Dublin's congestion is reaching 'critical' levels, oral hearings into Metrolink project told

THE FIRST DAY of an oral hearing into the MetroLink project has heard that Ireland is “outgrowing its current transportation infrastructure”, with congestion reaching “critical levels” which will only worsen as the population grows.

The 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.

The 18.8km route will have an end-to-end journey time of 25 minutes and serve residential areas including Ballymun and Glasnevin, as well as the City Centre and Dublin Airport, and will link to Irish Rail, Luas and bus services.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) lodged a Draft Railway Order seeking permission for the project last year and received 318 submissions in response, with An Bord Pleanála deciding to hold oral hearings to facilitate third parties expressing their concerns.

The oral hearings, at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin, are scheduled to run on 23 days between now and 28 March.

In his opening remarks this morning, project director Aidan Foley said MetroLink will bring “enormous benefits” to residents and visitors to Dublin, and will help provide the city with “a modern transport system befitting a European capital city”.

“Ireland is outgrowing its current transportation infrastructure. A single Dublin commuter will, on average, spend over 213 hours a year stuck in traffic – 28 extra minutes each rush hour,” he said.

“Economists estimate that, without intervention, congestion and lost time will cost the Irish economy over €2 billion per annum in 2033. This problem is forecast to worsen as Ireland’s population continues to grow.”

Foley said that almost 8,000 workers currently commute from Swords to Dublin City Centre, but only 12% of those commuters use public transport, with congestion along those corridors reaching “critical levels”.

He said that morning peak journey times for private vehicles from Swords Pavilion to St. Stephen’s Green, approximately 19 kilometres, “can take as much as 55 minutes or longer”.

Upon the completion of Metrolink, there will be trains every three minutes during peak periods, with a possible capacity of up to 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

For comparison, the current Luas Green Line service can carry around 9,000 passengers per direction per hour.

Foley acknowledged that while the project is estimated to take nine years following approval, “there will be disruption as construction is ongoing”.

“We recognise that lives will be affected during this period,” he said.

However, he referenced the delivery of other projects such as the Dublin port tunnel and the construction of Luas lines.

“None were easy, and communities and the city centre have benefited enormously from their delivery.”

Foley also addressed the concerns of residents who will have a tunnel being constructed beneath their houses.

He said that TII is satisfied that the tunnel will be constructed at an appropriate depth and using appropriate methodologies. “Damage to properties  – if any – will be cosmetic,” he said.

Artist’s impression of the Dublin MetroLink entrance at St Stephen’s Green.

TII has put in place the Property Owners’ Protection Scheme (POPS), a voluntary scheme available to residents whose properties lie within 30 metres of the edge of the MetroLink Tunnel Alignment, or 50 metres of station structures.

The scheme is also available to landlords of residential properties, but it is not open to non-residential property owners.

Foley said that around 17% of properties within the parameters of the POPS are currently signed up to the scheme.

Those who register for the POPS will be able to choose from a panel of three independent building surveyors to survey your property. This firm will carry out an initial condition survey and a final condition survey of their property and issue reports to the resident and to TII.

If any damage to the property by MetroLink is identified in these reports, TII will repair this up to a value of €45,000.

If a homeowner disagrees with any recommendation of the surveyor or the decision of TII, they can bring the matter to a dispute resolution process to be adjudicated by an independent expert appointed by Engineers Ireland.

This ruling will be binding on TII but not one the homeowner, who can pursue all legal remedies available to them outside POPS.

The scheme will remain in place for twelve months after the opening of MetroLink.

While the “precise” cost of the project is not yet known, the “central” estimate is €9.5 billion, but there is an upper estimate costing with “high inflation and contingencies” that rises to €12.25 billion.

The Department of Housing and two local authorities are due to make presentations at the hearing.

Fingal County Council, Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing will each engage with the planning authority for around half an hour, with 15 minutes allocated to An Taisce and ten minutes to the Office of Public Works.

It is expected that the OPW will clash with TII over the impact of the MetroLink on St Stephen’s Green.

In a submission, the OPW expressed concern that the line “would have a direct, severe, negative, profound and permanent impact” on St Stephen’s Green heritage value and said the risk of damage “is unacceptable”.

Other parties set to speak at the hearings include various politicians, residents associations, Lidl Ireland, the Mater Misericordiae and the Children’s University Hospitals, the Abbey Theatre, Trinity College and Irish Life Assurance.

Tomorrow, the hearing will hear submissions from Dublin Airport, as well as a number of TDs, senators and other elected representatives.

With reporting from Lauren Boland