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Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty has welcomed the announcement that Metrolink, connecting Dublin city centre to Dublin airport, has been given the go-ahead, but says the ball is now in the Executive's court to deliver on their own commitments to rail expansion here.
By linking Dublin Airport, Irish Rail, DART, bus, and Luas Services, MetroLink will form part of a fully integrated public transport system in the Greater Dublin Area and beyond. MetroLink will provide a high speed, modern, efficient metro rail service, with a peak capacity for 20,000 passengers per direction per hour. The journey time from Swords to the city centre will be approximately 25 minutes.
The €9.5bn project is set to be completed in the early 2030s and will provide a high-capacity rail connection to the island's largest airport.
McNulty the SDLP Opposition Infrastructure Spokesperson said: "This announcement is fantastic news for people across Ireland. This multi-billion Euro investment shows a strong commitment from the Irish Government to properly invest in our rail infrastructure."
McNulty noted that tourists visiting Ireland will soon be able to look forward to a world class rail connection right into the heart of Dublin, describing it as a crucial recommendation of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review.
However, he drew a stark contrast with progress in the north, saying: "The progress being made in Dublin is in contrast to the complete failure to deliver on the promise of rail in the north. Whether the absence of any ambition around implementing the all-island rail review or connecting northern airports to adjacent rail lines, the contrast is stark."
The MLA pointed out that DfI themselves admit it's unlikely that progress on the northern components of the AISRR will meaningfully begin until the late 2030s. "By this time Dublin will see Metrolink opened and a greatly expanded DART service, while cities across Ireland will have newer, faster and more frequent services," he said.
McNulty concluded by calling for ambition from the Northern Ireland Executive, saying: "The climate crisis and regional imbalance are vast problems requiring ambitious solutions from the NI Executive. We shouldn't have to settle for any less."
