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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Feb 1986

Vol. 363 No. 14

Written Answers. - DART Passengers.

23.

asked the Minister for Communications the number of persons carried by DART during the past 12 months; the number required for the service, after interest charges, to break even; and if he will further comment on his plans for the development of the service.

Córas Iompair Éireann have advised me that a total of 12.2 million passengers were carried on DART —the electrified rail line from Howth to Bray — in the year 1985 and that, on peak days, DART is now carrying about 50,000 passengers as compared with about 44,000 a year ago. Córas Iompair Éireann have projected an operational break even position for DART in 1988 on the basis of carrying about 100,000 passengers per day — that is after taking depreciation into account but excluding the interest charges on the capital expenditure which the Exchequer is bearing.

As the Deputy will be aware, Córas Iompair Éireann began the first phase of the DART feeder bus services on 2 February 1986. No doubt the board will be quickly developing these services and increasing train frequencies where possible so as to further increase the growing numbers of DART passengers.

I have no plans for the extension of DART to other areas such as areas to the west of Dublin city. Any proposals for such extension would have to be considered in the first instance by the Dublin Transport Authority, under the establishing legislation which now awaits Dáil Committee and remaining Stages. Given the traditional low-density residential development which prevails in the Dublin area, and the enormous expenditure that would be involved in the development of rail-based options (some hundreds of millions of pounds), it is inevitable that all possible options — including bus-based options — must be considered by the Authority.

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