11 major Transport 21 projects delayed

Almost a third of the 39 key road, rail and motorway projects announced in Transport 21 have been delayed and their delivery dates on Department of Transport funded websites have been altered.

Just a year and a half into the Government's 10-year transport programme, 11 major projects, including the M50 upgrade and Metro North, have been put back - some of them by up to two years.

Comparison of the timetables published at the launch of Transport 21 and those issued since, shows the department initially giving 2007 as the deadline for completion of phase one of the M50 upgrade - the current works between Ballymount and the Lucan junctions.

Last week however, the Department's more recent dedicated site for Transport 21 gave 2008 as the deadline, as did the project website. No explanation of the discrepancy was provided.

Other deadlines which have been altered without comment include:

A new train depot at Portlaoise initially scheduled for 2007, which is now set for 2008;

The introduction of 120 new intercity railcars, initially set for completion by 2007, now set for 2008;

The Luas extension from Connolly to the Docklands initially set for 2008, now scheduled for 2009;

The Luas extension from Tallaght to Citywest initially set for 2008, now set for 2010;

The Cork commuter service to Midleton initially set to begin service in 2008, now set for 2009;

The M3 motorway, initially set for completion by 2009, now scheduled for 2010;

The Limerick Southern Ring Road which has been moved from 2009 to 2010;

The Waterford City bypass which has been moved from 2009 to 2010;

Metro North, initially set for 2012, is now earmarked for 2013;

The city centre Luas link line BX, initially to be completed by 2008, has had the completion date removed. It is now described as phase one of the Liffey Junction extension, which is itself to be completed by 2012.

In a move similar to the removal of a completion date for the city centre Luas link, dates for completion of phase one, two and three of Metro West are also no longer available. Phase one was to have linked Tallaght and Clondalkin by 2010; phase two to extend the line to Lucan by 2011 and phase three to extend to Blanchardstown by 2012.

The only date now provided in relation to these projects is the completion of Metro West to Ballymun by 2015.

However, Irish Rail's new Docklands Station has been completed three years ahead of schedule. In addition the western rail corridor is on target, as is the roads programme, with the exception of phase one of the M50.

Spokesman for Irish Rail Barry Kenny said work was under way in relation to all projects, adding the slippage may represent only a few months from the end of one year to the beginning of the next.

However, a spokesman for the Railway Procurement Agency Ger Hannon said the delay in relation to BX was because it was decided to bring the green line beyond the red, doing all the work that would be necessary in O'Connell Street as part of the Liffey Junction extension.

He said he was surprised 2008 had ever been given as a date for the docklands extension, particularly as the Minister's order had been given only a few days before the end of 2006, which meant it was not feasible to complete by 2008.

In relation to the Metro West extensions, he said there had been some repositioning of phases but added that it was all within the overall timeframe of 2015 for the entire route.