Irish Rail ready to submit application for Sandyford to city centre connection

Irish Rail will formally apply next Monday to the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, for a Light Railway Order for the construction of the Sandyford to St Stephen's Green light rail transit (LRT) system.

The application, described as "slightly ahead of schedule", clears the way for a period of public consultation and the calling of a public inquiry into the proposal by the Minister.

While details are not being announced until the Minister has received the application, The Irish Times understands that one difference from the original scheme is the creation of a depot at Sandyford to house the tram cars, now necessary as the system will not be integrated until the underground in the city centre is built between Broadstone and St Stephen's Green.

The route of the proposed scheme from Sandyford Industrial Estate is as follows: Sandyford to Balally, Dundrum, Windy Arbour, Milltown, Cowper, Beechwood, Ranelagh, Charlemont, Harcourt and St Stephen's Green.

This is the second leg of Dublin's light rail proposals which envisage an integrated LRT system serving Ballymun on Dublin's north side, Sandyford on the south side, Tallaght in the west and the docklands in the east of the city.

The eventual scheme will link Heuston and Connolly mainline railway stations as well as the airport.

The public inquiry into the first leg of the system, Tallaght to Middle Abbey Street, concluded recently, and a report is expected within "a matter of weeks" from the inquiry inspector, Judge Sean O'Leary.

The application to the Minister for a Light Rail Order differs little from the original south Dublin scheme which ran from O'Connell Street to the Sandyford Industrial Estate.

Confirming that the application is expected to be made on Monday, the Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, said the move would allow the public inquiry to begin "perhaps even as early as April".

Mr Brennan, through whose Dail constituency of Dublin South much of the line runs, said the news was very welcome.

He said the inspector's report on the Tallaght line many be delivered to the Minister before Christmas.

The construction timetable for the system is as follows: Tallaght to Abbey Street, spring 2000; Sandyford to St Stephen's Green, autumn 2000; Abbey Street to Connolly Station, spring 2001.