The draft Railway Order and the documentation accompanying the application may be viewed at: https://www.metrolinkro.ie
The National Roads Authority (operating as Transport Infrastructure Ireland) in exercise of the powers conferred upon it by Section 37 of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 (as amended and substituted) (“the Act”) will apply on or after the 30th September 2022 to An Bord Pleanála for a Railway Order for the Railway (MetroLink–Estuary to Charlemont via Dublin Airport) Order [2022] pursuant to the provisions of the said Act.
The Railway Order, if granted, will authorise the National Roads Authority (operating as Transport Infrastructure Ireland) to carry out railway works and all works necessary to enable the construction, operation, maintenance and improvement of a railway designated as a metro including inter alia the construction of a fully segregated and automated railway and metro mostly underground approximately 18.8km in length with 16 stations running from north of Swords at Estuary through Swords, Dublin Airport, Ballymun, Glasnevin and the City Centre to Charlemont in the south of Dublin City Centre.
The works will generally comprise but are not limited to the construction of a Railway approximately 18.8km in length which is mostly underground. It includes a 9.4km section of single bore tunnel running beneath Dublin City Centre running from Charlemont to Northwood Station and a 2.3km section of single bore tunnel running beneath Dublin Airport. Tunnel sections include intervention access facilities for emergency services at Dublin Airport, Albert College Park and just south of Charlemont Station, tunnel Portal structures will be provided at Northwood, Dardistown and Dublin Airport. North of Dublin Airport the railway will emerge from tunnel and will run at surface level and in cut and cover structures to Estuary Station. Surface running sections and cut and cover sections will include earthworks, the use of retained cut and cover structures, elevated sections plus miscellaneous drainage and accommodation works. A new 99m bridge will be constructed over the M50 and a 261m long multi-span Viaduct over the Broadmeadow and Ward River.
There will be a total of 16 stations, including 11 underground stations at Dublin Airport, Northwood, Ballymun, Collins Avenue, Griffith Park, Glasnevin, Mater, O’Connell Street, Tara, St. Stephen’s Green and Charlemont; 4 retained cut stations at Seatown, Swords Central, Fosterstown and Dardistown and 1 at grade station at Estuary. A multi-storey 3000 space park and ride close to the M1 Motorway will be provided at Estuary Station, a maintenance depot is located near Dardistown Station which will house all the facilities required for the maintenance and operation of the MetroLink and its rolling stock and the Operational Control Centre.
The works will also include railway signalling, command and control and communications systems; provision of electrical substations; establishment of temporary construction compounds; establishment of temporary traffic management and road diversions; new and realigned access routes and road junction improvements; diversion of existing utilities; provision of new drainage infrastructure; provision of environmental mitigation measures; and other infrastructural modifications to facilitate the overall project.
The Railway Order, if granted, also includes powers for the National Roads Authority (operating as Transport Infrastructure Ireland) to acquire compulsorily land or rights in, under or over land or any substratum of land specified in the order; to temporarily acquire and occupy land specified in the order; to acquire easements and other rights over land specified in the order; to extinguish public and/or private rights including rights of way specified in the order; and provides for other rights over land.
The proposed railway works covered by the proposed Railway Order are subject to an environmental impact assessment procedure pursuant to the Act and a Natura Impact Statement will also be submitted
Further to consideration of the application for a Railway Order there are a number of decision options available to An Bord Pleanála:
A copy of the draft Railway Order and the documentation accompanying the application may be inspected free of charge during normal office or opening hours from 7th October 2022 until the 16th January 2023 at:
The draft Railway Order and the documentation accompanying the application may also be viewed at: https://www.metrolinkro.ie
Copies or extracts from the documentation accompanying the application for the Railway Order may be purchased on payment of a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making such copy or extract from:
Such purchase requests may be sent to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Parkgate Business Centre, Parkgate Street, Dublin 8, D08 DK10 or info@metrolink.ie or by calling 1800 333 777.
The cost schedule and payment option for the purchase of documentation is provided here.
An Bord Pleanála is the competent authority responsible for making the decision whether or not to grant the order, from which relevant information can be obtained and to which comments or questions can be submitted. An Bord Pleanála will consider any submissions by any persons, made in writing from 7th October 2022 to 5.30pm on 16th January 2023 and accompanied by a fee of €50 in relation to the draft Railway Order, or in relation to the likely effects on the environment and the likely significant effects in the area concerned with European Sites if any, of the proposed railway works. This fee is not payable by certain prescribed bodies or by persons whose lands may be acquired under the draft Railway Order.
Submissions must be lodged no later than 5.30pm on 16th January 2023 and must be addressed to An Bord Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, D01 V902 and marked “Railway (Metrolink–Estuary to Charlemont via Dublin Airport) Order 2022”. Submissions can also be made on the An Bord Pleanála website at the following address: https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/observations
An Bord Pleanála may, at its absolute discretion, hold an oral hearing into the application for a Railway Order, under section 42 of the Act.
A person may question the validity of the decision of An Bord Pleanála by way of an application for judicial review in accordance with section 47 and 47A of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 (as amended and substituted) and under Order 84 of the Rules of the Superior Courts, 1986 (as amended) (S.I. No. 15 of 1986 as amended) and practical information on the review mechanism can be accessed under the heading ‘Legal Notices’ – ‘Judicial Review Notice’ on the Board’s website www.pleanala.ie or on the Citizen’s Information website www.citizeninformation.ie.
17th September 2022
A newspaper notice relating to the Railway Order Application and Statutory Consultation was published in the Irish Independent and Irish Times on Saturday, 17th September 2022.
25th November 2022
A newspaper notice was published in the Irish Independent and Irish Times on Friday, 25th November 2022 relating to the extension to the Statutory Consultation Period / Submission Deadline to 16th January 2023.