Sir, – Michael McDowell concludes his article by stating “Before the Metrolink juggernaut becomes an irreversible money pit, should we not spend 12 weeks considering the alternatives for the first time?” (Opinion & Analysis, December 27th).
The issue is that we have already spent too long considering the various alternatives and not implementing any decisions in a cost-effective manner.
Many kilometres of the proposed Metrolink are actually above ground and that has already been considered in the proposed design.
Paris, which has an excellent metro system, is about to start building a new circular Grand Paris Express with 200km of new track and 68 new metro stations to be completed by 2030. Even the small Portuguese island of Madeira has more than 150 road tunnels, some of which are up to 3km long.
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The residents of North County Dublin, Swords, Dublin Airport passengers, Dublin City University students and Mater Hospital and Temple Street patients, among many others, have waited long enough. Why wait any longer? – Yours, etc,
LIAM BOLGER,
Drumcondra,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – We have procrastinated long enough about building a metro system linking the city centre to Dublin Airport, potentially as the first piece in a wider jigsaw. The initial plan for this scheme was mooted by CIÉ in 1975. We have paused and procrastinated almost 50 years on this.
It is patently obvious that the Luas is approaching capacity and rapid transit is necessary, so adding additional lines here as proposed by your columnist will still meet the same lines in the city centre, and will not cope with population growth.
In contrast, Copenhagen, a similarly sized city which already had direct rail connections to the central train station, decided in the 1990s to proceed with metro lines that connected to the city as well. Since 2000, it has opened four lines.
While it is important that the best possible deal is found for the development of this infrastructure, it is also vital that we no longer kick this can down the road while our roads choke and inflation continues to drive the cost up without a sod turned.
The time for pause is long past: let’s get digging. – Yours, etc,
RORY J WHELAN,
Drogheda,
Co Meath.