Luas Cherrywood extension completed

Commuters will be travelling on the Luas extension to Cherrywood in South Dublin by October, but will have to wait until 2018 to travel on the proposed Dart Underground.

Unveiling the last section of railway track on the Luas Cherrywood extension today the Railway Procurement Agency said the €300 million project was already wired and ready for use and testing of trams is expected to begin late next month.

However changes have been made to the more ambitious €2 billion Dart Underground project which, according to Irish Rail, means the main construction is now expected to start in 2012 and take about six years.

At 7.5km, the Luas extension almost doubles the initial length of the Luas Green line from St Stephen’s Green to Sandyford.

It is to have 12 stops between Sandyford and Brides Glen, about one kilometre beyond Cherrywood.

While most of the Luas Green Line follows the route of the former Harcourt Street railway line to Brides Glen, the extension deviates from the original.

Speaking after the final weld Railway Procurement Agency chief executive Frank Allen said the deviation was to tie in with high levels of development around Glencairn, the Gallops, and along Ballyogan Road, which were planned in tandem with Luas.

“Even the developer who built this Vodafone building made provision for Luas, where we are standing now is the roof of the car park”, said Mr Allen.

Property developers within one kilometre of the Luas line were also charged a special development levy, in a move designed to raise about €150 million of the cost of the extension. Many of these developments were apartment blocks of between five and seven storeys in height and are now vacant, or substantially vacant.

At €300 million, the route cost €40 million per kilometre. The reopening of the Western Rail Corridor between Ennis and Athenry cost just under €2 million per kilometre, although the land was already in public ownership.