Inquiry backs extension of Luas Red Line

A report into the extension of the Luas Red Line from Connolly station to the Point Depot in Dublin has recommended that the development of the line should go ahead, with precautions to ensure the safety of telecommunications facilities to the Irish Financial Services Centre during construction.

The report of the public inquiry into the extension of the Luas, conducted by independent inspector James Connolly SC, recommended that Minister for Transport Martin Cullen approve the railway order applied for by the Rail Procurement Agency (RPA). It recommended that 16 conditions be attached to the approval.

The extension will run along Amiens Street before turning east across the junction of Harbourmaster Place and Mayor Street Lower. It will pass through a "delta" junction and continue along Mayor Street Lower crossing George's Dock via the existing bridge. It will then cross Guild Street and over the canal via a new bridge.

It will continue through the Spencer Dock development, cross New Wapping Street and Castleforbes Road, and continue along Mayor Street Upper before terminating at the Point Depot.

There will be four stops on the line: at George's Dock on Mayor Street Lower; Mayor Square on Mayor Street Lower; within the Spencer Dock development, and at The Point.

The RPA anticipates a demand of 4,272 passengers an hour in each direction which would be served by providing a tram every four minutes and by increasing tram length from 30 metres to 40 metres. The journey from Connolly Station to the Point Depot is expected to take 5½ minutes and will operate between 5.30am and 12.30am.

Construction work along the route could disrupt telecommunications and electricity supply to surrounding businesses, including those at the IFSC, the report said.

It pointed out that transactions worth millions of euros are processed electronically in the IFSC every day and any disruption of the electricity or telecommunications services would have significant effects on the business operations and credibility of the centre.

It recommended that the RPA carry out an audit of all utilities serving the IFSC and that it put in place a risk management plan for the "prevention, monitoring, control and remediation of risks of disruption of electricity and telecommunications services to the IFSC", in consultation with the ESB and Eircom.

It is also to set up an "around the clock" emergency call-out repair service to deal with potential disruption to utilities at the Citigroup Building.

Other conditions include consultation with the Garda Síochána and the roads and traffic section of Dublin City Council over a road traffic control system during construction work, and the appointment of a manager to liaise with the IFSC.

The report concluded that noise would be inevitable but should not be intolerable and that vibrations from the trams would not cause damage to nearby buildings. It also concluded that, although the extension would cause some negative impact on traffic, it was acceptable given the reduction in traffic that the Luas would bring.