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RAILWAY PROCUREMENT AGENCY (METRO NORTH)

ROUTE

A number of alterations have been made to the planned route of Metro North:

St Stephen’s Green It is now proposed that this station will consist of an island platform located between the inbound and outbound tracks. The two main running tunnels will continue a short distance beyond the station to allow for the possible future extension of the line.

Trains arriving at the station will, after all passengers have disembarked, proceed in a clockwise direction around a loop under St Stephen’s Green to arrive back at the outbound face of the platform. The proposed scissors crossover under Johnson Court will not feature.

Belinstown The northern terminus of the line has been moved from Lissenhall to Belinstown. The new terminus, which will be served by a 2,000 space Park+Ride site, will be situated adjacent to the line’s depot and was originally to be a staff halt for crew change purposes.

Station Names The names of three stations have been changed: Northwood (originally named Santry Demesne), Dardistown (Metropark) and Fosterstown (Nevinstown).

 

TENDERS

During February, the Government agreed the financing structure of the public private partnership (PPP). This allowed the RPA proceed with the bidding process and the four international consortiums that had pre-qualified to tender for the Metro North project (see JOURNAL 165) were invited to attend a technical workshop, in advance of bidding formally for the project. At the workshop, the four consortiums were supplied with specific information relating to what is required for the 17 km line.

Tender documents were issued in mid-May and the four groups have six months to draw up detailed and costed design proposals. Following this the RPA will evaluate the proposals and select two of the consortiums to proceed to a best-and-final-offer stage of the bidding process.

 

RAILWAY ORDER

Site Investigations The RPA has hired archaeological consultants as part of preparations for an environmental impact study and application for a Railway Order. They will carry out geological surveys at St Stephen's Green and in greenfield sites along the outer part of the proposed route. Archaeological excavations at other sites in the city centre will be included in the contractor's obligations, but will not begin until a Railway Order has been issued.

The RPA has also completed radar mapping of the underground cable network along the proposed Metro route. Noise and vibration studies have also been carried out and will form part of the Railway Order application which will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála.

 

CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME

In mid-February the Minister for Transport announced that the Government had given approval for work on two key Metro North stations to begin ahead of the main contract. Construction of the station boxes for the Mater and Airport stops is to be advanced to avoid conflicts with other development projects being carried out at the two sites. Exchequer funding will be used in advance of the PPP contract to allow the RPA prepare tender documents and it is anticipated that these will be published in the middle of the year.

However, construction work will have to wait until An Bord Pleanála grants a Railway Order. The RPA hope to be in a position to apply for this in the autumn.

The scheduled completion date for the Metro North project is now 2013, rather than 2012, to take account of the additional planning work required by scope changes arising from public consultation.

 

RAILWAY PROCUREMENT AGENCY (METRO WEST)

ROUTE

Having selected a preferred route for Metro West, the RPA organised a series of open days, which were held at the end of January as part of the public consultation process. The public was invited to view and comment on drawings and plans showing the overall route of the line, local alignment options, planned locations of stops, the depot and interchange locations, as well as possible property requirements.

 

RAILWAY PROCUREMENT AGENCY (INTEGRATED TICKETING)

The Integrated Ticketing Project Board (ITPB) was established in 2006 as a stand-alone unit within the RPA. The board comprises representatives from the RPA, the CIÉ Group, the Department of Transport and the private bus industry. Its remit is the development, procurement, implementation, operation and maintenance of an integrated ticketing system for the greater Dublin area. The DTA Bill proposes that these responsibilities be transferred to the Authority when it is established.

 Addressing a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tim Gaston, director of the ITPB, stated that the board intends going to the market later this year for a business to operate the scheme. The target date for full integration is late 2010.

 

PROVINCIAL LIGHT RAIL

The Agreed Programme for Government foresees feasibility studies into LUAS-style light rail systems in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford being completed within two years.

On 5 February, the Minister for Transport stated that the Department had agreed the terms of reference for the proposed Limerick study with the local authority. In Cork, the local authority had engaged consultants to update the Cork Area Strategic Plan. At the request of the Department, the update will include a consideration of the feasibility of introducing a light rail transit system. The Minister expects that both Cork and Limerick will have completed their feasibility studies by mid 2009.

 

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN

DART UNDERGROUND

In February, newspapers reported that the Minister for Transport had decided that the construction part of the 5.2km Heuston-Docklands Interconnector Project would be put out to tender as a PPP.

IÉ has spent 2007/08 consulting with other transport agencies, local authorities and landowners in selecting preferred routes for tunnels and stations. IÉ expects to apply for a Railway Order in 2009, with associated public enquiry and inspector’s report to issue in mid 2009. In late 2009, enquiry documents will be issued. Contract award is scheduled for 2010, with construction work expected to start in 2011 and the line expected to open in 2015.

In a presentation to Engineers Ireland in Dublin in February, IÉ said the "DART Underground" would be designed for twenty 8-car trains per direction per hour with a capacity of 70,000 passenger journeys per hour. Heuston-Docklands journey time is quoted as 9 minutes.

The selection of the route is being finalised (See centrespread in JOURNAL 164 for the options). The presentation showed the underground station at Heuston under the Guinness Brewery, with escalator and lift access from the main building at Heuston. It would be built by ‘cut-and-cover’ method and be 410m long. It would have a single ticket hall and four platforms, including two to allow trains turn back towards Docklands.

There were four options for the station at Christchurch. The preferred location is now at the Dublin City Civic Offices at Wood Quay. The other options were discounted primarily due to the risk to the programme and the cost of excavation within the old city walls, the grounds of which are well known for archaeological remains. Accordingly, the tunnel route here is less than optimal due to extra curvature.

Two entrances are proposed for the station, one under the Amphitheatre in the Civic Office complex entered from Winetavern Street and the second near Essex St, close to the Temple Bar area. A single ticket hall will be provided.

The station at St Stephens Green will be constructed in conjunction with and under the Metro North station, but allowing for separate construction contractors. A shared entrance will be constructed at the top of Grafton St, with a shared concourse and ticket hall for Metro and Interconnector. A second entrance will be provided at the Royal College of Surgeons (Luas) and another with a separate ticket hall for the Interconnector platforms will be provided on St Stephens Green North at Kildare St.

Pearse will have two entrances and ticket halls. One will under the existing platforms at the south end of Pearse and adjacent to a new Trinity College development. Concrete passenger subways for this were installed under the DART running lines during the line closure for Lansdowne Rd stadium. The second will be at Merrion Square.

The stations at Christchurch, St Stephens Green and Pearse are in limestone and will be constructed by mining. They will be 8m in diameter.

The option of constructing the Docklands station under the River Liffey has been rejected on cost grounds and it will be constructed by cut and cover on the north side of the river in the former North Wall Holyhead Yard, now called Spencer Dock Central Square. It is in Dublin Boulder Clay and will be constructed by either cut and cover or soft-ground mining shield.

Excavating the 6.7m diameter (6m internal diameter) twin-bore running tunnels will require five tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Two will be ‘launched’ at Docklands and head towards St Stephens Green and two will be ‘launched’ at Heuston and head towards St Stephens Green, each excavating one bore. Due to the nature of the rock, a fifth ‘hard-rock’ TBM will be used to excavate both bores of the tunnel from its portal under the existing car park at Heuston to the new Heuston underground station. Tunnels are expected to be 25m below ground, with cross passageways every 200-300m. Slabtrack will be used as it reduces the required tunnel diameter. The tunnels will be fitted out for 1,500V DC electrification, but the diameter and clearances will be sufficient to allow later conversion to 25kV AC. Diesel trains will only be permitted for engineering purposes due to the dangers from fumes.

Related to the DART Underground project, it is understood that IÉ is examining options to extend electrification from Malahide to Drogheda, North Strand to Maynooth and Heuston to Hazelhatch. Included in these investigations are new depots. The possibility of converting part or all of Drogheda Depot for electric trains is not currently favoured. A new depot west of Maynooth is also needed to accommodate the expanded fleet.

One of the biggest challenges facing constructors is the quantities of construction materials to be brought in and the volume of spoil to be removed. In lorry loads, spoil removal rate could be as high as 17 lorries per hour per station. Options for removal also include rail at Docklands, Pearse, and Heuston along with barge at Docklands and Heuston.

The critical path has been identified as the construction of the underground Heuston station. The TBMs start about 18 months into the construction phase.

In February, IÉ advertised for multi-disciplinary consultants to assist in the next stages of design and construction, including planning and scheduling, preparation for the Railway Order, producing the Environmental Impact Statement, providing technical advice, site investigations, assisting in producing tender documentation, assessing tenders and to assist with the PPP.

CLONSILLA-NAVAN

Clonsilla-Pace On 26 February, An Bord Pleanála issued the Railway Order for the Clonsilla-Dunboyne-Pace project (See JOURNAL 165).  It was the first application considered by the Bord under the Strategic Infrastructure Act and was dealt with within the 18-week time limit specified under law. To date only six projects had merited consideration under this Act, which ‘fast tracks’ applications by removing the local authority from the planning approvals process.

Thirteen conditions were imposed. The Order incorporates the various agreements reached by IÉ with landowners, developers and local authorities during the course of the Railway Order process. One agreement is to construct Hansfield station as part of the initial construction phase and IÉ subsequently applied for planning permission for its construction.

One minor condition imposed was ‘The water tower located to the south of Dunboyne over-bridge shall be retained and repaired as necessary. Reason: In the interest of conserving the architectural heritage value of this structures conservation’.

 

MIDLETON

The Minister for Transport performed an official sod turning ceremony on the rebuilding of the Glounthaune-Midleton line on Thursday 14 February.

Clearance work commenced on 4 February. Within one month the line had been cleared completely of all old track and signals. Embankments were being widened and the cutting at Waterrock level crossing had been widened by April. Construction had also started on the new platforms at Carrigtwohill. Re-roofing of the former station buildings at Carrigtwohill and Midleton was taking place in May. These will not be part of the new stations. A large area on the Youghal side of Midleton station was also cleared for the new car park.

Work is on target for completion in May 2009.

 

KILDARE ROUTE PROJECT

Work is taking place under three separate contracts, with no disruption to weekday services and limited disruption to weekend services. Full line closures took place on advertised weekends, with train cancellations between 20:00 Saturday and 10:00 Sunday and with the additional cancellation of the 17:35 Heuston-Carlow (See previous JOURNALS).

Work continued on installing the bed for the new pair of tracks to the north of the existing pair and on constructing new stations. The roof

for Parkwest station was installed in January. New platforms, lift shafts and the station building were under construction at Hazelhatch station during the spring. A new 200-space car park opened on Monday 21 April.

In March, IÉ said the Kildare Route Project is on target for completion by the end of January 2010. In April, delivery of concrete sleepers by road took place and the first had been laid near Hazelhatch and between Cherry Orchard and Clondalkin by the third week of April. The loop at Hazelhatch was disconnected on Sunday 4 May and was subsequently removed.

Works at OB13 Neilstown Rd (9th Lock Road) and OB11 Cloverhill Road (Station Road) Bridges by SIAC Construction Ltd commenced on Friday 4 April. Announced dates for Neilstown Rd were closure of the old bridge on 4 April and opening of its replacement bridge on 24 April. The existing Cloverhill Road Bridge was closed on 26 April with its replacement due to open in October.

 

WESTERN RAIL CORRIDOR

Ennis-Athenry In February, the Minister for Transport told the Dáil that IÉ advised him that construction of Phase I [Ennis-Athenry] is expected to be completed in early 2009. ‘Transport 21 provides for the completion of Phase 2 & 3 [Athenry-Tuam and Tuam-Claremorris] of the project by 2011 and 2014 respectively. My Department has paid €6,846,466 in grants to IÉ towards the cost of the project to date and has allocated €60m to meet expenditure on the project in 2008’.

Major strengthening works have been carried out to the 6-span River Fergus Bridge UB77 (25 miles 690 yards) near Ennis. Work commenced on the 17 December 2007 and involved strengthening the existing steel girders to facilitate the installation of a new pre-cast concrete deck with an embedded rail. Nearby track was removed to facilitate this work. The busy Tulla Rd underbridge in Ennis was closed for renewal on 6 May for six weeks.

With the line closed at the Fergus Bridge, track re-laying continued from the Athenry end, with 8 miles re-laid by the end of April. During the winter and spring, trains of rail, sleepers and ballast worked the line on a daily basis. For example, 177+147 + 10 bogies of concrete sleepers + two wagons with the Donnelli track re-laying gantries were stabled in Gort on Monday 7 April. Sleepers manufactured by Turkington in Northern Ireland were also delivered by road to Gort, where they were loaded onto the re-laying train. Ballast was loaded onto trains at various locations including Tubber, with the train based there.

By the end of April, work on strengthening embankments and excavating cuttings had reached Gort from Athenry, approximately half way. There are 126 level crossings on the 58-kilometre route and, where possible, they are being closed, land is being purchased or bridges erected. Thirty had been closed by May. In February, IÉ applied for planning permission to construct a ‘private agricultural access road and bridge’ over the railway to allow closure of level crossings XE201, XE202 and XE203 at Slieveroe and Pollnabanny, Craughwell, Co. Galway. Similar applications for new overbridges were lodged in April and May to allow closure of XE72 and XE73 at Bearnafunshin and Ballyogan, Ennis, and of XE151, XE152, XE160 and XE161 at Ballylara, Caherduff and Ballybaun, Ardrahan, Co. Galway.

Enquiries have been issued for constructing stations at Craughwell, Ardrahan and Gort. Gort will have a crossing loop, two 90m platforms and an 80-space car park. The platforms to be constructed north of the existing station will feature a pedestrian bridge and lifts, lights, shelter, ticket machine and access ramps. The existing up (east) platform will be removed and a new one constructed. The new platform is required to comply with current design and clearance standards. There are plans for the retention of the water tower at a different location. Craughwell and Ardrahan will both include 90m long single platforms and 60-space car parks.

Galway-Athenry In February, local Galway councillors said that an IÉ estimate of €180m to lay 13 miles of second track between Galway and Athenry was not ‘remotely credible’ and called for independent evaluation of the cost.

Limerick-Ennis Heavy rain resulted in flooding of the line to approximately 5” above rail level near Ballycar and the line was closed from Tuesday 5 February. Within a week the water level had risen to 18” above rail level and the line had an appearance of disappearing into a large lake. The water level slowly subsided and the line re-opened on Thursday 27 March. The first passenger service was the 09:20 Limerick-Ennis, which followed an earlier trial train. During the closure passenger traffic declined by a third and newspapers reported that hiring buses cost IÉ €300,000.