Sir, – Further to recent commentary about the feasibility of introducing scheduled passenger services on the Phoenix Park railway tunnel, a major obstacle is that current track layout prevents trains from driving directly into any of the nine working platforms of Heuston Station. A train emerging from the tunnel crosses the Liffey and joins the Dublin to Cork mainline facing away from Heuston Station.
In recent years a passenger platform has been built alongside the tunnel tracks shortly before they merge with the mainline – it is labelled “Platform Ten”. Alas, it is located almost in Islandbridge, such a long walk from Heuston’s main station house that, in its present form, it is unusable. With a covered pathway and human conveyors (as in an airport) the Phoenix Park tunnel could accommodate scheduled passenger trains as an annex of Heuston Station, if the will to do this existed. – Yours, etc,
CHRISTIAN MORRIS,
Claremont Road,
Howth,
Dublin 13.