Irish Railway Record Society

Journal 169 - LUAS

SYSTEM EXTENSIONS

Line A1 (Belgard-Citywest) The Railway Procurement Agency is preparing to seek tenders for civil, building and other works in connection with the construction of Line A1. The scope of the contracts will comprise a reconfiguration of the existing Belgard stop, including the provision of a central turnback siding and the installation of a canopy, the construction of a junction between Belgard and Cookstown connecting Line A1 to the existing Red Line, as well as signalling and utility works, the provision of two over-ground substations and a retail kiosk.

The line is being developed in a partnership between the private and public sectors. Citywest Luas Ltd (CLL), a consortium formed by property developers Davey Hickey, Harcourt Developments and HSS, will deliver a large proportion of the civil and track works and a 300-space Park + Ride site, provide all necessary lands and make a monetary contribution towards the project. At a ceremony held in Tallaght on Monday 9 February a contract was signed between CLL and BAM Civil, part of the Royal BAM Group of the Netherlands. BAM Civil, formerly known as Ascon, has been involved in a number of rail projects previously, including the extension of the Red Cow depot for the RPA and coast defence works at Bray Head and Ballygannon for Iarnród Éireann.

BAM commenced utility protection and drainage works between the Outer Ring Road and the N82 in early April. Site clearance work is underway between the N82 and the line's outer terminus at Garter Lane.

Line B1 (Sandyford-Bride’s Glen) Initial works, including realignment and renewal of utilities, road works and major structures, have been completed.

Area 13 (Sandyford-Murphystown Rd) The new sidings at the Sandyford depot have been completed and are ready to be handed over to the operator in preparation for the arrival of the new trams. Trackbed works for the new inbound line have commenced at the Sandyford stop and work on extending the two platforms at the Dublin end has been completed.

Track laying alongside Blackthorn Ave is well advanced with both tracks and OHLE masts in place from the depot entrance to the junction with Burton Hall Rd. Tracks have also been laid across the junction and on the Brewery Rd bridge. Erection of OHLE masts has commenced in this section. Preparatory works for trackbed construction have commenced across the Vodafone podium. Track laying across the M50 bridge has commenced.

Area 14 (Murphystown Rd-Ballyogan Wood) Excavation works for an underground electrical sub-station at Glencairn are on-going. Approximately 3,300 tonnes of rock have been removed to date. Trackbed construction works have commenced between Glencairn and the Ballyogan Rd. Construction of the foundation of the electrical sub-station at Leopardstown Abbey is under way. Track laying has commenced across the entrance to Ballyogan Ave East and on to Ballyogan Wood.

Area 15 (Ballyogan Wood-Bride’s Glen) Formation works are well advanced between the end of the M50 bridge at Carrickmines and Laughanstown Lane. Track laying through the Spine Rd underpass has been completed.

Construction of the platforms for the Laughanstown stop is well advanced. Some 300m of embedded track has been completed and work on the construction of the Cherrywood electrical sub-station is progressing well.

Line BXD (St Stephen’s Green-Broombridge) This line combines the formerly separate proposals for Line BX, from St Stephen’s Green to the City Centre, and Line D, which would connect with Line BX at Parnell St and run to Broombridge. The Final Draft Scoping Report for the EIS was published on 21 April.

The emerging preferred route for Line BX is for a double track line from an end on junction with the Green Line at St Stephen’s Green via Dawson St to College Green. Here the line changes to two single track routes, northwards along Westmoreland St and O’Connell St to Parnell St and the south along Marlborough St, a new bridge over the Liffey and Hawkins St to return to College Green.

Line D would connect with Line BX at the O’Connell St/Parnell St intersection and then run via Dominick Street and Constitution Hill to Broadstone. It would then follow the course of the former railway alignment between Broadstone and Liffey Junction before terminating adjacent to IÉ’s Broombridge halt.

The RPA intends to make an application for a Railway Order to An Bord Pleanála in 2009 for the combined Line BXD.

Marlborough St Bridge Dublin City Council has invited pre-qualification submissions from contractors for the construction of a bridge across the River Liffey, linking Eden Quay at Marlborough St to Burgh Quay at Hawkins St. The bridge would have a single concrete span, approximately 46m long and 26m wide, and would carry public transport, including light rail.

Line C1 (Connolly Station-Point Depot) Services on the Red Line were suspended between Abbey St and Connolly stops on 17 and 18 January. This was to enable the welding of track joints in the new turnouts at the eastern end of Busáras’ platform.

Area 16 (Store St-Connolly-Mayor Sq) Track laying, concentrating on the inbound (westbound) track, is proceeding a pace in Mayor St west of the Guild St intersection. Both tracks have been laid through the intersection and on the eastern side of it as far as Mayor Sq, with the exception of a short section across the entrance to Alderman Way. Laying of the final surface is in progress east of the junction.

Area 17 (Mayor Sq-Point Depot) Construction of the platforms for the Mayor Sq stop is well advanced, with the installation of stop furniture having started. Track laying of both tracks to the Guild St junction is making good progress with surfacing work in hand. Track has been laid through the Mayor St/Guild St junction and across the Spencer Dock Bridge over the Royal Canal.

Pedestrian access across the new bridge opened on Friday 15 May, thereby restoring a link which was lost in the 1860s with the construction of the Midland Great Western Rly’s (MGWR) North Wall yard. The ramp for the bridge commences to the west of the Guild St/Mayor St junction, resulting in a significant vertical realignment of the two roads through the intersection.

Track laying has been completed along the new section of Mayor St behind the National Convention Centre and surfacing work, using granite setts, is in hand. Track laying through the site of the Spencer Dock stop is well advanced and a start has been made on the installation of stop furniture. The underground electrical sub-station is complete.

With the exception of a short section of the eastbound track across New Wapping St, track laying east of the Spencer Dock stop is complete as far as the crossovers on the city-side of Point Depot terminus. Construction of the terminus has commenced.

STOCK

Order Tram 5001, the first of 26 vehicles ordered from Alstom in 2007 and 2008, was delivered to Sandyford depot on Wednesday 25 February. No 5002 arrived in Sandyford on 1 May.

The new trams, Citadis Type TGA402, are 100% low-floor and have an overall length of 43,482mm. They are composed of 7 sections: MC1, SC1, MIC, CC2, IC2, SC2 and MC2. The MC1 and MC2 sections are 7,315mm long, the SC1, SC2 and CC2 are 6,565mm and the MIC and IC2 sections are 4,578mm in length. Access is through 8 doors on either side, one single leaf door in each of the end sections and 2 double-leaf doors in the SC and CC sections. There are 68 fixed seats, 16 in each of the MC1, MIC, IC2 and MC2 sections and 4 in the CC2 section. Additionally there are 4 folding seats and two wheelchair spaces in each of the SC sections. Compared to the earlier 401-type trams, there are additional handrails and hanging straps are fitted in the SC and CC sections. Total capacity, including standees, is 359, marginally more than in the 401-type.

The trams are carried on four bogies, three powered and one trailer. The powered bogies, under the MC1, MIC and MC2 sections, are Arpege 360 M 1600 type, each being equipped with two 120 kW motors. The trailer bogie, located under the IC2 section, is an Arpege 360 P 1600 type.

Passenger information displays, both interior and exterior, now use green LEDs on a black background to improve readability. The interior of the trams is monitored by CCTV cameras mounted throughout the vehicle, while, a new feature sees outward facing cameras mounted in the two cabs to monitor events ahead of and behind the tram.

It is intended that the Green Line will be worked solely by 402-type trams, while the existing 401 fleet would be transferred to the Red line. This would see 26 trams available to operate the Green Line and its extension to Bride’s Glen, with 40 trams (3001-26 and 4001-14) on the Red Line, including the extensions to Saggart (A1) and the Point (C1).

Copyright © 2009 by Irish Railway Record Society Limited
Revised: July 11, 2009 .