Integrated Rail Network for Dublin North, Meath and Louth.

[hiker]

Integrated Rail Network for Dublin North, Meath and Louth.

With the announcement of the Metro to Swords, there has been a push to have the Metro extended to Donabate.
It’s only 3 kilometers away and seems like a logical place to connect the Northern Suburban rail System with the Metro North System.

This was not done. However, and I think I know the reason why.
If the Metro were extended to Donabate, it would be impossible to control the numbers getting on at Donabate. With the thousands who regularly commute to Dublin taking the option of disembarking at Donabate to board the Metro at rush hour times in the morning, it’s conceivable that the Metro leaving Donabate would be full.

It would possibly remain full or nearly full for the first 4 stops at Lissenhall, Seatown, Nevinstown and Dublin Airport.

What would this mean for the Swords commuters?

There is a way however to control the numbers reaching the Metro from the Northern Rail Line.

If a branch line of the Northern Line were to be made from Donabate to Lissenhall (Metro terminus) then it would be possible to control the numbers arriving at the Metro because the Lissenhall stop would be the last stop.

Other advantages are:
Metro to Donabate means building a new station at Donabate with Stairs, ramps, tunnels, elevators, etc etc for mass passenger exchange from one train platform to the Metro Platforms.
Branch Line to Lissenhall means no new station need be built. Just a simple switch track south of Donabate and a line to Lissenhall.. The station at Lissenhall is already being built anyway so only a platform need be built.

Metro to Donabate means an increase in the number of trains from Dundalk/Drogheda will be required and the impact further south on the DART system would be huge particularly around the Connolly Station/Docklands area.
A Branch line to Lissenhall means that you can run a “Metro Shuttle” service, 5 minutes behind every train that runs to Connolly. This "shuttle" would only run between Dundalk/Drogheda and Lissenhall. This means you could double the service for all stations from Dundalk/Drogheda to Donabate. Half of the trains would then proceed to Connolly/Dockland, the other half would serve Lissenhall. No need to worry about the impact on the DART lines further south of Malahide.
Where do the Lissenhall Trains go? Why back up the Northern Line serving all station again to Drogheda/Dundalk.


Here is the best part in my opinion.
Who would run the “Metro Shuttle”?
The same people who run the Metro. They can control the numbers arriving at Lissenhall.
They can control the number of carriages, the frequency of the trains and even the price.
If a premium is required for peak-times then that will ensure that passengers only needing to get to points along the Metro will board the Metro.
A lesser fruequecy at rush hour times will ensure that Swords passengers can board too.
A lesser number of carraiges will reduce the numbers arriving at Lissenhall at peak times.
If you just want to get to the city center then you stay on the normal suburban rail for Connolly/Dockland.

It also introduces competition on the route between Donabate and Drogheda/Dundalk... It will turn the Northern Line section between Donabate and Drogeda into a real hive of activity. Easy access to Drogheda for shopping instead of always going south to Dublin. Increase numbers of trains along this section will increase employment opportunities between the towns on the line and economic opportunities too. Easy access to Swords, a notorios parking blackspot, for passangers in Skerries, Lusk, Rush, Balbriggan etc.

I would be interested to hear the opinions of those living along the routes discussed here and also from transport experts if there are any on the site.
We have discussed this in Donabate and we really like the idea because of the freedom of choice it allows passangers all the way along the Northern Line.

[michael1965]

Why on earth would you extend the metro to a place that already has a railway link to the city?

[hiker]

Why on earth would you extend the metro to a place that already has a railway link to the city?

Its not about another link to the city, Micheal1965. It about the integration of two seperate rail systems.

[michael1965]

But the two systems will already be connecting up in the city.

[hiker]

But the two systems will already be connecting up in the city.

Again, Micheal, your fixation with the city. This integration has nothing to do with the city. Its about the connection between Swords in Fingal and Drogheda in Meath/Louth.
That corridor is the fastest growing section of real estate in the state.
forget about Dublin. If you want to get to Dublin then just get on the Irish Rail service going to Connolly. No problems there.

We are talking about getting passengers out of their cars and onto a service that will give them a choice of destinations north of Dublin City.

As it stands, Fingal County Council are building a huge Park and Ride facility at Lissenhall. Which means that in order to get from Donabate, Lusk, Rush, Skerries, Ballbrigan and beyond to the Metro, one will have to drive.
Traffic congestion on the N1/M1 Lissenhall Motorway Exchange will become massivly overburdened with cars and buses attempting to gain access to the Park and ride at Lissenhall.
If you offer a rail link to Lissenhall you will take them out of their cars and onto the trains.

[michael1965]

I'm not saying it's a bad idea hiker. It's really a question of priorities. I suspect, there are far more people in other parts of Dublin who would benefit from public transport investment, than the number of people in Swords who want to travel to Drogheda (or vice versa).

Granted, there is only 3km between Lissenhall and Donabate, but I've heard people in Malahide calling for a similar link. Whatever about Donabate, it makes zero sense for Malahide. These kind of cross links between different parts of a network are definitely needed, but might be better provided by buses, than by expensive rail links. I'd expect that this kind of thing will happen, when the new transport agency gets going.

[hiker]

I'm not saying it's a bad idea hiker. It's really a question of priorities. I suspect, there are far more people in other parts of Dublin who would benefit from public transport investment, than the number of people in Swords who want to travel to Drogheda (or vice versa).

Granted, there is only 3km between Lissenhall and Donabate, but I've heard people in Malahide calling for a similar link. Whatever about Donabate, it makes zero sense for Malahide. These kind of cross links between different parts of a network are definitely needed, but might be better provided by buses, than by expensive rail links. I'd expect that this kind of thing will happen, when the new transport agency gets going.

Well Malahide have the DART system. It terminates there.

Fingall have offered a bus transfer from Donabate to the park and ride at Lissenhall.
You are a Fingal man. You know the juntion I'm talking about at Lissenhall where the M1 passes under the N1.
A slip road feeds up to a roundabaout.
So all the M1 trafic, the N1 traffic AND all the buses carrying passengers from Donabate to Lissenhall, will hit that roundabout at the same time.

Chaos.

[alonso]

i can see why it may make sense but it's not the priority now. The big big transport project that needs to be expedited is the underground interconnector in the city. This will integrate the entire network, but for some reason T21 has it for completion in 2015, 9 bloody years!!

[White Horse]

I would be interested to hear the opinions of those living along the routes discussed here....

Your idea sounds promising. There is a capacity issue on the main Dublin to Belfast line. The Dart service uses this intercity line as well as rail services to Drogheda, Dundalk, and Dublin.

One issue we need to address is whether it is in the long term interest of North Dublin, East Meath, and South Louth to encourage this area to be a commuter suburb of Dublin.

One way of looking at it is that this has already happened, and that new residents shouldn't be punished for poor planning in the past.

[alonso]

WH if you think it's bad now, wait 10 years. Are you aware that the projected population for Drogheda and the East Meath coast is 90,000? and Donabate is to be 23,000 and Balbriggan 40,000? I've said it before elsewhere; you need to bring employment and 3rd level education to these areas and reverse the commuting trend not reinfoirce it with new train lines