LUAS 172

Irish Railway Record Society

Journal 172 - LUAS

SYSTEM EXTENSIONS

Line A1 (Belgard-Citywest) The RPA has awarded the contract for the installation of the power supply system, including overhead line equipment (OHLE), stop equipment, traffic signals and other elements necessary to operate the line to Efacec Sistemas de Electronica of Portugal. It is expected that the work involved in this contract will be completed by early 2011 to allow testing of the line commence.

Area 19 (Belgard-Fortunestown) The original outbound platform at Belgard, which closed on 11 January (see JOURNAL 171), has been demolished. The outbound track was then slewed southwards to allow for the construction of two new island platforms and a third track through the stop. The inbound and outbound main lines will each serve the outer face of one of the island platforms. The new track, which will be connected to both the inbound and outbound lines at the Tallaght end of the stop and to the inbound line only at the Dublin end, will serve the inner faces of both platforms.

To allow for the installation of turnouts at Belgard and also the junction between the existing Red Line and Line A1 at Cookstown, the line from Red Cow to Tallaght was closed over the periods 10-14 and 17-18 April.

Apart from the section between the junction with the existing Red Line and Cookstown Way, track laying has largely been completed through the area. The erection of OHLE support poles is well advanced, as is the construction of the Park+Ride facility and the electrical sub-station at Cheeverstown. Construction of the stops at Fettercairn, Cheeverstown Citywest Campus and Fortunestown is also progressing well.

Area 20 (Fortunestown-Saggart) Track laying is complete from Fortunestown stop to the end of the line at Saggart. The construction of the platforms at Saggart stop and the adjacent electrical sub-station is progressing.

Line B1 (Sandyford-Bride’s Glen) Work continued at a pace along the 7.5-km length of Line B1. The installation of the control, communications and electrical systems is ongoing. By the start of May all power systems at ground level were live and it was planned that the OHLE will be energised in July and once energised, the OHLE will remain live at all times. Testing of trams on the line is expected to commence in July, with public services commencing in the last quarter of the year.

Area 13 (Sandyford-Murphystown Rd) By the end of April all trackwork and OHLE support poles were in place through the section. The contact wire had been erected through the platforms at Sandyford and as far as the point where the road leading to the depot crosses the alignment. The contact wire was also in place between the south side of the M50 bridge and the end of the area at Glencairn.

In a ceremony on Wednesday 5 May, attended by members of the RPA and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council, workers completed the final weld at 10:00 on the section of track where it crosses the podium over the Vodafone building’s car park, thus finishing track laying for the Line B1 project.

Pre-operational rail grinding is due to take place during late May/early June.

Area 14 (Murphystown Rd-Ballyogan Wood) Construction of a new boundary wall between the line and Glencairn View is well advanced. Erection of OHLE support poles and the contact wire was largely completed by the start of May. At the same time the stops at Glencairn, The Gallops, Leopardstown Valley and Ballyogan Wood were well advanced with stop furniture having been installed.

Area 15 (Ballyogan Wood-Bride’s Glen) At the end of April the erection of the OHLE support poles was substantially complete, while the contact wire was in place from Brennanstown to the end of the line. Platform works at the six stops in the area, Racecourse, Carrickmines, Brennanstown, Laughanstown, Cherrywood and Bride’s Glen, were well advanced.

Line BXD (St Stephen’s Green-Broombridge) The NTA approved the Outline Business Case for this project in January 2010. Subject to ongoing engagement with Dublin City Council, a Railway Order (RO) application is expected to be made in June 2010.

Line F1 (Lucan-Blackhorse) The emerging preferred route for Line F1 through the Ballyfermot/Inchicore area follows Ballyfermot Rd to the centre of Ballyfermot. The line would then turn south along Kylemore Rd, before turning eastward to run alongside the Grand Canal to a junction with the existing Luas Red Line at the Blackhorse Stop. Following Iarnród Éireann's revision of the western end of the DART Underground project, this alignment would not serve the proposed station at Inchicore.

At the end of April, the RPA held open days in Ballyfermot and Inchicore, to outline a proposed route change which would provide for an interchange with the planned DART station. Immediately south of the bridge over the main lines out of Heuston station, the line would leave Kylemore Rd and run eastwards through the Dartmouth House and Westlink industrial estates and part of Inchicore Works to a stop adjacent to the proposed DART Underground station. Two options for the location of the stop have been put forward. The line would then turn southward to pass through the Jamestown Industrial Centre and rejoin the original canal-side route near the 4th lock.

STOCK

5000-Class Trams A further two trams have been delivered, 5017 on 6 January and 5018 on 11 February.

4000-Class Trams The transfer of 4000-class trams from the Green Line to the Red Line is continuing. Three further trams were moved to the Red Cow depot in March, bring the total transferred to 10 vehicles.

Road/Rail Cleaning Vehicle (RRCV) The road/rail track cleaning vehicle ordered from Schörling Rail Tech GmbH in Germany was delivered on 30 December 2009. The RRCV is based on a Mercedes Benz Axor 1833 two-axle truck chassis. On this are mounted vacuum equipment, water jets for cleaning grooved rail sections and two 750mm diameter brushes for use in paved areas. Dirt is collected in an on-board tank. The pump supplying water to the jets is rated at 800 bar and can deliver approximately 17 litres/minute.

To enable the RRCV to run on rails a two-axle bogie is mounted between the road axles. This can be raised and lowered hydraulically and is equipped with a hydrostatic drive. When running on rail wheels the road wheels are lifted clear of the ground.

The remainder of this article appears in IRRS Journal number 172, published June 2010.