Metro North a gonner?

[David Cochrane]

Spin 1038 (for that was the station I was listening to...) have been reporting that the Minister for Finance is refusing to confirm or deny whether Metro North will go ahead.

Cutbacks are necessary from government expenditure, but they have been for a while, the amount of wastage is stunning, but if infrastructure projects are to be hit - will that do more damage than necessary?

A Junior Minister who's being suited for promotion could become a savings czar, looking for savings across Gov departments/agencies perhaps - or bring in a person from outside, or use that Comptroller & Auditor General chap - but major infrastructure projects are necessary.

Thoughts folks?

[hiker]

It would not suprise me.

I reckon they will slap on a DART spurline from Howth Junction and be done with it.

[Aindriu]

It would not suprise me.

I reckon they will slap on a DART spurline from Howth Junction and be done with it.

It would be a nightmare going to the airport on that. Aircoach is brilliant anyway so we can manage as we are at present.

[alonso]

Same story emerged a fortnight ago. Metro North is far too far gone to be pulled now. they're about to go to railway order. Only a chimp is incapable of seeing how public transport investment saves money long term. Same retards were moaning about the DART 20 years ago, QBCs 10 years ago and the LUAS 5 years ago. The only certainty is that these people are always proven wrong in the end

hiker that spur is to the airport right? Metro North is not an Airport rail line. it's a commuter line that passes through the Airport. The Howth Junction option will kill the Northern DART stone dead.

[kerrynorth]

It would not suprise me.

I reckon they will slap on a DART spurline from Howth Junction and be done with it.

Would you not need a massive upgrading of capacity at Connolly Station and along the route to Howth Junction as well for the additional traffic?

[hiker]

It would not suprise me.

I reckon they will slap on a DART spurline from Howth Junction and be done with it.

It would be a nightmare going to the airport on that. Aircoach is brilliant anyway so we can manage as we are at present.

Until Dublin Bus decide to put the uppity privateers out of business.

[David Cochrane]

Until Dublin Bus decide to put the uppity privateers out of business.

You must surely mean Bus Eireanns services, such as their 24 hour service to Belfast (anyways, that's for another thread...........)

[hiker]

hiker that spur is to the airport right? Metro North is not an Airport rail line. it's a commuter line that passes through the Airport. The Howth Junction option will kill the Northern DART stone dead.

I agree. I only mention it because it may be offered as a sop.

[KingKane]

Same story emerged a fortnight ago. Metro North is far too far gone to be pulled now. they're about to go to railway order. Only a chimp is incapable of seeing how public transport investment saves money long term. Same retards were moaning about the DART 20 years ago, QBCs 10 years ago and the LUAS 5 years ago. The only certainty is that these people are always proven wrong in the end

hiker that spur is to the airport right? Metro North is not an Airport rail line. it's a commuter line that passes through the Airport. The Howth Junction option will kill the Northern DART stone dead.

But the population density is worse on the northside than the southside for a Metro - it's just too damn low. And you'd have to buy up a lot of existing housing stock, leave it and build up before you could get it. The cost outlines for Metro are €3/4Bn, where is the cost benefit analysis for it? And remember most of that work will involve specialist workers not Mick the plasterers and Paddy the Brickie, so most of the cash spent won't be trickling down to the locality.

Short term - throw loads of new shiny clean buses at the northside. Put dedicated transport police on some routes, undercover if necessary.

Medium term - extend the Malahide Dart line to the airport with a view to extending it around to connect with the Sligo line in time.

[NotDevsSon]

There were originally meant to be three Luas lines. Money was not available so they cut one, the one on the Northside.

It is the age-old story. If something gets cut, it invariably is something on the Northside. That's what the government has a history of doing. After all it is unthinkable to cut something from southsiders. *sarcasm*