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METRO

Integration 
The underground travelator proposed by the RPA to link the D’Olier Street metro stop with Tara Street station (see JOURNAL 152) has been rejected by the Minister for Transport. The RPA has been asked to re-evaluate the alignment in the city centre in order to provide better integration with the heavy rail network.

Tenders
 Despite the project not having received cabinet approval yet, the RPA has sought tenders for elements of the metro project. In October it selected Geotech Specialists as the preferred bidder for preliminary soil investigation work. The RPA has also published a qualification notice for the future appointment of insurance advisors. It is unlikely that neither of these appointments will be progressed with until a formal decision to proceed with the project has been taken

DART UPGRADE

Phase I of this major upgrade project is now in full swing. The €176m project is scheduled for completion by October 2005, in time for the introduction of forty 8520-class four-car EMUs now on order. Phase 1 will see the maximum passenger capacity per hour per direction through the city centre increase from 11,800 currently to 16,000. City centre re-signalling to increase the maximum number of DART and commuter services from the current 12 trains per hour in each direction to 16 trains per hour in each direction (Phase II) is not part of current works.

The major components of the work are replacement of the contact wire of 86 kilometres of OHLE (Over Head Line Equipment), installation of new power supplies, replacement of switch houses at Raheny, Blackrock and Dalkey by substations, a new substation at Portmarnock, new switch houses at Killester and Connolly, platform extensions to accommodate 8-car trains, addition of a half-mile of extra sidings, installation of lifts for improved access for disabled and other passengers, and upgrading of some station installations. Signal modifications are largely related to moving signals associated with platform extensions. These extensions will also require alterations to the OHLE masts to avoid them being in the middle of extended platforms and include removing wires from directly above where passengers normally stand.

A feature of the project is the provision of emergency escapes from platforms. Upgraded sloped paths from station buildings to platforms will be used for wheelchair and emergency access at some stations. Where this is not possible, lifts will be provided. Sloped paths are to be upgraded at Killester, Harmonstown and Raheny.

Stations will get a general upgrade, including better lighting and security. Platforms will be resurfaced in tarmac, replacing existing cobble-lock. Tactile strips will also be applied to platforms. Where stations are adjacent to level crossings, wheelchair access will be generally provided from a ramp. A gate with call-button will be provided.

The contract to renew the OHLE contact wire and other OHLE works was awarded to Balfour Beatty GmbH of Munich. It was valued at €10.8m. The same company was also awarded the contract to upgrade and increase the capacity of the traction power system, including the provision of five new substations. It was valued at just under €12m. Independently, IÉ advertised for a contractor to refurbish and recalibrate its 1,500 Volt DC circuit breakers. IÉ has sixty of these breakers that are used as track feeders for DART. They are now nearly 23 years old and the refurbishment programme is scheduled to take place over five years.

A €4.7m contact for civil, building and refurbishment works to railway stations from Howth to Bayside including lengthening of platforms for 8-car units, was awarded to CLG, Dublin . CLG were also awarded the contracts for stations from Lansdowne Road to Dún Laoghaire valued at €10.7m and for Sandycove to Bray valued at €8.34m. A €6.1m contract for a new station at Howth Junction was awarded to Ascon Ltd., Co. Kildare.

Full weekend possessions between Lansdowne Road and Greystones commenced on Saturday 11 October, along with night time working during the rest of the week. This maximised the time for the various contractors to carry out the work. No DART or diesel train services operated south of Pearse station on Saturdays and Sundays. To facilitate Christmas shoppers, weekend possessions were suspen-ded in December following a request from the Minister for Transport. To compensate for the loss of December weekend possessions, the line between Connolly and Bray was closed completely from Saturday 27 December until Sunday 4 January inclusive. Full line weekend closures are expected to last for approximately nine-months on the south side, followed by the same length of time on the north side.

Work over the first weekend included removing the OHLE from Bray locomotive shed. It is to be demolished to allow the sidings be extended to accommodate 8-car DARTs. At the same time, work continued on re-laying the middle road between the platforms with CWR on concrete sleepers. During subsequent weekends, work was concentrated on renewing the contact wire in the Shankill/Bray area.

On the first two weekends, most Rosslare trains ran to and from Arklow, but in subsequent weekends services ran between Greystones and Rosslare Europort, with the exception of the Sundays-Only 18.22 Rosslare Europort-Dublin Connolly, which ran to Arklow only. The continuation of the 07.10 Maynooth-Rosslare Europort from Greystones to Rosslare was formed by the Cravens set of the 06.55 Arklow-Dundalk, which turned back from Greystones. This set then operated Rosslare services until returning to Arklow on the 18.22 from Rosslare on Sunday and resuming on the 06.55 Arklow-Dundalk on Monday. DART services operated between Pearse and Howth/Malahide.

On Sunday 30 November, the 13.25 Dublin Connolly-Rosslare Europort, 087+GSV+5 Cravens, started from Greystones. It crossed the 14.43 Rosslare Europort-Dublin Connolly, 076+EGV+6 Mk IId, at Gorey instead of Enniscorthy and was running over one hour late because of bus transfers.

Over the Christmas/New Year closure, work was concentrated on OHLE replacement between Connolly and Blackrock, with the line closed from Connolly to Bray. InterCity trains ran between Greystones/Arklow and Rosslare in a similar pattern to weekends, but using two Mk IId sets as the Cravens set had been replaced by railcars since the commencement of the new timetable on 14 December. One of these sets worked the 05.50 Arklow-Gorey (empty), 06.45 Gorey-Greystones, 08.53 Greystones-Rosslare, 13.25 Rosslare-Greystones and 19.13 Greystones-Rosslare. The other set worked 07.30 Rosslare-Greystones, 14.17 Greystones-Rosslare and 18.15 Rosslare-Arklow. The 11.58 Connolly-Arklow, 14.00 Arklow-Bray and 17.25 Connolly-Gorey were cancelled. Weekend closures resumed on 10 January.