Proposed metro routes fail to provide link to Busáras

DEBATE on the three different metro routes proposed by the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) appears entirely focused on its route through the north Dublin suburbs.

What about its proposed route through the city centre and how it should best serve urban and suburban Dubliners, and the rest of the country, both north and south?

None of the three proposed metro routes provides a link with the largest interchange in the city centre — Busárus-Connolly, which is the hub for four different transport systems.

Under current proposals, passengers travelling on the LUAS line from Tallaght, the DART from Dun Laoghaire/Howth, the train from Belfast/Sligo or the bus from anywhere in the country will have no direct link with the metro system and hence to the airport.

Another proposed transport system, the Docklands light rail, would also have no direct metro link.

I am unaware of any capital city that does not have a rail link linking its airport with a major railway station or transport interchange in its city centre.

The thousands of passengers arriving at the Busárus-Connolly interchange will have to take two stops along the LUAS to alight at Abbey Street, and then walk five minutes up O’Connell Street to the nearest metro stop. Imagine an elderly or disabled passenger undertaking this route at night, in the rain, dragging their baggage behind them?

Might I suggest the Government provides some trolley racks along our national thoroughfare to facilitate the ease of baggage movement as part of its integrated transport policy, which may also have the additional benefit of storing mugged tourists and passengers, until such time as a bed becomes available?

While the RPA’s preference is for the ‘central route’ option, the ‘west route’ option at least proposes a connection in the city centre to the RAIL and DART services at Tara Street. Under current proposals, this same route passes under Beresford Place (tantalisingly close to Busárus-Connolly) but, for some inexplicable reason, does not create a link.

The Dublin metro link should not be just about linking the airport and north suburban Dublin to the city centre, but should also link up with existing transport infrastructures serving the greater Dublin area and the country as a whole.

An amended ‘west route’ in the city centre to include a direct stop (or an indirect stop via an underground ambulator from Beresford Place) to Busárus-Connolly would achieve a safe and integrated transport system for the capital and country. Like the proposals to belatedly link the two LUAS lines together via an extension to the St Stephen’s Green line, are we to see history repeating itself by not joining the metro to Busárus-Connolly?

Jeremy Wales

Northbrook Road

Ranelagh

Dublin 6