[article] Bray Luas Route Chosen
 

No surprise here

I'm not sure that's quite the integration most people had in mind. I'm sure this has been done to death before but can someone explain to me why Bray is getting a second train/tram line? I know Bray is a big area but it seems strange to provide rail connections to yet another out-lying area instead of concentrating on building up the city.

Nah, think of it this way:

Resident south of Bray (Greystones or Wicklow, or even Arklow/Gorey for example) works in Sandyford, or Cherrywood, or whatever. Joining the Luas Green Line to the Dart at this point makes sense in terms of linking Co. Wicklow commuters to other parts of the city.

Greystones - Bray (DART), change at Bray to continue by Luas to Cherrywood is a perfectly reasonable demand - yes you can do it by shuttle bus or by driving to a station car park but it's harder to persuade commuters to make the switch when it's like that.

The real madness would be to have a Luas line going south from the city centre via Cherrywood to Fassaroe and a train line going south from the city centre to the south-east via Bray centre (about a mile, two miles from Fassaroe?) without connecting them. Convincing Wicklow commuters to take the train instead of the N11 would be more difficult if they had to make their own way between Luas and train - so close yet so far!

So there is no real decision and no connectivity?

Mind DeGappe.

5 more years before the extension is built!!!

That does seem excessive, but I applaud the idea of having the second extension lined up for the contractors to move on to as soon as the first is finished.

I wonder if the same could happen at the other end, and have the Liffey Junction extension ready to start as soon as the city centre link-up is finished.

Are we correct in assuming that the existing Brides Glen viaduct is being used? (according to that article) The RPA had suggested that a new crossing was being built. The approach to the existing viaduct is a tad difficult. but not impossible. Personally speaking (and P11 made this point to the RPA) the use of existing infrastructure was far more preferable.

Oddly enough, it is only on the DoT website, no the RPA one. Teh last few lines of the PR reeks of "we're taking all the glory, but doing none of the work". Shenanigans (to keep ministerial office?). :rolleyes:

http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/9345-0.pdf

At least no mention yet of the guided bus they were harping on about to form the connection between the two modes. It was mooted in the Bray LUTS. The Woodbrook connection is more feasible but the Bray connection penetrates the town and would provide a larger passenger number increase. It would also serve the Bray Town centre development which currently is mired in red tape and flood defence issues.

Attachment 523

I would assume so. Sadly lack of foresight shall mean that a detour around on of the office blocks there (Is it First Active?) will be needed to link up with the old bridge. Both the option of a new crossing AND using the old crossing was analysed.

Attachment 524

its a pity the route is not traversing the Cherrywood Roundabout and straight over the Bridge. Its probably routed south of it to connect to the planned Cherrywood Town Centre.

Bride's Glen Viaduct
 

I went up to have a look in the best tradition of informed engineering.

While the approach from Cherrywood has its own routing problems, it appears to be workable. What I was interested in was the other side, where the line appears to go between ongoing development (houses being built *very* close to the west side of the line), existing houses & gardens and on the east side a sports ground.

From those P11ers who have been there before, do they think there's enough room to go between the sports ground and the houses, or is there a CPO in the offing? I can't see clearly from the map where exactly it goes.

Massive CPO if they go with the Bray town option

Carlisle Grounds would have a lump taken off them. Irish Rail likely to oppose since the patch behind the grounds has a 38Kv DART substation

if it doesn't go within 200 yards of the dart station i'll lose all faith with this government. sure, it might link with N11, but from a public transport point of view that's hardly viable.

by the way, i assume when these extensions are open, there'll be extra rolling stock and sandyford only trams at rush hour, especially in the morning?

If the LUAS goes to the DART - maybe there might be "necessary engineering changes" at the station similar to what was mentioned in the Greystones thread about properly converting Bray to a through station :D

In relation to the 38Kv substation it could be moved 100 metres onto the golf club lands that are going to accomadate the massive new shopping centre.A condition could even be attached to the planning permission that the developers have to give IE the necessary land for their substation (around 40 metres squared?).

The pylons for the D.A.R.T. could be put on one side of the track only, like in Seapoint D.A.R.T station.

A road tunnel instead of the level crossing outside Bray D.A.R.T. station was first mooted in the 1860's if it were built now it would replace the footbridge and give space to the LUAS to come right up to DART station.

As far as I know the old Cash and Carry opposite Bray DART station is derelict,it could be CPOed for a carpark to replace the one lost.

The supports of the bridge over the river Dargle are larger then the deck.

if they can move the substation theres plenty of room to build a luas station where the small station carpark is currently (just beside the level crossing) - formerly a cattle bank i think. Line could then run over a new (or widened) bridge parallel to the DART line and around the edge of the proposed golf club development.

the level crossing is never that busy - I don't see why it couldn't be closed entirely - theres numerous alternative routes to the seafront.

Substation can be moved, its only 20 feet from the railway to the wall of Carlisle grounds at the north end, it won't fit unless you take the Carlisle grounds as well

But ones with 5m clearance ??, a double decker fits under one bridge only and its a one way