Reply To: All aboard the Luas, at last Tickets, please: the low-down on Luas

The basic http://www.platform11.org message is simple from what their PR officer says, The cost of the airport Metro to Stephens green is 2.5bn it would serve

1> Airport
2> Ballymun
3> Glasnevin (Already close to Crossguns Bridge Line)
4> Mater Hospital ( Close to Drumcoundra Bridge Station)
5> O Connell St (Already served by Luas)
6> Tara St
7> Grafton St
8> Stephens Green

Option B Would total 3bn (Oireachtas all party transport committee) comprising: The Interconnector would in combination with a surface link from the Northern Line beyond Howth Junction serve any station to Clontarf Rd,

1> Spencer Dock (Which is going to be massive including PWC HQ
2> Pearse Staion (>=Tara St on Metro line)
3> Stephens Green (=Stephens Green on Metro Line)
4> Christchurch (Civic Offices & Legal district)
5> Guinesses (Irelands biggest paid tourist site)
6> Heuston Station

On top of serving stations the interconnector allows cross routing and an end to city centre termini for example, Kildare trains would stop at Heuston (underground) then all stations to Spencer Dock and onwards to Drogheda. Maynooth Trains would go to Bray via Spencer Dock people could change at Spencer Dock for Stephens Green or Heuston or Northern Line/Airport and Pearse for Tara St.

It links all the existing systems and stations in one move

The metro fails to do this and with the exception of Ballymun delivers no real expanded capacity over the Interconnector/Northern Aer Dart.

If Ballymun is a priority then 1/2 extensions to the Airport line could be built with every second Aer Dart going to Swords or Ballymun, or they might even build LUAS Line C

To put in perspective the additional cost equals 16.67 miles of NRA road Dublin could integrate all its rail systems. Or the Balnchardstown bypass to the far side of Dunshaughlin