The DART Underground Programme, as envisaged under Transport 21, is made up of 2 elements:
(1) The development of an underground tunnel (the DU project) between Docklands and Inchicore which will serve a number of key locations in the city centre with underground stations
(2) A series of associated sub-projects including the City Centre Resignalling project, a new Centralised Traffic Control Centre (CTC), Resignalling and Elimination of level-crossings on the Maynooth line, Electrification to Malahide, Maynooth and Hazelhatch, the Kildare Route Project Phase 2 and the expansion of the DART fleet and associated depot facilities.
When the Tunnel element was postponed under the current capital plan there was a commitment to reconsider it in advance of the next capital plan. In that regard, the Business Case is now being reviewed and assessed by the National Transport Authority (NTA). The NTA will ensure that the new business case is based on the latest data on population, transport demand, construction costs etc and meets all the requirements of the revised public sector code for capital projects which was published last year. I expect to receive it in Q1 2015. At the same time I expect to receive the outcome from the Fingal/North Dublin Transport Study and the preliminary Business Case for the BRT to Swords.
Following receipt and assessment of the reports I will then consider the options and priorities for addressing key public transport deficits in the GDA having regard to the costs and benefits and affordability of each project as well as funding sources and options including private funds, EIB loans and EU grants.
Some of the DART Underground associated sub-projects which have benefits in and of themselves are either underway already, such as the City Centre Resignalling project, or preliminary studies have commenced, such as for the new CTC. Subject to funding availability, some of the other sub-projects may proceed over the next number of years.
