Trevor Sargent
Ceist:37 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she will bring forward plans to double the track capacity on the northern suburban line. [1181/01]
Other Questions. - Rail Services.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:58 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if a proposal has been presented to Government which would involve constructing a rail spur in the vicinity of Clontarf Station to serve the Spencer Dock area and also alleviate the chronic congestion at Connolly Station; and the plans she has to implement such a proposal. [1182/01]
Ivor Callely
Ceist:86 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her attention has been drawn to the travel difficulties for passengers at peak travel times on DART services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3647/01]
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:89 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if investment will be forthcoming from Government to pay for a doubling of track capacity on the northern suburban line north of Connolly Station, Dublin, the construction of a double rail spur to bypass the Connolly to Pearse Station section and serve a new station at Spencer Dock with a rail tunnel under the River Liffey; and the time frame for such projects. [3821/01]
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:90 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the proposals she has for new or improved public transport services on the north side of Dublin; and the precise time frame for implementation in this regard. [3885/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 58, 86, 89 and 90 together.
I have raised with Iarnród Éireann concerns expressed to me regarding travel difficulties for passengers at peak times on the DART. The company has informed me that there are capacity constraints in relation to the frequency of trains which can safely use the rail track network on the northern suburban line into the city centre. The maximum safety limit on the line is 12 trains per track per hour.
Iarnród Éireann commissioned an additional ten DART carriages towards the end of last year as a result of which some DART trains have been increased from four to six carriages. This position will improve at the end of April when a further 16 new DART carriages will come into operation. In the meantime, additional drivers will be recruited and trained and this will enhance reliability. In all, there will be an increase of almost 30% in DART capacity compared with November last.
Furthermore, to cater for general growth in demand for DART and other rail services on the northern line over the coming years, the national development plan provides for more new DART carriages, 80 new diesel rail cars, all DART station platforms are being lengthened; and plans are at an advanced stage in Iarnród Éireann for a major investment project to increase the frequency and capacity of trains on the northern suburban rail network by providing enhanced signalling.
I have asked Iarnród Éireann to accelerate the submission to me of its proposals for the upgrade of services on the northern suburban line.
Additional information
Three additional quality bus corridors on the north side of Dublin will be implemented during 2001 in addition to the Finglas and Malahide Road QBCs which are already in operation. The three additional QBCs are Blanchardstown and Swords, which are expected to be launched in April-May, and Ballymun at a later date.
In addition to these projects, Bus Átha Cliath has also informed me that the company will continue to monitor and upgrade existing services as necessary and indeed has definitive plans in place to increase capacity and upgrade bus services on a number of routes serving the northside over the next couple of months. These changes will increase both the capacity and cross-city services for customers.
A proposal for an underground rail interconnector linking Heuston Station to East Wall junction, which is in the vicinity of Clontarf Station via Pearse Station and the Docklands, has been incorporated in the Dublin Transportation Office's Strategy 2000-16 – A Platform for Change. The Dublin Transportation Office is currently preparing an implementation plan for the strategy. The DTO has set out a target of early March for the completion of this work, which will then be the basis for Government decisions on the projects, including the interconnector link, to be brought forward under the strategy.