order be made?Q: When will Metro West Construction start?Q: How long will it take to build Metro West?Q: When will Metro West be open?
Project
Q: What is Metro West?
A: Metro West is a proposed orbital light rail system, similar to the existing Luas, for west Dublin as proposed in Transport 21 and the National Development Plan.
Q: What is the route of Metro West?
A: Metro West will run from Tallaght to Dardistown, just south of Dublin Airport. It will serve Tallaght, Clondalkin, Liffey Valley, Blanchardstown and north Finglas and connect to the Metro North route at Dardistown.
Benefits
Q: What are the benefits of Metro West?
A: Metro West passengers will spend a lot less time commuting every day:
- Metro West will offer a frequent, fast and reliable service for commuters: The journey time from Tallaght to the Airport will be about 55 minutes. As with Luas, Metro West passengers will not have to worry about timetables – peak time services will run initially every 4 to 5 minutes;
- Metro West will allow west Dublin to fulfill its potential: West Dublin has seen some of the most intense growth in housing and other development in the last decades. This has resulted in large demand for travel to and from and within the area and is currently more than the current road and car parking infrastructure can cope with. Metro West, offering an attractive journey time, will become an alternative to those now stuck in the increasing congestion in that part of Dublin;
- Metro West will attract large numbers of passengers from cars: While the Metro will naturally attract people already using other forms of public transport, Metro West will remove considerable volumes of car journeys from the road network each year. Park & Ride sites at strategic locations such as Newlands, Quarryvale and Kildonan, in addition to existing P&R at Luas, rail stations and Metro North will encourage car drivers from beyond the Metro West catchment area to transfer to public transport. Fewer car journeys will also contribute to fewer accidents on the road. Preliminary forecasts suggest that Metro West may carry about 25 million passengers per year and up to half of these are forecast to come from car;
- Metro West will have the capacity to grow to meet the long term transport requirements for Dublin: When it opens, the Metro West will have the capacity to carry similar numbers to that of the current Luas lines. This will continue to grow over time to levels that are beyond the capacity of the current Luas system – but will easily be accommodated on Metro West, which can operate with longer vehicles and at a higher frequencies;
- Metro West will have positive environmental benefits: The decrease in road traffic as a result of Metro West will reduce air pollution, noise and vibration from road traffic. By reducing the amount of car traffic, Metro West will provide a more sustainable means for travel along the corridor.
- Metro West will contribute to urban and suburban development: Metro West can be a catalyst for urban and suburban regeneration similar to the experience on Luas. Investment will be attracted into the areas served by Metro West and new commercial and service facilities will be developed. The construction of Metro West can contribute to the renewal of local areas through careful integration of the Metro West infrastructure with the local environment and high quality landscaping.
Q: How many cars will be taken off the road?
A: It is envisaged that the Metro West could take in excess of 10 million car journeys a year off the road.
Q: Will Metro West relieve congestion on the M50?
A: Metro West will offer current users of the M50 an alternative means of travelling between Tallaght and the Airport/Swords and all locations in between. Some of these M50 users will choose Metro West which will have some impact on congestion.
Property
Q: Will my property be devalued if it is adjacent to Metro West?
A: Experience from Luas, and other cities where similar systems have been built, suggests that the value of properties close to the line of Metro West will actually increase in value once Metro West 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 stops.
Construction
Q: Will Luas services be interrupted when Metro West is being built?
A: It is intended to keep Luas services running throughout the majority of the construction period of Metro West. It is proposed to build a bridge over the existing Luas Red Line at Belgard and during the construction of this bridge there may be some disruption to Luas services.
Q: How big are the stops likely to be?
A: The stops will be approximately 106 metres long and each platform will be approximately 4 metres wide.
Noise and Vibration
Q: Will I be able to hear and feel the Metro West during operations?
A: Metro West will generally create the same noise and vibration as Luas. Vibration and noise can be mitigated by various damping mechanisms the expected noise and vibration effects of the system will be identified as part of the EIS and where relevant mitigation measures will be proposed.
Liffey Valley
Q: How high will the Liffey Valley Bridge be?
A: The height of the proposed Liffey Valley Bridge will be in the order of 25m over the water surface. This is approximately half the height of the existing M50 (West Link) crossing.
Q: Can Metro West avoid crossing the Liffey Valley?
A: In order to deliver Metro West from Tallaght to Dublin Airport, it must cross the river and valley. A crossing point has been identified that seeks to minimise the impact on the valley whilst still delivering a feasible Metro West route.
Integration
Q: Where will interchange with the Kildare Railway Line be located?
A: An interchange between Metro West and Kildare railway line services is proposed at the Fonthill/Clondalkin Station.
Q: Where will interchange with the Maynooth Railway Line be located?
A: RPA is liaising closely with Iarnród Éireann and it is currently proposed to have interchange between Metro West and Maynooth, and ultimately Dunboyne/Navan, railway line services at a proposed new Porterstown Station. This station has not yet been built but it also forms part of the Governments Transport 21 plans.
Q: Where will interchange with Luas services be located?
A: There are a number of Luas lines which will have interchange with Metro West. Interchange between Metro West and Luas Services to Tallaght and Citywest will be at Belgard and interchange between Metro West and the proposed Lucan Luas line will be at Quarryvale.
Q: Where will interchange with bus be provided?
A: There will be many locations along the Metro West route where bus interchange will be provided. The main interchange will be concentrated where large numbers of bus services pass close to or adjacent to the Metro West route and where possible RPA proposes to provide bus stop facilities at or close to all Metro West stops.
Q: Will Metro West run to the Airport?
A: Passengers will be able to use Metro West to access Dublin Airport via Metro North. The route for Metro North includes an underground stop at Dublin Airport. Passengers will be able to access this stop by either changing to Metro North services at Dardistown or by staying on Metro West services which will run on the Metro North route.
Q: Will Metro West run to the city centre?
A: It will be possible for passengers on Metro West to get to the city centre via interchange with Luas, Metro North, Irish Rail or Bus services. Services will also operate directly from Metro West onto Metro North and into the city centre without the need to interchange.
Q: Will Metro West join with the Luas Red Line?
A: Metro West will not join directly with the Luas Red Line however Metro West will cross over the Luas Red Line at Belgard and interchange will be provided.
Operations
Q: Can Luas trams run on the Metro West line?
A: Luas trams will be able to run on Metro West. Metro West will be designed to be compatible with the Luas system to take advantage of the economies and operational flexibility that this will provide.
Q: Can Metro North vehicles run on the Metro West line?
A: Metro West will be designed to allow Metro North vehicles to operate on Metro West and Metro West vehicles will be able to operate on Metro North. Metro West will be designed to be compatible with Metro North to take advantage of the economies and operational flexibility that this will provide.
Q: Can DART/suburban rail Trains run on Metro West?
A: No. Metro West will operate on a different gauge to the DART network. However excellent interchange will be provided between Metro West and the Maynooth, Dunboyne and Kildare railway lines. Once the DART Underground project is built these lines will become part of the DART network.
Q: How often will Metro West run?
A: Metro West will run every few minutes from early in the morning to late in the evening, just like Luas. The service is likely to commence at a peak frequency of one vehicle every four to five minutes and increase as demand requires.
Q: Will there be disruption to traffic when the Metro West is operational?
A: The impact is likely to be minimal, similar to Luas. It is proposed that Metro West will be generally segregated from other road traffic except at junctions. Where Metro West crosses roads at grade, traffic signal control will be used to minimise delays for both modes. Where Metro West is proposed to run on the existing roadway, traffic lanes may be reduced.
Q: Will Metro West run 24 hours per day?
A: Metro West will not run for 24 hours per day. It will run from early in the morning until late at night similar to the Luas. Luas operates from 05:30 to 00:30 each weekday.
Q: What is the journey time to the Airport from Tallaght?
A: The journey time from Tallaght to The Airport is expected to be approximately 55 minutes.
Q: How many people can Metro West carry?
A: Initially Metro West will be designed to carry similar volumes of passengers as Luas. (up to circa 5,000 passengers per direction per hour). It will however be designed to allow upgrades in capacity and Metro West will ultimately have a carrying capacity of over 10,000 passengers per direction, per hour.
Q: Is Metro the same gauge as Luas?
A: Yes. All Metro and Luas lines will be the same gauge to allow for future interoperability.
Q: How will people cross Metro West if it runs on the surface?
A: Metro West 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. Pedestrians will be able to cross the tracks where specific crossing points are provided, at all stops, and where the track has been constructed through a pedestrian friendly area.
Route Selection
Q: Will you be doing an EIS for the project?
A: A full Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for the preferred route. The draft EIS Scoping Report is available to download from the RPA website.
Q: Where will the Metro West depot be?
A: The RPA have selected a site at Silloge/Merryfalls for the location of the Metro West depot. This site is close to the existing Dublin Bus Harristown Depot and is located on lands appropriately identified for such development.
Q: Why can Metro West not use the Metro North or Luas depots?
A: It is possible that Metro West will be able to use the existing Luas or the proposed Metro North depot however a separate Metro West depot is required to house the large Metro West fleet that may ultimately be in excess of 80 vehicles.
Q: Why does Metro West not serve Lucan?
A: Metro West is being progressed in the context of the transport network set out in Transport 21. It is proposed that Lucan will be served by a Luas Line (Luas Line F) and passengers from Lucan will have access to Metro West via interchange at Quarryvale.
Q: Why does Metro West not serve Finglas?
A: Metro West will serve the northern parts of Finglas via stops at Huntstown and Meakstown. It is proposed in the DTO strategy that Finglas is served by a radial light rail line. The first phase of this is proposed to run to Liffey Junction (Luas Line BXD).
Design
Q: What will access be like to stops for people with impaired mobility?
A: There will be full accessibility to all Metro West stops. Metro West stops will have features similar to Luas stops such as low level platforms, ramps, tactile paving and appropriate signage. All Metro West vehicles will be low floor, similar to existing Luas.
Q: What's the difference between Metro West and Luas?
A: Metro West will be designed to be initially similar to existing Luas line but can be upgraded to greater capacity when required. This means that it will ultimately be able to carry more passengers than the Luas by running longer vehicles and more a frequent services. This will be achieved by keeping Metro West generally segregated from other road users.
Timescales
Q: When will the Metro West Railway Order be made?
A: RPA are planning to lodge a Railway Order application for Metro West to An Bord Pleanála in mid 2010. Once the order is lodged it is expected that An Bord Pleanála will hold an oral hearing and that an enforceable order (planning permission) will be achieved in mid 2011.
Q: When will Metro West Construction Start?
A: Construction of Metro West is due to commence in 2012 subject to successfully securing a Railway Order and availability of funding. Construction will commence with enabling works such as the diversion of utilities and preparation of sites.
Q: How long will it take to build Metro West?
A: It is estimated that the construction of Metro West will take four to five years and the final construction programme will emerge from negotiations with prospective developers who would build the project as a PPP.
Q: When will Metro West be open?
A: It is expected that Metro West will open to passengers in 2018 following construction and a period of testing and trial running. This is however subject to successfully securing a Railway Order in 2011 and availability of funding for contracts thereafter.