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Irish Times
31-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
BusConnects route will come in ‘on time, on budget', says Darragh O'Brien
Darragh O'Brien has pledged that the first of 12 BusConnect corridors in Dublin will come in 'on budget and on time'. Construction is due to begin on the 9.2km Liffey Valley to Dublin city centre route in September after a contract worth up to €274 million was signed with Irish company GMC Group Ltd. Announcing the launch on Thursday, the Minister for Transport said 'it's going to transform bus use within the city' along with significant cycling and walking facilities. Passenger numbers are predicted to increase by 58 per cent with faster travel times. The project is expected to take about three years, he said. Asked about the potential for delays, Mr O'Brien acknowledged he and interim National Transport Authority (NTA) chief executive Hugh Creegan would have responsibility. READ MORE But he said he emphasised to GMC that construction should be 'on time and on budget'. 'That's what we will do our level best to ensure and we have built contingency into this contract too,' he said. 'I think most people understand from a lot of the projects that we build here this is a medieval city. The routes have been mapped and have been surveyed as well. But we're looking at a three-year build on this. If we can do it sooner than that we will, but we're being realistic about it.' Planning for all 12 corridors has been approved, but a number remain subject to High Court judicial review. BusConnects aims to 'transform' bus services. The corridors will cover 230km of dedicated bus lanes overall with 200km of cycling infrastructure. The Liffey Valley scheme is to start at Fonthill Road and connect to the Liffey Valley shopping centre bus interchange. It will continue through Coldcut Road and Ballyfermot village before moving along Sarsfield Road, Grattan Crescent, Emmet Road, James's Street, Thomas Street and High Street, connecting to and the city centre transport network. It will be accompanied by 13.3km of improved cycling infrastructure. Mr O'Brien said the bus corridors were 'really significant', while the proposed MetroLink will be 'transformational ... not just for Dublin, but for the region, and indeed for our airport'. The railway line will link the city centre and Dublin Airport. He rejected comments by Ryanair group chief executive Michael O'Leary , who said the MetroLink project was a waste of money. Mr O'Brien said Ryanair has changed aviation across Europe, but 'this isn't just about the airport or airport connectivity'. North Dublin is a major growth area and MetroLink enabled further economic development for the airport, 'but above and beyond the airport, more housing development along the route, too'. The business case for MetroLink showed a €4 return on every €1 invested. 'It's a badly needed project,' he said, adding: 'We're the fifth-best connected airport in Europe. We're one of the few without a direct rail link into the city and beyond.' Asked about the introduction of contactless payments on public transport, Mr O'Brien said this should be phased in from the end of 2027 or in 2028.
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Construction contract for first BusConnects corridor to be signed next month
The construction contract for the first new bus corridor under the BusConnects programme in Dublin is due to be signed next month, according to the National Transport Authority (NTA) . Construction of the first two corridors had been due to start this autumn, but it is understood the NTA now expects to be in a position to move forward at an earlier stage. The first corridors to get under way will be the Liffey Valley to city centre route and the Ballymun/Finglas to city centre scheme. Representatives of the NTA, including its interim chief executive Hugh Creegan , will appear before the Oireachtas Transport Committee on Wednesday. READ MORE They are due to tell the committee that planning consent has been received from An Bord Pleanála for all 12 BusConnects corridors, though judicial reviews have been initiated against some of these approvals. [ Final BusConnects corridor secures planning permission Opens in new window ] The construction contract for the first corridor is to be signed in June, their opening statement to TDs says. The construction of all of the 12 corridors could impact on more than 700 properties, according to the latest estimates from the NTA, with more than 3,000 trees potentially felled and 827 parking spaces lost. Separately, the NTA will tell the committee that work is ongoing to 'further develop and refine the design' of MetroLink and to prepare tender documentation for the three major contracts that will deliver the overall project. 'It is understood that the Government will be considering the MetroLink project during the preparation of the new National Development Plan,' the NTA's opening statement says. [ Dublin's new bus routes: How are you affected by new services replacing 46A and others? Opens in new window ] 'Assuming its inclusion in the new national plan, then, subject to approval by An Bord Pleanála during this year, and assuming no delays due to judicial review proceedings, tendering for the construction work could commence next year, with construction commencing about 18 months later.' The NTA will also say the construction of Luas Finglas is dependent upon 'the outcome of the planning process and the availability of funding under the new National Development Plan'. A railway order application was submitted to An Bord Pleanála in November 2024.
Irish Times
13-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
BusConnects corridor construction to begin in autumn
The construction of bus corridors as part of the BusConnects programme in Dublin is due to begin in the autumn, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has said. The first corridors to get under way will be the Liffey Valley to city centre route and the Ballymun/Finglas to city centre scheme. Exact start dates will be announced in the coming months, the NTA has said. The transport body added that it is engaging with affected property owners on 'a one-to-one basis' through the established compulsory purchase order (CPO) process regarding compensation payments. An Bord Pleanála has granted planning approval for 11 of the 12 bus corridors, though a number of them are subject to judicial reviews. The Kimmage to city centre corridor is the only scheme that has yet to be approved by the planning authority. READ MORE Nine properties are expected to be impacted by the Ballymun corridor with 36 parking spaces removed and 30 trees felled. Under the Liffey Valley corridor, 38 properties are expected to be impacted, 49 parking spaces removed and 172 trees felled. BusConnects aims to revamp the bus system in Dublin with commitments to increase the level of services, provide a more coherent network that will eliminate overlapping routes and improve journey times. The plan largely consists of two components – a redesigned network alongside the creation of 230km of dedicated bus corridors, in tandem with 200km of cycle tracks. The redesign of the network involves a new lettering system of bus routes, from A to H, that identifies eight 'spines' through the city, complemented by 12 orbital routes (lettered O, N, S, W) and a number of local (L), city-bound (1-99), peak-only (P) and express services (X). So far, the H, C, G and E spines have been rolled out, along with the N, W and S orbital and other radial and local routes. The construction of all of the corridors could impact more than 700 properties, with more than 3,000 trees potentially felled and 827 parking spaces lost. The NTA has said there will be a comprehensive replanting and landscaping programme aside from the compensation payments affected homeowners are expected to receive. It previously said that all 12 corridors will be completed by 2030. The construction of the corridors will be done on a phased basis 'in order to reduce the traffic impacts that could arise should all 12 be constructed concurrently', according to the authority. A new ticketing system, which will include tap and pay payments, is also due to be introduced under BusConnects, with a contract awarded in 2024 for its design and implementation. Passenger boardings in areas of Dublin where the new BusConnects network has been implemented are up 40 per cent compared to the rest of the network, a recent report published by the NTA said.
