Sir, – It is good news that the Luas Green Line will remain unscathed by the NTA’ s MetroLink (“Southside section of MetroLink Line set to be scrapped” , February 21st) as it is a very successful mode of transport for Dubliners.
However the NTA are not doing the job right if MetroLink ends at Charlemont as the route should be extended to the Ranelagh- Rathmines- Terenure-Templeogue axis. This idea has been mooted to the NTA and they are continually quoting from The Book of Excuses not to build a much-needed transport mode for this area.
The NTA excuse that the Green Line will be out of service for years is misleading. For example, the London the Cross Rail project is tunnelling under all of London, and linking many of the existing underground stations without interruption of service.
The biggest project of MetroLink will be the set-up of the TBMs, the tunnel boring machines.
Once set up, the expenses of the MetroLink project will not be greatly effected by the extension of the distances of the TBMs’ tunnelling coverage.
If London can build Cross Rail and San Francisco can build a metro under the Bay, there is no reason why MetroLink cannot be extended onwards to include the west of Dublin. – Yours, etc,
DAMIAN O’REGAN,
Sion Hill,
Co Dublin.