The Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, yesterday approved the 7.5km extension of the Luas Green Line from Sandyford to Cherrywood in south Co Dublin. But he declined to state how much the project would cost.
Mr Cullen has allocated more than four years to have the line operational. In approving the recommendations of the public inquiry chaired by James Connolly SC, Mr Cullen also left open the possibility that the line would, at a later stage, be converted to a metro line.
The Minister was, however, more definite that the line would be extended yet again, this time from Cherrywood to Bray in Co Wicklow by 2015. Mr Cullen published three route options for the extension of Luas from Cherrywood to Bray.
Route option one runs from Cherrywood southeasterly across new bridges over Loughlinstown river and the M50. The route continues along the western side of the M50 and the M11 to Wilford before turning west away from the motorway to serve Old Connaught and Fassaroe where major development is planned.
Route option two follows the route of the Old Harcourt Street railway line over the Cherrywood viaduct to the M11 which is crossed by a new bridge. The route then continues south parallel to the motorway to Wilford where it crosses the motorway serving Old Connaught and Fassaroe.
Option three also follows the route of the old Harcourt Street line to the M11 but goes under the motorway and continues along the old line through Shankill to Shanganagh Park. From there it runs parallel to the Dart, past the location of a proposed new Dart station at Woodbrook and Woodbrook Golf Club to Corke Abbey on the fringes of Bray. The line then turns west via Wilford and Old Connaught to Fassaroe.
A branch option extends from the proposed Dart station at Woodbrook in a westerly direction to route options one and two at Crinken Lane, beside the M11.
The options will now be put on public display and comments invited.
Asked how Luas will handle overcrowding issues with the extensions first to Cherrywood, and later to Bray, a spokesman said extra trams may be added to the route during morning and evening peaks, starting or terminating at stages along the route.
In this way some trams at morning peak may start at Sandyford or Beechwood, avoiding the current problem of many trams being full by the time they reach these stops. Trams can run on a three-minute frequency as presently configured, after which further electrical engineering may make an even greater frequency possible.
Addressing the issue of cost and the construction timetable yesterday, Mr Cullen said private-sector involvement through development levies had made the issue unclear, "but the more we get developers in the more the contribution they make, so obviously the less cost to the Exchequer".
Although the chairman of Wicklow County Council, Joe Behan, has welcomed plans to extend the Luas to Bray, he said it would be regrettable if the line did not get closer to the town centre and the opportunity to link the line with the Dart should not be missed.
