General News Kildare Route Project Railway Order process underway by Kildare Route Project WHAT IS THE KILDARE ROUTE PROJECT? The Kildare Route Project is a major capital investment project designed to increase the frequency of commuter and other services along the key Kildare to Heuston corridor, to allow thousands more commuters every day use rail services. This will be achieved through increasing the number of tracks from two to four along the route from Cherry Orchard to the 10.5 milepost west of Hazelhatch, providing two dedicated lines for commuter services and two dedicated lines for Intercity and regional services. Other major works covered by the project include the replacement or alteration of a number of road overbridges to facilitate the four-tracking; new and relocated stations; enhancement of existing station; and associated signalling between Inchicore and Cherryville Junction and other works.   WHAT SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS WILL IT DELIVER? The Kildare Route Project will allow Iarnród Éireann to deliver commuter and regional services as follows at peak times: - Double service frequency from Hazelhatch to Dublin, serving all stations - Double service frequency between Dublin and Sallins, Newbridge, and Kildare, and continuing to serve outer commuter towns including Portlaoise, Athlone and Carlow - Will also facilitate increased frequency and clockface timetabling on Intercity routes The existing service has a total capacity per day, per direction of 11,050 commuter passengers. The Kildare Route Project will see the capacity steadily increased to a total potential capacity of 36,400 commuter passengers per day in each direction.   WHAT NEW STATIONS WILL BE BUILT? There are 3 existing stations along the route of the Kildare Route Project – Cherry Orchard, Clondalkin and Hazelhatch. It is proposed to relocate the existing Cherry Orchard station 900m west to a new station at Parkwest. (This new station will be built separately to the Kildare Route Project by a developer under a planning permission application). It is also proposed to relocate Clondalkin station 700m west to a new station at Fonthill Road. New stations will be constructed at Kishogue and Adamstown. (Adamstown station will be built separately to the Kildare Route Project by a developer under an existing planning permission). Hazelhatch station will be upgraded. It is proposed that all of these stations, new and upgraded, will be manned in the future and include improved facilities such as full accessibility, toilet facilities, sheltered seating, ticket vending machines and emergency call points.   WILL THERE BE DISRUPTION TO EXISTING SERVICES WHILE NEW TRACK AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT ARE BEING BUILT? There will be unavoidable disruption to existing services to and from Heuston Station at certain times during the development of the project. Iarnród Éireann will endeavour to minimise this, but the full extent of disruption will be confirmed following the public inquiry and detailed design work.   WHAT IS THE RAILWAY ORDER AND PUBLIC INQUIRY? The Railway Order is the equivalent of a planning permission process for new railway lines. It also covers Compulsory Purchase Order powers for Iarnród Éireann and gives Iarnród Éireann full operating rights over the new railway. Under the Railway Order, Iarnród Éireann are displaying the full plans for the Kildare Route Project at 12 different locations for a period of 28 days (see below). This is to allow all interested parties to view the plans. Any interested party then has the opportunity up to 14 days after the end of the display period to submit any views they have on the project to the Minister for Transport. All submissions, including the original plans, are then the subject of a public inquiry, chaired by an Inspector appointed by the Minister for Transport. The Inspector shall submit to the Minister a report in writing of the findings of the inquiry and any recommendations he/she considers appropriate having regard to the inquiry. The Minister will rule on the final scope of the project and CPO powers for Iarnród Éireann.   WILL THERE BE COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDERS? Under Iarnród Éireann’s proposals, there will be certain areas of land required not currently in the ownership of the company. This includes land which to facilitate the project may be permanently acquired; land over which rights including rights of way may be acquired; public or private rights of way which may be extinguished; public or private rights of way which may be temporarily interrupted; and land of which temporary possession may be taken. All affected landowners have been and will once again be contacted directly by Iarnród Éireann to advise them of the scope of impact proposed on their property.   DID THE KILDARE ROUTE PROJECT ORIGINALLY HAVE A WIDER SCOPE? Iarnród Éireann did initially propose a Kildare Route Project which would have commenced at Inchicore and provided four-tracking to Straffan, with station works at Sallins, Newbridge and Kildare. However, the proposed Interconnector project which Iarnród Éireann plan in the medium term to further boost commuter capacity on the route, and across the Greater Dublin rail system, would result in works at the Inchicore end of the system being superseded in a relatively short timeframe. As a result of this, and to ensure optimum cost-benefit from the project, it was decided to remove the Inchicore to Cherry Orchard and Hazelhatch to Straffan elements of the project, to be incorporated into the Interconnector project in the future. However, some scope enhancements were also added, notably the addition of a station at Kishoge.   WHAT IS THE TIMESCALE ENVISAGED FOR THE KILDARE ROUTE PROJECT? Assuming the Public Inquiry takes place in early 2006, detailed design works are envisaged to take place up to Autumn 2006, with construction taking place from late 2006 to late 2009. Certain benefits will be delivered before the end of the project, including Adamstown Station and Park West Station.   WHAT ARE THE COSTS ENVISAGED FOR THE KILDARE ROUTE PROJECT? The final costs will be determined by the ruling of the Minister following the Public Inquiry, detailed design work, and any inflationary pressures up to the signing of contracts. However, estimates at current prices are that the project will cost in excess of €350 million.   WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE KILDARE ROUTE PROJECT? The full Railway Order documentation, including: - Plans of the Route - Alignment Plans - Structure Plans - Draft legal order and schedules to the order - Environmental Impact Statement, in full and summary form are on display from Wednesday 12th October to Monday 21st November at the following locations: Dublin City Council: Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8 Ballyfermot Regional Office, Ballyfermot Central Library Ilac Centre, Henry St, Dublin1 South Dublin County Council: County Offices, Tallaght Clondalkin Sub-Office, Clondalkin Lucan Library, Lucan Kildare County Council: Council Offices, St.Mary’s, Naas Other locations: Information Office, Parkwest Dublin Transportation Office, Hainault House, 69/71 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2 Heuston Station, (Customer Services Desk), Dublin 8 Kildare Station, Kildare Hazelhatch Station, Celbridge (1pm – 8pm, Mon-Fri) The full documentation will also be displayed shortly in pdf format at: www.irishrail.ie/kildareproject Full copies of the documentation are also available to purchase. The Kildare Route Project office also has a freephone number for those seeking information on the project at: 1800 201225 Please note – the information above is a brief, simplified summary of the scope of the Kildare Route Project and the benefits it will deliver. It is not intended to represent the full detail of the Kildare Route Project and interested parties are strongly advised to study the full documentation at any of the locations listed above. << Back