We have collected copies of submissions that public representatives and residents have sent to Irish Rail.
Submissions from residents are included with the resident’s permission and personal details have been removed.
Click on the names below to see a submission.
Submissions from public representatives
Paul Donnelly TD
DART+ Maynooth Dunboyne submission
A chara,
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to put forward a submission in relation to the DART + project.
There is no doubt that in the hundreds of emails and calls that my office received in relation to the proposed project, there was unanimous support for the electrification of the line.
As you are aware there are a significant number of people who have some concerns in relation to certain aspects of it and in the case of the “preferred option” at Riverwood/Station court there is serious opposition to a bridge that would cause significant problems for both immediate communities and the surrounding communities.
I will outline my issues and issues that have been brought forward to me by residents, I know that there are many of these issues that will most likely overlap with other submissions from local residents.
I have also attached the PQ’s that I have submitted to ensure that these issues are highlighted to everyone who reads this submission.
I have over the past number of weeks submitted oral question to the Minister on Issues raised by constituents.
I have raised the issue of funding for technical support for residents with the Minister for Transport in the Dáil during a debate.
I believe that it is extremely important that is not a level playing field when it comes to major infrastructural projects such as DART+.
The sheer scale of funding provided by the state gives the project proposer a significant advantage and the lack of funding available to the community puts them at a massive disadvantage.
They are left with the task of having to raise thousands of euros themselves out of their own pockets to access professional support.
I am requesting that a request be put forward from the project team and to the Minister to allow for a portion of the consultation and professional fees funding be allocated to the community.
Coolmine level crossing closure;
During the consultation process, I raised the issue of “preferred option” at Coolmine level crossing and I was astonished that I could not see any option in relation to the canal that was seriously looked at by the consultants.
As a lay person, I went off and I researched what I had proposed. With a short search, I found several different types of locks already in place in Britain that deal with their own unique situations. The most ideal would be a drop lock and I include a short video on that drop lock system in my submission.
I believe that if the process is to have any credibility, then I would expect to see a serious proposal for the Coolmine level crossing that involves the canal and a lock system. This would appear to be a much less contentious, less environmentally damaging, more efficient and possibly cheaper option when you factor in the CPO’s of two homes, the construction of a massive bridge and the supporting infrastructure of roads, cycle lanes etc.
I have collated a number of concerns from residents in the area in relation to Coolmine the level crossing;
- Local access will be greatly hindered and residential roads on the Coolmine side of the existing railway crossing will become a car park for those wishing to avail of the trains but unable to cross over to the existing Irish Rail carpark. This has in the past caused chaos and restrictions of local access and emergency vehicle access.
This was a decision that I was personally involved in prior to my election to the Dáil. I feel very strongly that the time and energy that was expended on this issue must be considered when making any decision and that the county development plan is not usurped by a railway order and by An Bord Pleanála who played no hand, act or part county development plan.
- The Fingal Development Plan includes two local objective points. – ‘Preserve the existing pedestrian and vehicular right of way at the Coolmine Level Crossing’ and ‘Prohibit any road bridge’ across the train line and canal at Riverwood/Station Court (Sheet 13 Blanchardstown South Local
I think one can only appreciate the impact this bridge will have if you actually go to see the site and I would urge everyone to please take time out to walk this area both on the St Mochtas side and especially the Riverwood side.
- The proposed concrete fly-over (Option 3) will, by Irish Rails own admission, have a serious negative impact on the local environment across a number of headings and is more damaging than any of the other options that we had been informed about. The damage inflicted will be irreversible.
Some of the key impacts are the following;
- The construction will effectively eliminate our green-spaces, communal gardens and already limited parkland, a vital amenity for many of our residents and young families.
- Most of the mature trees in our estate will be felled and we will lose a significant amount of thenatural wildlife habitat. Local populations of bats, foxes, badgers and hedgehogs will be endangered by the construction of the proposed flyover.
- It is proposed to build the structure within a few meters from homes. This will lead to a massive increase in air and noise pollution. Resulting in a dramatic negative impact on the quality of life for our families and children.
- Physical and mental health have never been more important as we now have to live with COVID.
- Green space is a valued amenity for all residents – adults and children alike. The proposal from Irish Rail will destroy these green areas. Pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station, will all be affected.
- Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Station court is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
Comments have been made by several residents that the matrices have been incorrect, and I would hope that this information will be reflected upon in the next phase. It can have a damaging effect on the efficacy of the process.
- the possibility of simply applying improved signalling and related factors examine how busy crossings on the current DART can function without closing crossings e.g. Merrion Gates and apply these at Coolmine crossing the possibility of dropping the rail line so that there is never any closure on Coolmine Road.
- Irish Rail claim that closing level crossings is necessary for safety reasons but any increase in traffic in the local area will have a negative impact on road safety for everyone, particularly pedestrians and cyclists who will have to navigate much busier and more dangerous roads. The impact of increased numbers of cars and increased congestion on the local fire station and other emergency services, as well as access to local schools is not clear.
There is concern in relation to the issue of the drawings and the quality of the measurements that the decision to award the bride “Preferred option” status?
- What would be the cost of upgrading the signalling system to give Coolmine level crossing similar frequencies to those of say, Lansdowne Road, Sandymount or the Merrion Gates level crossings?
- How is this project expected to affect the valuation of properties, on both sides of this proposed road and in particular the ones at the end of the cul-de-sacs, that are very close to it?
- By how much are the noise levels expected to increase from the traffic on the inclined roads? For rail passengers, not willing to or dont have the time to detour around to park in the station carpark may park instead in the nearby cul-de-sacs. Rockfield Drive is only 6.17 metres wide, kerb to kerb.
- The road from St. Mochta’s Estate is in line with the road that has no name-sign, that passes in front of the fire station. If the traffic from that estate gets priority at the lights, at its junction with Clonsilla Road, then Clonsilla Road could get congested. If traffic travelling in a Westerly direction backs up on Clonsilla Road from that junction, then the No. 39 bus could be delayed unduly on its outward journey, along with other traffic. Also, because there is only about 95 metres between the set of traffic lights at St. Mochta’s Junction and the set at Coolmine Road junction, traffic from Coolmine Road may be severely restricted trying to make a left-hand turn there.
For people on the local roads going to St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Laurel Lodge, the shopping centre there or the one in Carpenterstown, the Community College there, etc., a detour would be necessary in both directions, if the level crossing was closed.
What is the approximate area of habitat to be lost under the large construction and also under the one side of the pedestrian bridge? How many mature trees are to be felled? Very important, – how long will the construction of the 2 bridges take and what will the expected disruption be to the local residents in terms of construction vehicles, noise and dust problems?
Ashtown level crossing;
There have also been some concerns in relation to the closure of the level crossing with some calling for the upgrading of the level crossings, this is a similar theme coming from both Coolmine and Ashtown and to a lesser degree in Clonsilla.
The issues are broadly outlined below;
- The Consultation period is not adequate given that for the period of time during this process, there was no chance for elected representatives to engage properly with residents or residents to effectively get the full information with appropriate documentation and maps etc from Irish Rail.
- The proposal for a drop off area at the station is not acceptable nor is it required given that Ashtown road will be a cul de sac it should be entirely possible to put a roundabout at the top of the road to allow for a turnaround and also for some drop off places, even if you need to purchase a small stretch of land on the horse riding school side of the Ashtown road to allow for drop off bus and car spaces
- There is a concern in relation to the gradient of the underpass for those with mobility issues.
- There is a concern in relation to security of those using the underpass and that it would be imperative to have CCTV linked to the Garda station or DCC control room?
- That is would be more desirable to have a walking cycling bridge similar to those proposed at Coolmine, Clonsilla and Porterstown Road.
- There is also a concern in relation to flooding and if there has been a detailed plan that has looked at that issue?
- There are some concerns in relation to the access road into Martin Savage Park and the removal of some of the green space. It has been acknowledged that the old section of the road that will be closed will be grassed and turned into a green space, can there be an actual drawing of what that may look like in the next phase?
- Finally, there is a concern that there maybe a cut off between the two communities of the Navan road and Rathbourne. There are a lot of facilities in Rathbourne/Pelletsotwn including schools that will have a direct route across the level crossing removed and a long enough detour imposed by the closure of the level crossing and the building of the underpass.
- I would like to raise the issue of the steep gradient from the underpass to the top of the road at the level crossing (at douglas and Kaldi) for those with mobility issues?
Porterstown Road Level crossing;
- There has been very little discussion in relation to this level crossing due to the fact that very few people live here however I would like to raise the issue of access for the families living in St Brigids Lawn and to ensure that the level crossing is not closed until the bridge is built for walking and cycling.
- Many people from St Mochtas football club live in Clonsilla and use this road to access the club. Is there a commitment that this level crossing will not close until the Kellystown road has been constructed?
- Has there been a study to investigate any potential impact on the “Old Clonsilla School site, which is a protected site? What impact, if any, would there be on visually on such an important historical site?
Clonsilla Level crossing;
- There is concern in relation to vehicular access to the other side of the level crossing from Clonsilla to areas like Beechpark, the Allotments, Lucan and Westmanstown Garda club and the various sporting groups using the sports facilities and the extra time it will take to travel from Clonsilla to the proposed new bridge at Barnwell.
- I would like to raise the issue of a drop off and turning around from the “Beechpark” side of the level crossing. There is no doubt that people will be dropping people off and picking people up from what will become a Cul de sac, what are the proposals to deal with this?
- There must be an assurance that this level crossing will not close until the Barnhill bridge is built and open and that the road infrastructure, including the Kellystown road is constructed. These are vital links in road infrastructure for the community all along the Clonsilla road.
I have not received any concerns in relation to the other two level crossings, so I do not have any comment on these at this time.
Roderic O’Gorman TD
Re: Public Consultation on Dart + Projection (Maynooth Line)
Dear Sir/Madam,
As a resident of Dublin 15 and a long-time user of Irish Rail services, I am very pleased to see the progression of plans to electrify the Maynooth line under Dart+ West. The electrification of the line has the potential to provide an efficient means of transferring the large and growing population of the Dublin 15 area in and out of the City. This can help alleviate traffic congestion which is a significant problem in Dublin West. Even as levels of commuting are currently low due to Covid, we know that this will change. Dart+ will be of huge benefit to the entire west Dublin and north Kildare region.
While I am absolutely committed to the delivery of this project, I have a number of concerns in relation to this initial public consultation phase. I outlined them in a recent meeting with Irish Rail Chief Executive Jim Meade, and project manager, Peter Muldoon. I’ve also spoken to the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and outlined to him the very serious issues with the current emerging preferred route.
I would like to take this opportunity to submit them as part of the public consultation and have set out my points of concern below.
Consultation process
The initial timeframe allocated to the public consultation was much too short given the Covid context that we are living in. Although the consultation period was extended, twice, following requests from myself and other politicians, I am still receiving representations from residents who were only made aware very recently that a consultation is happening. Given the significant impact of the ‘emerging preferred option’, I feel that a significant amount of time should have been allocated to enable proper engagement with the consultation.
I hope that Irish Rail takes this on board for future public consultations while we are living with Covid19. Sufficient time must be allocated to allow for proper public engagement and feedback without the need for local residents to put themselves at risk by going door to door to alert each other to the existence of a public consultation. To raise awareness in future consultations, I suggest that Irish Rail should put up posters advertising the consultation around train stations and in the areas where the route will have a direct impact on people. I would also ask Irish Rail to review the quality of the images it has used on its website and the very accessibility of its website. The latter compares poorly to the detailed and easy-to-access websites that were used by the NTA during the BusConnects process.
Coolmine level crossing
I would like to especially emphasise the huge impact that the ‘emerging preferred option’ for Coolmine would have on the amenity of the estates nearby. The proposed bridge from St Mochtas/Stationcourt into Riverwood Court will result in the loss of green spaces which are used by the local community. In the instance of the apartments at Station Court – this green space is the only place where children who live in the apartments can play outside their homes. As well as the immediate visual impact of the large bridge, it must be kept in mind that this proposal would result in all the traffic that currently uses the Coolmine Road now diverting through these residential estates, again having a major impact on amenity and quality of life. In combination, the resulting noise, air and light pollution from the bridge will have negative impact for those residents who are used to living in quiet and safe cul de sacs.
The matrices used to select the ‘emerging preferred option’ in this area also give cause for concern. Several discrepancies have been identified which suggest that the selection of option 3 as the ‘emerging preferred option’ is problematic. I have previously drawn these issues to the attention of Jim Meade and Peter Muldoon.
In particular, there are real concerns about the two multi-criteria analysis matrices provided in Annex 9.3A and 9.3B. I note that in a number of places on both matrices, the language used to summarize the assessment of the various options and the colour codes allocated were either inconsistent, or fully contradictory. While the point has been made that some of the this is down to judgement calls, nevertheless in a number of places there are clear inconsistencies that cannot be explained on the basis of a judgment call. As the matrices are fundamental to the choice of the Road Bridge over the Royal Canal as the ‘emerging preferred option’ for Coolmine, it is my view that it is not sufficient to correct any mistakes in the matrices later in the process, but rather that these errors should be corrected now.
In light of these concerns about the impact of the bridge and road and the questions about the selection criteria, I would call on Irish Rail to widen out the range of alternatives it is looking at for the Coolmine level crossing, including looking at an alternative that keeps the level crossing open, at least for non-rush hour times. I accept that during the 7-9am and 5-7pm rush hours, with the increased level of DART services projected, it is likely that the level crossing would have to be constantly closed. I would also support a pedestrian/cyclist bridge still being used in this scenario.
I do not believe that the current emerging route proposal for this level crossing is the right approach to take and I would call on Irish Rail not to pursue it.
Ashtown level crossing
My main concerns about the Ashtown level crossing and underpass are in relation to the inclusion of a new drop off zone at Ashtown Station, safety of pedestrians and cyclists and ease of access to the station platforms.
From the map of the ‘emerging preferred option’, a new drop off zone will be built at Ashtown Station. This drop off zone will be constructed over what is currently a green space and will result in the loss of trees and hedges. As one of the main aims of Dart+ is to reduce the reliance on private cars and reduce the volume of traffic on our roads I question the validity of the inclusion of the drop off zone.
While I welcome the separate pedestrian and cycle paths in the underpass, I have received representations from locals who are concerned about how well the underpass will be lit up. In order to ensure the safety of those pedestrians and cyclists who use the underpass I would like to request that Irish Rail ensure adequate lighting is put in place.
At all the other level crossings which are being removed as part of the ‘emerging preferred option’, I note the inclusion of a pedestrian and cycle bridge in place of the level crossing. However, no such bridge has been included at the Ashtown level crossing. This means that anyone who wishes to access the platform on the opposite side needs to go through the underpass. Additionally, many of those living in the estates near the Ashtown level crossing shop locally in the shops on the other side of the level crossing and this will be made more difficult if the only route to them is via the underpass. I would like to propose that Irish Rail investigate the possibility of installing a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the railway at the original level crossing in line with what it has proposed at other level crossings.
In the cross section showing the underpass which is the ‘emerging preferred option’ there is a proposed relocation of the Ashtown House gates. I would like to highlight the fact that these gates are a part of Ashtown House, which is a protected structure[1] and that any proposed work in the area should be cognisant of that fact.
I hope Irish Rail can take these points on board as a positive contribution to help deliver DART+ West in a way that does not unfairly impact some of the communities living closest to the development. I look forward to continued engagement with Irish Rail throughout this consultation process.
Yours sincerely,
Roderic O’Gorman TD
Dublin West
[1] From Fingal Development Plan 2017-2023, Appendix 2, RPS No 0690
An Tánaiste Leo Varadkar
Senator Emer Currie
Emer Currie provided a summary of key points in her submission to residents by leaflet and email as follows:
Dear Resident,
I wanted to update you on the DART+ West project. As you are aware, the deadline has been postponed until 21 October for the non-statutory public consultation on DART+ West.
Throughout the consultation process I have:
- Held an information webinar for Clonsilla and Coolmine areas.
- Set up three direct webinars between Irish Rail with communities. The first of which was with residents in Clonsilla, the second for Riverwood and Luttrell Park on 23rd September and the third Kirkpatrick, Delwood, Station Court, Sheepmoor Lane and St. Mochta’s Grove on 24th September. The former three webinars were open to all public representatives but were primarily for residents.
- I wrote to Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD to communicate my frustration with the consultation process.
- Most recently, last Friday I arranged a video call with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD and a representative group of residents last week. The Tánaiste is committed to discussing a way forward with the Minister for Transport.
A summary of my submission:
- I am very much in favour of the upgrade of the Maynooth Line, through funds secured under Project Ireland 2040 and the prioritisation of this railway line. The electrification will have a huge effect on our quality of life with increased frequency, capacity and sustainable modes of transport.
- The consultation has been utterly unsatisfactory. There are extensive errors on the multi-criteria assessment and the information, where available is very technical and lengthy. It has been foisted on the community during a pandemic without meaningful consultation.
- The bridge contravenes the Fingal County Development Plan No.142, to prohibit any road bridge across the train line and canal at Riverwood/Station Court, and to protect much needed and much valued green spaces.
- The approach being taken by Irish Rail is fundamentally wrong. Instead of a “bridge first” approach, other solutions can be focused on to address capacity and frequency without closing the level crossings. A change in Irish Rail’s mandate could lead to innovative solutions around resignalling.
- A bridge on Coolmine Road or Riverwood/St Mochta’s should not form part of the Railway Order.
I support residents who deserve better than this.
If I have any further updates I will be in touch, but thank you for reaching out to me about this issue and for all your efforts to campaign on residents behalf.
Kind regards,
Emer
Councillor John Walsh
Submission to Irish Rail – DART West to Maynooth
Cllr John Walsh
Dublin West Labour Party
Firstly, I fully support electrification of the Maynooth line and Clonsilla-M3 Parkway route, which is a valuable and long-awaited advance for Dublin 15.
But I wish to express my strong opposition to the emerging preferred option for the closure and replacement of Coolmine level crossing. The proposal for a new over bridge from Stationcourt and St Mochta’s Grove to Riverwood Court and Luttrell Park Road would seriously damage quality of life for local communities, has a potentially devastating impact on the local environment and should be re-considered as a matter of urgency. More generally, I also wish to seek clarification about proposals relating to the closure of other level crossings.
There were a number of serious problems with the consultation process. The timing of the consultation in the middle of a pandemic meant that there was no space for residents to hold face to face meetings and ensured that consultation sessions had to be held online. Many residents had difficulty accessing the webinars held by Irish Rail and there was a high level of confusion over who was being invited to particular sessions: older residents also struggled with the technical demands of participating in a webinar, while the space for questions was restricted. I appreciate that Irish Rail attended the Area Committee for Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart, Castleknock and Ongar and the questions raised by Councillors at this meeting gave a flavour of the extent of anxiety and worry among local residents at some specific proposals.
Proposed replacement of Coolmine level crossing
There is widespread support in communities along the rail line for the introduction of electrified rail, but also very strong and well-founded community opposition to the replacement of Coolmine level crossing with either a major over bridge from Stationcourt to Riverwood Court or a similar overbridge at or adjacent to Coolmine Road.
The emerging preferred option of a proposed over bridge is environmentally damaging, having scored poorly in terms of impact on the environment in Irish Rail’s own analysis. It will do irretrievable damage to the green space both in Stationcourt which is already limited enough and in Riverwood Court, destroying parkland and mature trees and depriving residents of an essential local amenity used as a play space for children and for recreation and dog walking by residents.
A road bridge of 9-10 metres is visually intrusive and will severely damage residential amenity by generating increased levels of air and noise pollution. The plan for electrified rail, which has major policy benefits in terms of green energy and combating climate change, should not be achieved at the price of damaging the local environment and undermining quality of life for local communities.
The proposed Stationcourt-Riverwood road bridge will act as a traffic magnet, drawing in not only cars which currently use the Coolmine level crossing but traffic from the Porterstown viaduct, currently the most high intensity traffic route across the Canal and rail line. As acknowledged by Irish Rail, the Coolmine level crossing is the most heavily used level crossing at morning peak times and this traffic is intended to divert to the new over bridge. But the Porterstown Viaduct at Dr Troy bridge is the most intensively used route across the Canal and rail line at peak times, with 1,573 vehicles in both directions: much of this traffic is likely to divert to the new route, as Dr Troy bridge is congested at peak times. This option will therefore divert heavy motor traffic into two quiet residential estates, where the road network is simply not equipped to meet the demands of increased traffic even with the proposed modifications to Riverwood Road. This traffic will then be decanted onto the Riverwood Road or Carpenterstown Road, both of which are heavily used at peak times by commuters and are close to a number of primary and second level schools.
This option presents major issues with road safety, as the routes leading from the road bridge through Riverwood and Carpenterstown will lead either to Diswellstown Road and Luttrellstown Education Campus (containing Luttrellstown Community College and Scoil Choilm) which already has to cope with heavy traffic crossing Dr Troy Bridge or to Carpenterstown Road which gives access to Castleknock Community College and St Patrick’s National School. This option will intensify traffic morning and evening in the immediate vicinity of all these primary and post-primary schools. It is possible currently for students to walk to secondary school in CCC or LCC but traffic congestion generated by this plan will compromise their safety and make it harder for parents to access the primary schools in the morning. The safety of children and parents must be an absolute priority.
Moreover, the closure to traffic of Coolmine Road removes vehicular access to Coolmine station and in doing so is likely to turn neighbouring residential estates in Kirkpatrick, Rockfield, Coolmine, Delwood and Glenville into a large-scale, unregulated car park. Train commuters already park in these estates and in the absence of direct access to Coolmine train station will simply dump cars there in greater numbers. Coolmine Road is a significant artery between Clonsilla, Coolmine and Mulhuddart on one side of the Canal and Carpenterstown, Laurel Lodge and Castleknock on the other and the implications of removing this key access point has not been adequately considered, particularly for off peaks journeys.
The proposed road bridge breaches the Fingal County Development Plan, as it is contrary to Local Objective 141 – ‘Prohibit any road bridge at this location’ and 142 – ‘Preserve the existing pedestrian and vehicular right of way at the Coolmine Level Crossing.’ This is an agreed framework for proper planning and development devised by professional planners and adopted by local representatives, which should not simply be brushed aside.
Ashtown
The current preferred option involves an underpass under both Canal and rail line, incorporating a cross section of a 6.5m carriageway with footpaths on both sides and a two-way cycle track on the eastern side. This requires pedestrians and cyclists to use the proposed underpass also used by vehicular traffic – even if the proposed arrangements to segregate footpaths and the cycle lane are successful, pedestrians and cyclists will have to contend with air pollution from vehicular emissions and noise pollution. Residents have also expressed serious concerns about an underpass as the main pedestrian route at this location, including the security of the route and use of the underpass at night by children, older residents or vulnerable individuals – as one resident indicated. ‘nobody wishes to walk down a dark and dank tunnel…’ At the very least a separate pedestrian and cycle bridge accessible to people with disabilities should be provided across both the Canal and rail line outside the confines of Ashtown station.
The plan also involves significant implications for local estates such as Martin Savage Park where trees and local green space may be lost due to the proposal.
Clonsilla/Barberstown
The DART West proposals and the draft Kellystown Area Plan have been presented separately, by Irish Rail and Fingal Council, as distinct plans around the same time, but must ultimately be coordinated for the proposed transport network to function effectively. It is important to clarify the relationship between the proposals for closure/replacement of the level crossings at Clonsilla and Barberstown and the likely development in Kellystown. Local Objective 130 of the Fingal Development Plan provides for a feasibility study on the location of a road bridge crossing the Royal Canal and rail line, connecting to the Ongar Road, with the location to be determined ‘in advance of, or part of, the adoption of the Local Area Plan for lands at Kellystown.’ The proposed overbridge west of Barberstown is intended to link up with the Kellystown Road, but it is not clear whether this bridge is intended as the main entry and exit point across the Canal for the area to be developed under the Kellystown Local Area Plan or how it relates to the bridge proposed in the Development Plan.
Porterstown Road suffers badly from illegal dumping and anti-social behaviour and the local implications of closing both Porterstown and Clonsilla level crossings are not adequately considered. To take one example, what are the implications of creating a cul de sac in Porterstown Road for residents in the Village Porterstown and the Traveller accommodation at St Brigid’s Lawn?
Alternatives
The plan for electrified rail should provide for community gain for local communities along the rail line and at a minimum must protect the local environment, residential amenity and the quality of life of local residents. Local residents have raised the following points with me and I am putting these forward as constructive alternatives to the current options which would still facilitate the overall objective of electrified rail.
- Irish Rail should suspend any formal planning application for a Railway Order for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. The public consultation process on the preferred route should be deferred until the end of the pandemic: if Irish Rail goes ahead with the consultation, then it requires a much longer period for consultation, an organised programme of webinars which are open to both public representatives and local residents without restriction and the circulation of hard copy maps and documentation to communities along the route in easy to read, user friendly format.
- Instead of proceeding with the proposed major over bridge, Irish Rail should keep the level crossing at Coolmine open while proceeding with resignalling of the line to provide for electrified rail.
- Irish Rail should conduct a feasibility study to clarify the technical and cost implications of implementing automated barriers at one or more level crossings served by an updated signalling system to serve electrified rail, in comparison to the current proposal to close all six level crossings. The current DART service has a number of automated level crossings served by an up-to-date signalling system and delays at these level crossings amount to a fraction of the delay at level crossings in Dublin 15. It has been extremely difficult to secure information on the difference in terms of opening and closing of level crossings between a resignalled electrified rail line and a traditional commuter line served by diesel powered trains. It should be possible to ascertain the impact of resignalling on entry and exit from stations in Dublin 15 and what impact an electrified train service as opposed to the slower diesel powered trains will have on the delay of car traffic at the level crossings.
- Irish Rail could consider the construction of a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Canal close to Kirkpatrick Bridge while retaining the level crossing for vehicular traffic. This would improve transport infrastructure significantly and link in with the forthcoming Royal Canal Greenway, without the significant environmental damage and undermining of residential amenity caused by the current proposals.
- A separate pedestrian and cycle bridge accessible to people with disabilities should be provided across both the Canal and rail line outside the confines of Ashtown station.
Yours sincerely,
John Walsh
Cllr John Walsh
Dublin West
john.walsh@cllrs.fingal.ie
Submissions from residents
Mr B, 21 Oct
While welcoming will electrification and greatly increased frequency and capacity on the Dublin to Maynooth line and the obvious benefit this has for all in the area, unfortunately, the current preferred option for a significant road bridge spanning the rail line and adjacent Royal Canal and traversing through Station Court to Riverwood Court has been met with equally unanimous dismay throughout the wider Carpenterstown and Coolmine areas.
The following points highlight main concerns and issue with current Irish Rail proposal and also where appropriate suggest possible alternatives for future consideration.
1. Level Crossing Upgrade
The above proposal is based on the premis that the Dart+ Project requires closures of all level crossings on the line and in certain cases then doing nothing further and in other cases as at Coolmine Crossing develop alternative proposals.
It can be easily shown that given a combination of state-of-the-art rail safety systems, innovative thinking and adoption of EU best practice highly efficient and reliable Rail Networks can interface safely with vehicular, cycle and pedestrian traffic via a system of automated level crossings.
In Holland there are currently on rail lines where train speeds are under 160km/hour in region of 2,500 level crossings which typically operate on barriers coming down at point where trains are 20-30 seconds away and lift immediately trains pass. This number of automatic crossing barriers is now being added to as several hundred crossings are now being upgraded.
As a further example at Coolmine by moving the westbound platform to the opposite side of the roadway crossings closure times would also be further reduced by 60-70% for Maynooth bound trains.
The fact that average crossing closure for a slow moving Maynooth bound train is around 4 1/2 minutes is not credible as part of a modern rail network. Having lived in the area for over 20 years these excessive crossing closures have not been previously dealt with adds to sense of additional frustration on this issue.
During such extended crossing closures walkers and joggers on Coolmine Road typically divert in through the station platform and cross the footbridge and exit via the opposite platform back onto Coolmine due to the prolonged delay. This cannot be reflective of aspirations for a 2020 rail infrastructure.
If a Peer Review of the above options and various other state of the art Rail Network Safety Systems were carried out and ideally incorporated into Project Concept Design it would become readily apparent that this fairly drastic solution to a fairly basic problem would be resolved with minimum capital cost.
While it is appreciated such upgrades would be less attractive as stand-alone initiatives if incorporated into overall Dart+ project many of the enabling, design, construction and commissioning costs could become part of the overall project capital cost.
The fact that as the Dart+ Rolling Stock would incorporate state of the art safety systems it is also entirely reasonable to expect that the rail infrastructure on which they operate should also include best available technologies with regard to signalling and crossing infrastructure.
Most importantly such an upgrade would enhance traffic movements whilst at same time maintaining what is effectively a status quo in terms of the current interface between rail, road and pedestrian traffic in the surrounding area.
Attempts to eliminate one aspect of this will not solve the current issues but will merely ‘kick the cars down the road’ and most concerningly move problem from the current 1990’s level crossing along to the extensive network of traffic and pedestrian interfaces on the various road tributaries in Carpenterstown, Porterstown, Clonsilla, Castleknock and Chapelizoid area as highlighted in Section 2 & 3 below.
2. Road Safety – Rail Passengers
The roadway leading from the proposed Riverwood Court bridge area will bring incoming road traffic eastwards to existing Coolmine Roundabout with majority then swinging right onto Carpenterstown Road and on towards Carpenter Shops and two local schools or alternatively carrying straight through Coolmine roundabout towards Laurel Lodge and Castleknock passing 3- 4 schools exiting towards Phoenix Park.
The alternative route from the bridge would bring them to the right and through Riverwood Estate to Diswellstown Road and either left again towards Carpenter shops or to the right towards two further schools and taking left on either on towards Lucan or along Porterstown Road. I will return to obvious issue around proximity to large schools later.
Even if you are not at all familiar with the area it is clear from above this will lead to various road traffic routes dissecting established residential areas acting as a conduit for greatly numbers of vehicles.
This fact is not disputed and at this stage we can only envisage what these increased volumes of traffic will amount to but 1000’s of vehicles per day free flowing unrestricted over the road bridge and completing return journey through long established residential areas each evening is generally accepted as being a fair description of anticipated traffic volumes.
What this effectively means is that to get to and from the rail station at Coolmine if this proposal were to ahead probably 80% of all rail passengers in greater Carpenterstown area using Coolmine Station will have to cross one part of this extremely busy ‘residential ring road’ at least twice a day.
This will involve using what will have to become an increased number of pedestrian crossings to reach the station. This will clearly lead to drivers of vehicles will become extremely frustrated at stop / start pattern of rush hour traffic and it is therefore inevitable with increased volumes of vehicles that accidents either involving vehicles or more concerningly vehicles and pedestrians will occur.
Even most basic form of Risk Assessment will show that increasing likelihood or probability of an event as in this case by increasing numbers of vehicles travelling on the road will automatically increase level of risk associated with simply crossing the road to get to the Railway Station.
Current experience daily also shows that many rail passengers do not use the existing pedestrian crossing but prefer to dodge the traffic over the island in central medium.
Closing the level crossing will obviously mean closure of the Coolmine Road at the Station meaning cars from Coolmine side will have to take ‘long way round’ over bridge to get to Rail Station car park further adding to traffic volumes.
If dropping passengers at Coolmine side vehicles will drive up to newly formed cul de sac and drop off passengers and then attempt to turn around and drive out again. Similar drop and go pattern will result at Carpenterstown side and this will further increase interfaces and associated risks of accident involving vehicles and pedestrians in the immediate area of Coolmine Station.
None of this has been taken into account in Irish Rails Multi Criteria Assessments of this Project and indeed the Safety of your own Passengers does not seem to have formed any part of these assessments. This you must acknowledge is an Irish Rail issue as you are effectively creating these risks for your customers.
3. Road Safety – School Children
At present there are around 12 – 14 ‘official’ pedestrian or pelican crossings within 2 minutes of entrance to Riverwood Court – more than half are less than a 1 minute away. Should this bridge proposal proceed it is conservatively estimated that at least 6 additional crossing would be required to allow residents closest to Coolmine Station safely cross the road to reach the enhanced rail service.
At nearby Carpenter shops which is adjacent to Castleknock Community College and St. Patrick’s National School whose combined school rolls are in excess of 2,000 pupils there are currently 5 pedestrian crossings – one light controlled with the remaining 4 of the ‘flashing amber’ pelican crossing type.
At opposite end of this loop taking a right turn from Riverwood Court is sited Luttrelstown Community College and Scoil Choilm National School with increasing and equivalent respective schools’ rolls. Here at moment there are a similar amount of (in this case and at this point) mainly light controlled crossings.
All pupils attending each of these 4 schools will intersect directly with this orbital road either being dropped off by car or for majority in walking to and from respective school probably several times a day.
As with rail passenger journey to and from station the virtually continual use of the respective pedestrian crossings at peak times will cause extreme levels of stress and frustration amongst respective vehicle drivers and this along with the increased numbers of vehicles involved will further increase risk to the school children involved to a totally unacceptable level.
I was involved some years ago in requesting the widening of a footpath at Carpenter Shops in conjunction with several the Local Elected Representatives as I was concerned at the narrow path hosting two-way pedestrian traffic directly adjacent to the busy (even at that time) Carpenterstown Road.
A child lost her life some years ago when struck by a car on Luttrelstown – Diswellstown Road and this as you would imagine is still very much in our minds as we look at this current proposal and effect of greatly increased traffic volumes will bring.
The area is also widely used by runners, walkers and cyclists and we must ensure that this relatively safe amenity is not taken from us. We know the area in which we live, and we equally know where many and various pitfalls are in this current Irish Rail proposal.
On the Carpenterstown side of the proposed bridge all roads affectively either lead via Laurel Lodge through Castleknock to Phoenix Park beyond or alternatively and in majority of cases directly onto narrow 19th Century country lanes barely accommodating two-way traffic and which as such are wholly unsuited for increased volumes of traffic.
They also have, typically if at all, one extremely narrow footpath for increasing numbers of pedestrians, joggers or cyclists to utilise. These roads as such then are totally ill equipped to accommodate this extensive increase in traffic volumes.
Unfortunately, the historic restrictive nature of these roads then leads a sense of the ‘road opening up’ when approaching the newer road infrastructure around and through the respective housing developments and this leds to an automatic desire to make up time and increase speeds further increasing risk of serious accidents occurring.
This will extend across the proposed bridge to the Coolmine side from Station Court where vehicles ‘like water will take the easiest route’ to and from adjacent Industrial Estates to their final destination using all available short cuts through residential estates irrespective of dangers to those in immediate area.
As has been stated by others that as part of this proposal Irish Rail plan to close the Level Crossings but they will not have to live with the consequences, and it is we who live in the area will have to bear that burden for decades to come.
Level Crossings unlike pedestrian crossing have barriers and the risks to our School Children and indeed to their own Rail Passengers are wholly unacceptable and should this proposal be put in place accidents involving either vehicles or more concerningly also involving pedestrians are inevitable.
This is clear example of where Irish Rail proposals need to be revisited to ensure a viable option is introduced which will improve the success for yourselves and the communities involved.
Plans for a new housing development at nearby Kellystown in Clonsilla, housing up to 3,500 residents, will clearly further add considerably to these traffic volumes. It is unclear why given the fact the Riverwood to Station Court bridge which is only we are assured at this stage the ‘Current Preferred Option’ is however included in Kellystown Local Area Plan (LAP) which is also at early consultation stage.
Copy of Letter to Road Safety Authority is attached copied to Local Oireachtas Representatives and which was also then sent to the 11 Principals of the respective schools directly affected by this proposal along with other Area Fingal County Councilors, Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
4. Coolmine Station Safety
As is apparent if Coolmine Level Crossing were to be closed then the long-established road link from Carpenterstown to Coolmine via Coolmine Road would also be closed with as Irish Rail have indicated at recent webinars fences then being erected on each side of the railway line and effectively fencing off Kirkpatrick bridge from one side.
When discussed recently with passing Garda Patrol Officers who like many had not heard of current proposals there was a look of bewilderment and bemusement at such a proposal.
As a follow up I wrote to Senior District and Divisional An Garda Officers highlighting concerns regarding this aspect and implications for the area around Coolmine Railway Station should this occur.
Should proposals go ahead cul-de-sacs would be created on each side of the railway line with a plan in place for a pedestrian footbridge and cycle ramp over the line.
This as an aside would mean that all passengers on a return journey would have cross this footbridge at least once during their journey. Working in health and Safety I appreciate that slips and falls and as a result serious injury will occur to rail passengers over time in using these footbridges on a continual basis particularly in winter months. The option of walking across roadway to opposite platform will be gone.
The main concern on this aspect however relates to the creation of effectively a dead end particularly at the Carpenterstown side where rail passengers would be expected to go to and from the station area in a fairly dark and secluded area without the benefit of regularly passing traffic and less likelihood of Garda presence in form of patrol cars passing through the area.
This would effectively result in a similar environment to that which has been created at Broombridge with new roadbridge in place where many rail passengers going to town alight and catch Luas into the City Centre. We as a family do this ourselves and we, like most others, would never make the return journey back through Broombridge as it is not a comfortable environment in which to wait for a train.
If large flyover bridge were built at Riverwood Court this would only further shroud the station area to the west and also mean large amount of rail passengers would have to either walk under the bridge if underpass was provided in itself not a secure comfortable option or take alternative route again round past main road and then down into darkened environment around the station.
This is clearly totally unacceptable for rail passengers on their own particularly in darker winter months.
Coolmine Station would become a haven for anti-social behaviour again on the basis that there would be little interruption from passing traffic and as above Garda Patrols who at present regularly pass through
the area.
Given its position in close proximity to large residential developments the Station could foreseeably become the go-to place for local drug dealers and their clientele from wider Dublin 15 area.
Having lived in this area for over 20 years the current Irish Rail proposals are causing major concerns for myself and large number of others affected and for many valid reasons but the issue of rail passenger (our family’s) safety is one of greatest concerns and is an area which for whatever reason Irish Rail have overlooked to include in their assessment of options around the Dart+ Project and its effect on Coolmine.
Irish Rail and Fingal County Council should be doing everything possible to make Coolmine Railway Station a bright, lively and vibrant part of our communities a model to be followed elsewhere and which as it should make travel on the enhanced Dart+ Rail service something to be looked forward to and enjoyed.
This current proposal has clearly given no consideration to this aspect but is totally focused on delivery of a rail service with little or no thought given to the comfort and safety of those using the service, the Irish Rail Passengers, the Irish Rail customers – US.
The Carpenterstown and Coolmine areas are not divided into specific groups of residents; car drivers; joggers; walkers; cyclists OR Rail Passengers. We virtually all are ALL of these. We use the trains, we will use more trains more often.
Rather than rush to catch THE Train we will need to safely make way to Coolmine Station to catch THE NEXT Train as will be the case with enhanced DART+ service.
We however need to be sure that we and more importantly our children and future generations to come can go to and from the Station safely at any time of day or night and in all seasons of the year. With current proposal to close Coolmine Road we have only concerns and no such assurance.
Copy of Letter to Chief Superintendent Finbarr Murphy, Divisional Officer and Superintendent Peter Burke, District Officer, An Garda Síochána is attached and which was copied to Local Oireachtas Representatives and Area Fingal County Councilors, Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
5. Riverwood – Station Court Bridge Proposal
Riverwood estate has open space areas throughout the estate. It is one of the best estates in the Carpenterstown area in this respect. Riverwood Court has two small open space areas and these would be completely destroyed by the proposed flyover bridge.
Station Court has only one long, narrow open space area. It is the open green space area in the estate. The entire open space area would be built on by the proposed bridge.
There are further construction works in Station Court Area and these will also require amenity areas. Having recently met some of the Station Court residents I was struck by the real fear in their voices when thinking of implication of this proposed bridge being built.
The reason there is such widespread opposition to this proposal in the wider Carpenterstown area in particular is that the footpaths and green areas are used on a regular basis by residents out walking; dog walking and jogging etc on a daily basis and form a natural lap around the Riverwood and Luttrelstown Estates.
We need these amenity areas more than ever and as evidenced over past year when hundreds of people were out walking ‘around’ using footpaths in one direction and oncoming walkers using grass areas which became ‘covid paths’.
Many Riverwood and virtually all Woodbrook and Annfield and some Fernleigh residents using the current rail service walk to and from the station via Riverwood Court and any bridge structure in the area would
completely cut off this access route.
As outlined above this bridge would bring massive additional volumes of traffic on a 24 / 7 basis into these areas and remove completely the amenity value in entire sections of this circular route for everyone in the wider area.
This area has effectively become our Phoenix Park. As such to persist with this proposal is both absurd and grotesque in equal measure and would change our daily lives for generations to come.
It was stated at a webinar that other options were seen by Irish Rail as being too invasive but clearly nothing could be more invasive than the erection of what we can only imagine to be a massive concrete bridge structure through two long established residential areas.
It has now become apparent as late as this morning through FOI request that proposal for this bridge would affect the largest adjacent populations of any of the options under consideration. The fact this has only been looked at as late as September underlines the lack of completeness or detailed study undertaken by Irish Rail in coming to this ‘Current Preferred Option’.
The long standing native Irish hedgerows and long-established embankments alongside the rail line at Riverwood Court and Station Court bordering the Royal Canal are natural animal habitats where foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs, badgers, rabbits, bats and various song birds have continued to co-exist with us for generations.
Bats are also seen in Luttrelspark Area and move across estate at dusk. Generations of foxes have lived adjacent to Riverwood Court and on a nightly basis continue to make the same journey between midnight
and 1am from Riverwood Court across road at Luttrelspark and into Riverwood Green and Riverwood Gardens areas looking for any scraps of food left lying around.
During lock down in March/April when humans were restricted in movements and scraps were less plentiful, we started to leave food out for the ‘Covid’ foxes to tide them over. This road would become completely impassible for these animals and very restrictive for we humans if bridge proposal went ahead.
In a week where New Wildlife Crime Unit is being set up to prevent and penalise damage to wildlife and habitats we cannot and will not allow these long standing beautiful natural habitats in a corridor of major environmental and ecological sensitivity to be uprooted, devastated and destroyed forever when other much less intrusive and invasive options are clearly available.
Submission on Public Consultation on DART+ and Coolmine Level Crossing B. Fordyce 21 Oct 2020
6. Conclusion
Whilst there is unanimous welcome for the DART+ Project will transform rail travel from Dublin to Maynooth the ‘Current Preferred Option’ for new road bridge from Riverwood Court to Station Court does not even according to Irish Rail’s own MCA Criteria stand up to scrutiny as the best option in terms of majority of the criteria examined.
An independent Review of the Irish Rail Proposal was carried out and clearly finds that even by Irish Rail’s own criteria Emerging Option 3 is not considered to be the best option. Copy of Corr & Associates Spatial Planning – Planning Statement on Public Consultation DART – West Expansion Programme attached.
The proposed bridge would have a devastating effect on daily life in the surrounding areas and increase risk of serious accidents particularly involving pedestrians if road network was to be extended in this way.
Irish Rail must revisit this process in particular as it relates to Coolmine and equally for alternative reasons, Clonsilla Level Crossings.
Other countries can clearly have highly efficient rail infrastructure meshing seamlessly with all other modes of transport and there is no reason as we move to next generation of rail travel that this cannot and in fact must be emulated in Ireland.
We look forward to a proactive response in this regard.
Mr B, 20 Oct (to Blanchardstown Gardai)
Dear Chief Superintendent Finbarr Murphy, Blanchardstown Garda Station,
As you may be aware Irish Rail have opened the first public consultation on the DART+ West project that will electrify and greatly increase frequency and capacity on the Dublin to Maynooth line. This consultation has now been extended by further two weeks to run until Wednesday 21 October 2020.
While welcoming increased capacity and frequency of the service and the obvious benefit this has for all in the area, unfortunately, the project involves a current proposal for a significant road bridge spanning the rail line and canal from Station Court in Coolmine to Riverwood Court in Carpenterstown.
This proposal is based on the premis the Dart+ Project requires closures of all level crossings on the line and either then doing nothing further or in other cases as at Coolmine develop alternative proposals.
It can be shown that given a combination of state-of-the-art rail safety systems, innovative thinking and adoption of EU best practice highly efficient and reliable Rail Networks can interface safely with vehicular, cycle and pedestrian traffic via a system of automated level crossings. At Coolmine by moving the westbound platform to the opposite side of the roadway crossings closure times would also be further reduced by 60-70% for Maynooth bound trains.
If these options and various other state of the art Rail Network Safety Systems were incorporated, it would become readily apparent that this fairly drastic solution to a fairly basic problem, would be resolved with minimum capital cost if incorporated into overall project.
The reason I write to yourself is in particular with regard to concerns which have been highlighted regarding closure of the through road connecting Carpenterstown and Coolmine when the crossing is closed and implication for the area around Coolmine Railway Station should this occur.
Irish Rail have indicated at recent webinars that fences would be erected on each side of the railway line.
Should these Irish Rail proposals go ahead cul-de-sacs would be created on each side of the railway line with a plan in place for a pedestrian footbridge and cycle ramp over the line. This as an aside would mean that all passengers on a return journey would have cross this footbridge at least once during their journey.
The main concern on this aspect however relates to the creation of effectively a dead end particularly at the Carpenterstown side where rail passengers would be expected to go to and from the Station area in
a fairly dark and secluded area without the benefit of regularly passing traffic and less likelihood of your own patrol vehicles passing through the area.
This would effectively result in a similar environment to that which has been created at Broombridge where many rail passengers going to town alight and catch Luas into the City Centre. We as a family do this ourselves and we, like most others, would never make the return journey back through Broombridge as it is not a comfortable environment in which to wait for a train.
If large flyover bridge were built at Riverwood Court this would only further shroud the station area and mean large amount of rail passengers would have to either walk under the bridge or take alternative route again down into darkened environment around the station.
Coolmine Station would become a haven for anti-social behavior again on the basis that there would be little interruption from passing traffic or Garda Patrols who at present regularly pass through the area.
Given its position in close proximity to large residential developments the Station could foreseeably become the go-to place for local drug dealers and their clientele from wider Dublin 15 area.
Having lived in this area for over 20 years the current Irish Rail proposals are causing major concerns for myself and large number of others affected and for many valid reasons but the issue of rail passenger (our family’s) safety is one of greatest concerns and is an area which for whatever reason Irish Rail have refused to include in their assessment of best options around the Dart+ Project and how it affects Coolmine.
We should be doing everything possible to make Coolmine Railway Station a bright, lively and vibrant part of our communities and to make travelling on the enhanced Dart+ Rail service something to be looked forward to and enjoyed.
This current proposal has clearly given no consideration to this aspect but is totally focused on delivery of a rail service with little or no thought given to the comfort and safety of those using the service.
I appreciate any consideration you can give to this matter and understand this may not be something which you can influence at this stage but if after reviewing this any efforts you could make to assist in preventing the fairly bleak scenario, I have portrayed, coming to fruition would be much appreciated.
I have also copied yourself and Superintendent Peter Burke on a letter to Mr. Sam Waide of the Road Safety Authority in which I outline a number of implications and concerns regarding road safety and particularly the effect of an anticipated increase in volumes of traffic and its interface with pedestrians and cyclists with a particular focus on the safety of 1000’s of school children in the wider area each day.
Should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
Ms R, 19 Oct
Q2. I support the principle of the Dart + Maynooth Line project, I think a project like this is well overdue.
Q3. There are three aspects of the project that are of most interest to me are:
- The capacity increases of passengers from 4,500 in 2019 to 13,750. I have used the train services to travel to and from college and also to and from work, often travelling at peak times where there is barely enough room to stand on the train carriages. Not only are these over packed carriages a health and safety risk in the event that there was an emergency on the train but on numerous occasions I witnessed people fainting on these trains due to the cramped conditions. Hopefully the increase in capacity will prevent this from happening.
- Another aspect of the project that is most interest to me is the aim to reduce carbon footprint. I think this is a very important aspect given the current global climate. I think we all need to do what we can to combat climate change and I feel if the Irish Rail services are improved it will encourage more people to use public transport.
- The aspect of this project that deeply concerns me however, is the Emerging Preferred Option, the proposed construction of an overbridge and road, cutting through Riverwood Court.
Q4. I am strongly opposed to the construction of a new road bridge over the railway line and canal connecting to the north of St. Mochta’s Grove and Station Court and to the south of the Riverwood Court Road. Not only will this bridge be an eye sore but I think it is completely unnecessary, I think building a bridge over the existing Coolmine level crossing would make the most sense. If something isn’t broke, why fix it?
Not only will this bridge be an eyesore, but its construction completely contradicts one of the main aspects of this project which is to combat climate change? The construction of the bridge will create higher levels of traffic leading to increased noise and air pollution, not only that but its construction will destroy beautiful green areas, disrupting nature and destroying the habitats of wildlife.
Q5. Please consider alternative options than the construction of the bridge through Riverwood.
Ms C, 19 Oct
I would like to object to the Emerging Preferred Option to close Coolmine level crossing and provide a new road bridge over the railway line and canal connecting to the north of St. Mochta’s Grove and Station Court and to the south of the Riverwood Court Road and a new standalone pedestrian and cycle bridge over the railway line immediately adjacent to Coolmine Station.
I believe this option has been ill-thought out, that the multi-criteria analysis carried out by Irish Rail is flawed and that the proposal conflicts with Irish Rail’s Social Responsibility Statement which states that Irish Rail “commit to operating ours services and maintaining and enhancing our network while respecting the interests of those live or own property close to our stations and network”. Furthermore, there are a number of points included in the Irish Rail website relating to the Dart+ West project that are misleading.
To build a flyover bridge in a mature quiet residential estate to cater for what is a mere inconvenience only at peaks times of the day is an atrocious solution. Some reasons why this is not a good option and an unnecessary option:
- Irish Rail documents reference current trains being 7 trains per hour moving to 15 trains per hour – there are only 7 trains per hour at peak times not throughout the whole day. Peak times only account for approx. 2- 3 hours max in a day – so building a monstrosity to provide a solution required for only 2-3 hours out of the day makes no sense
- The current level crossing provides both traffic calming and traffic management solutions at peak times as it ensures that traffic can be staggered at busy school and work commuting times and ensures it is naturally slowed down which is an added safety to all road users.
- You are proposing to build an infrastructure 0.5km away from the existing through road (where the level crossing is) and through mature green areas of quiet residential estates from Riverwood Court to Station Court, green areas that are used by children and adults alike for playing, walking, running and cycling.
- The proposed flyover will completely change the current peace and quiet that has been experienced by residents since these estates were built. It is one thing building a structure before or during the construction of houses/apartments because at least people know what they are buying beside, but to re-route the through road from the existing road at Carpenterstown Road/Coolmine Road where the level crossing is to Riverwood Court/Station Court is a disgraceful solution that planners and engineers proposing this option should be ashamed of. The noise, light and pollution levels alone of this proposal as well as the effects on safety of residents is an unacceptable change to the quality of life of all residents.
- In addition to the effect on residents, the green area where the proposed structure is to be built has a large number of mature trees and is currently home to an array of wildlife including rabbits, foxes, badgers, birds, hedgehogs and pollinators. Building a bridge will destroy this environmental habitat.
- This would also affect the wider community as the proposed bridge through Riverwood would bring additional volume of cars through this route, leading to increased traffic congestion around the Carpenterstown area.
- The bridge built at Diswellstown Road a number of years ago that connects to Riverwood/Luttrellstown estates is only 1km from Riverwood Court, therefore the proposed bridge is completely unnecessary and too close to the existing bridge.
- Some of the reasons given for building a bridge at Riverwood/Station Court have been the proposed development at Kellystown and the closure of level crossings at Coolmine, Porterstown and Clonsilla. However:
- the bridge at Diswellstown Road already caters for the east side of the Kellystown development and also for Porterstwon level crossing closure.
- Clonsilla level crossing is over 3km away from Riverwood Court and 3.5km away from Coolmine level crossing so solutions should be considered to the west of Diswellstown Road which is approx. 2.5km from Clonsilla level crossing.
- Therefore the Kellystown development as part of Fingal County Council’s planning should be looking at solutions and not push them further up the track.
The standalone pedestrian bridge and cycle bridge over the railway line immediately adjacent to Coolmine Station is not a good idea for the following reasons:
- This bridge could be very unsafe for users. The planned placing of this bridge is over a very quiet car park. People having to traverse the train line would have to take this bridge where they cannot be seen.
- The closing of the level crossing creates two cul de sacs with no traffic going by the station/tracks – therefore there is no natural surveillance from passing traffic for pedestrians which exists today.
- Both a pedestrian bridge and the cul de sacs arising from the closure of the road at the level crossing have the potential for attracting anti-social behaviour making it dangerous for pedestrians to use a pedestrian/cycle bridge. People on their own will not feel safe using this and there is the potential for muggings and attacks.
The closure of the level crossing is not a good option and needs to be reconsidered:
- As mentioned above, closing the Coolmine level crossing and creating two cul de sacs either side of the crossing is a magnet for anti-social behaviour which is a serious cause for concern. The loss of passing traffic and the natural surveillance that the traffic brings will make the route to the train station very unsafe for the many people who are using the trains outside of peak times and particularly in the dark mornings and evenings during winter.
- The Carpenterstown road/Coolmine road route has always been in existence and is therefore used to having traffic on it and it is currently a route for Carpenterstown residents to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, Roselawn Shopping Centre and Blanchardstown village. Closing the level crossing affects access for local residents to these areas and re-routes traffic from an existing thoroughfare into a quiet residential estate.
- The level crossing provides natural traffic management and traffic calming. Closing the level crossing and moving the traffic to a bridge will mean not only existing traffic being re-routed to a quiet residential area but also a massive increase in traffic from other areas who currently avoid the level-crossing for its inconvenience. The bridge will become a traffic magnet causing untold pollution and noise for residents. It will also become a race track for traffic at less busy times causing serious safety and noise issues for residents.
Misleading statements in Irish Rail website and flaws in the Multi Criteria Analysis:
- Under key infrastructural developments your website refers states: “DART+ West is seeking to modernise and optimise the existing railway between Connolly & Spencer Dock to Maynooth & M3 Parkway. This will involve electrification of the entire route and discrete interventions to remove constraints.” This statement is misleading to readers as the construction of a large bridge in a quiet residential cul de sac could not be considered a “discrete intervention” under any stretch of the imagination!
- Under Dart+ West Benefits your website lists one of the benefits as “Facilitating people to make sustainable travel choices by encouraging a move away from private cars to reliable, efficient and safer public transport network” and yet you propose to build a bridge that will move traffic from an existing busy road to a quiet residential estate and also cause an increase in traffic levels in that area which people may currently avoid due to the inconvenience of the level crossing.
- Under Dart+ West Benefits your website lists one of the benefits as “Alleviation of road congestion, particularly at the level crossings” but this does not take into account that the level crossing a) manages the flow of traffic particularly at peak times and b) may be avoided by many due to the crossing and therefore closing the level crossing and replacing it further down the line through a quiet housing estate will a) just push the traffic congestion to another part of the journey and b) will increase the traffic levels coming to that area as there is no disincentive for people to take another route.
- The multi-criteria analysis (MCA) was split into two parts, the first being to consider eight Irish Rail proposed options. The initial analysis includes the option “Do Nothing” which is defined as leaving the level crossings in place and states that “The current operation and opening times associated with each level crossing is presented in Chapter 3. This option is contrary to the project objectives and is consequently not a realistic prospect but it has been included for comparative purposes.” However, upgrading the signalling system to reduce time that the crossing needs to be closed for a train was not considered under this, “Do Minimum” or “Do Something” scenarios – the only options considered are either do nothing or close the crossings. An upgraded signalling system should be considered first before jumping to closure and building of bridges. In addition, there are a large number of level crossings in existence across the Dart network and this has not prevented the Dart service from growing dramatically since its inception.
- The initial MCA lists Option 8 – Lowering of the Railway Vertical Alignment: this option seems to have been dismissed and conveniently analysed with “Significant comparative disadvantage over other options” for all criteria. However this option should be considered on its own – this is after all a rail project – and lowering of the line would answer a number of issues the length of the line and not just at Coolmine. While lowering the line would be disruptive in the short term, that can easily be overcome and would provide a longer term sustainable solution and leave current roadway systems as they are. In other words it would negate the need to close level crossing and negate the need to build large road infrastructures, such as bridges in quiet residential housing estates.
- In the initial MCA, option 3 was not the highest scoring and yet in the second MCA, option 3 scores better than other options. This second assessment is highly questionable as it makes no sense that the scoring would swing when the criteria heading are the same.
- For real public consultation, for a project that will have such an effect on people, there should be a steering committee with representatives from government, councils, Irish Rail and the public (i.e. representative from residents committees) so that a fair and transparent assessment of the options is carried out.
In summary, the emerging preferred option (Option 3) will have a detrimental effect on resident’s quality of life, physical health and mental health as well as badly affecting the wider community due to reasons outlined above. Therefore this option should be shelved and a more suitable holistic solution needs to be put forward by Irish Rail that also meets its own CSR.
Mr D, 17 Oct
I am happy that this project has finally come to the table. I had thought that it would be forever postponed, just like the promising Metro West project. I have always looked in envy at the existing DART line and the frequency that meant that you never really had to look at a timetable.
I live close to Coolmine station. I am very surprised and disappointed that, 6 years after originally disclosed, the preferred option is still the bridge between Riverwood Court and StationCourt. Other options are considerably less destructive to the environment and living areas.
Road safety first
Carpenterstown has 4 schools in the immediate area, two primary and two secondary, with two other primary schools nearby. There is a lot of movement of school children multiple times a day. Unfortunately, due to the intimidating behaviour of many drivers, children are often driven to school, fueling the never ending cycle of less and less pedestrians and cyclists. This needs to end. Options 3, 4 and 5 will not help.
Why is option 3 (and options 4 & 5) a bad idea?
The entrance road into Riverwood Court is a relatively quiet road serving 119 residences (76 in Riverwood Court and 43 in Riverwood Hall apartments). The road layout keeps vehicle speed low. It also has, like the rest of Riverwood, a 30km/h speed limit.
Riverwood Court only has 2 open space areas. The flat open space area close to the main road would be lost by the road spur that Riverwood Court residents would use to access their estate (this is not in the documents but was mentioned as a preferred access arrangement during a webinar). The most useful section of the hilly open space area in front of houses 1-14 would be lost to the bridge structure.
On the StationCourt side it is similar. The estate has a 30km/h speed limit, with multiple speed ramps to help enforce this.
StationCourt has a long narrow open space area running alongside the entrance road. This will mostly be lost with option 3.
The wide off road cycle track alongside the open space area in StationCourt is a nice, quiet and peaceful alternative to the cycling hostile Coolmine Road. It would be a negative step to remove this.
With the removal of the level crossing, more people will drive more. This is “induced demand” and does not solve congestion (the M50 is not less congested after a 50% increase in space with the third lane). We should be making sustainable modes of transport more attractive and making driving less attractive.
Option 3 will revert both estates to a 50km/h limit, destroy open space areas and increase the volume of traffic, with its accompanying noise and pollution (which the EPA says is a contributor to premature deaths). This is a terrible idea.
Support for other options
My primary mode of transport is my bicycle. When going to and from Blanchardstown Centre I often choose to use Dr Troy Bridge to eliminate the chance of getting stopped at Coolmine level crossing. While that route works it’s a sterile, concrete beast. Traffic speeds are frequently above the posted 50km/h limit. I would prefer to use the level crossing and the peaceful cycle track in StationCourt.
My preference order for the proposed options are:
- Option 8: Although this was immediately rejected in MCA stage 1 and I understand that it is a challenge, I think that it is the least destructive long term. Colleagues have discovered some examples from the UK where tracks were lowered in less than 1 week. This option preserves Kirkpatrick Bridge, houses in Delwood and Sheepmoor Lane. The disadvantage of this option is the “induced demand” because of the removal of the level crossing delay.
- Option 7: If the crossing had to be closed, this option will allow pedestrians and cyclists use this shorter route, thus discouraging driving. The downside to this is the likely increase in commuter parking and anti-social behaviour on either side of the bridge due to the loss of passive surveillance of passing motorists. I would insist that sides of the pedestrian bridge not be concrete as this would allow someone to hide there, invisible to someone approaching the bridge. The pedestrian bridge over the M50 and N3 (between 12th Lock and Castleknock Tennis Club) has wire sides. The M50 has thousands more vehicles passing under it than the train line and there are no problems with it.
- Option 6: Of the overbridges this is the least worst. The CPO of come Delwood houses is a particularly negative aspect of this option. The positive is the 3 bends which will help to slow motorists down.
- Option 2: The underbridge is less visually intrusive than an overbridge. A local TD suggested adding some locks to help gain the required vertical height between the top of the canal and the bottom of the rail line. I do have concerns about pedestrian safety in a busy tunnel as there is no escape route if a car leaves the roadway.
- Option 1: This overbridge doesn’t have the same impacts as option 3 as the road is already 50km/h, there is no useful open space area lost. While a cycle track is proposed, there are no cycle tracks along that road so cyclists would be dumped back into the existing narrow lanes on either side of the bridge.
- Options 3, 4 & 5: I do not like any of these options for the reasons mentioned earlier.
Other ideas
While the signalling along the route will be upgraded, the proximity of Coolmine station to the level crossing has the same issues as Sutton and Lansdowne Road stations. Having said that, I am okay with keeping the level crossing open.
Another popular suggestion that might help is to move the westbound platform to the western side of Coolmine Road, to behind Riverwood Hall apartments. This would dramatically reduce the gate closure time for westbound trains.
Mr B, 17 Oct (to RSA)
As you may be aware Irish Rail have opened the first public consultation on the DART+ West project that will electrify and greatly increase frequency and capacity on the Dublin to Maynooth line. This consultation has now been extended by further two weeks to run until Wednesday 21 October 2020.
While welcoming increased capacity and frequency of the service and the obvious benefit this has for all in the area, unfortunately, the project involves a current proposal for a significant road bridge spanning the rail line and adjacent Royal Canal and traversing through Station Court in Coolmine to Riverwood Court in Carpenterstown.
This proposal is based on the premis that the Dart+ Project requires closures of all level crossings on the line and in certain cases then doing nothing further and in other cases as at Coolmine Crossing develop alternative proposals.
It can be shown that given a combination of state-of-the-art rail safety systems, innovative thinking and adoption of EU best practice highly efficient and reliable Rail Networks can interface safely with vehicular, cycle and pedestrian traffic via a system of automated level crossings. At Coolmine by moving the westbound platform to the opposite side of the roadway crossings closure times would also be further reduced by 60-70% for Maynooth bound trains.
If these options and various other state of the art Rail Network Safety Systems were incorporated into Project Concept it would become readily apparent that this fairly drastic solution to a fairly basic problem would be resolved with minimum capital cost if incorporated into overall project and most important of all would maintain what is effectively a status quo in terms of the current interface between rail, road and pedestrian traffic.
Attempts to eliminate one aspect of this will not solve the current issues but will merely as I will illustrate ‘kick the cars down the road’ and most concerningly move any delays at the current 1990’s crossing along to the extensive traffic and pedestrian interfaces on the various road tributaries in the area.
1. Road Safety – Rail Passengers
The roadway leading from the proposed Riverwood Court bridge area will bring incoming road traffic eastwards to existing Coolmine Roundabout with majority then swinging right onto Carpenterstown Road and on towards Carpenter Shops and two local schools or alternatively carrying straight through Coolmine roundabout towards Laurel Lodge and Castleknock passing 3- 4 schools exiting towards Phoenix Park.
The alternative route from the bridge would bring them to the right and through Riverwood Estate to Diswellstown Road and either left again towards Carpenter shops or to the right towards two further schools and taking left on either on towards Lucan or along Porterstown Road. I will return to obvious issue around proximity to large schools later.
Even if you are not at all familiar with the area I am hopefully creating an image of various road traffic routes dissecting established residential areas as a conduit for greatly numbers of vehicles.
This fact is not disputed and at this stage we can only envisage what these increased volumes of traffic will amount to but 1000’s of vehicles per day free flowing unrestricted over the road bridge and completing return journey through long established residential areas each evening is generally accepted as being a fair description of anticipated traffic volumes. Plans for a new housing development at nearby Kellystown in Clonsilla housing up to 3,500 residents will clearly add considerably to these volumes.
What this effectively means is that to get to and from the rail station at Coolmine if this proposal were to ahead probably 80% of all rail passengers in greater Carpenterstown area using Coolmine Station will have to cross one part of this extremely busy ‘residential ring road’ at least twice a day.
This will involve using what will have to become an increased number of pedestrian crossings to reach the station. This will clearly lead to drivers of vehicles will become extremely frustrated at stop / start pattern of rush hour traffic and it is therefore inevitable with increased volumes of vehicles that accidents either involving vehicles or more concerningly vehicles and pedestrians will occur.
Even most basic form of Risk Assessment will show that increasing likelihood or probability of an event as in this case by increasing numbers of vehicles travelling on the road will automatically increase level of risk associated with simply crossing the road to get to the Railway Station.
Current experience daily also shows that many rail passengers do not use the existing pedestrian crossing but prefer to dodge the traffic over the island in central medium.
Closing the level crossing will obviously mean closure of the Coolmine Road at the Station meaning cars from Coolmine side will have to take ‘long way round’ over bridge to get to Rail Station car park further adding to traffic volumes.
If dropping passengers at Coolmine side vehicles will drive up to newly formed cul de sac and drop off passengers and then attempt to turn around and drive out again. Similar drop and go pattern will result at Carpenterstown side and this will further increase interfaces and associated risks of accident involving vehicles and pedestrians in the immediate area of Coolmine Station.
None of this has been taken into account in Irish Rail’s Multi Criteria Assessments of this Project and indeed the Safety of their own Passengers does not seem to have formed any part of these assessments
2. Road Safety – School Children
At present there are around 12 ‘official’ pedestrian or pelican crossings within 2 minutes of entrance to Riverwood Court – more than half are within 1 minute away. Should this bridge proposal proceed it is conservatively estimated that at least 6 additional crossing would be required to allow residents closest to Coolmine Station safely cross the road.
At Carpenter shops which is adjacent to Castleknock Community College and St. Patrick’s National School whose combined school rolls are in excess of 2,000 pupils there are currently 5 pedestrian crossings – one light controlled with the remaining 4 of the ‘flashing amber’ pelican crossing type.
At opposite end of this loop is sited Luttrelstown Community College and Scoil Choilm National School with increasing and equivalent respective schools’ rolls. Here at moment there are a similar amount of (in this case and at this point) mainly light controlled crossings.
All pupils will intersect directly with part of this orbital road either being dropped off by car or for the majority in walking to and from respective school probably several times a day
As with rail passenger journey to and from station the virtually continual use of the respective pedestrian crossings at peak times will cause extreme levels of stress and frustration amongst respective vehicle drivers and this along with the increased numbers of vehicles involved will further increase risk to the school children involved to a totally unacceptable level.
I was involved some years ago in requesting the widening of a footpath at Carpenter Shops in conjunction with several the Local Elected Representatives as I was concerned at the narrow path hosting two-way pedestrian traffic directly adjacent to the busy (even at that time) Carpenterstown Road.
A child lost her life some years ago when struck by a car on Diswellstown Road and this as you would imagine is still very much in our minds as we look at this current proposal and effect of greatly increased traffic volumes will bring.
The area is also widely used by runners, walkers and cyclists and we must ensure that this relatively safe amenity is not taken from us. We know the area in which we live, and we equally know where pitfalls are in this current Irish Rail proposal.
On the Carpenterstown side of the proposed bridge all roads affectively either lead via Laurel Lodge through Castleknock to Phoenix Park beyond or alternatively and in majority of cases directly onto narrow 19th Century country lanes barely accommodating two-way traffic and which as such are wholly unsuited for increased volumes of traffic.
They also have, typically if at all, one extremely narrow footpath for increasing numbers of pedestrians, joggers or cyclists to utilise. These roads as such then are totally ill equipped to accommodate this extensive increase in traffic volumes.
Unfortunately, the historic restrictive nature of these roads then leads a sense of the ‘road opening up’ when approaching the newer road infrastructure around and through the respective housing developments and this leads to an automatic desire to make up time and increase speeds further increasing risk of serious accidents occurring.
This will extend across the proposed bridge to the Coolmine side where vehicles ‘like water will take the easiest route’ to and from adjacent Industrial Estates to their final destination using all available short cuts through residential estates irrespective of dangers to those in immediate area.
As has been stated by others Irish Rail plan to close the Level Crossings but they will not have to live with the consequences, and it is we who live in the area will have to bear that burden for decades to come.
Level Crossings unlike pedestrian crossing have barriers and the risks to our School Children and indeed to their own Rail Passengers are wholly unacceptable and should this proposal be put in place accidents involving either vehicles or more concerningly also involving pedestrians are inevitable.
I appreciate the time you have given to reading this letter which although written on my own part is fully reflective of the increasing number of concerns and sentiments in the Carpenterstown and Coolmine areas at the moment regarding this current proposal.
If after reading this and understandably taking time to obtain any further background on the various elements of this current Irish Rail proposal and how it will affect traffic and pedestrian safety in the area it would then be most appreciated if you as CEO or Ms. O’Donnell as Chairperson of the Road Safety Authority would be in a position make formal representations on this matter on our behalf either in form of a submission to Irish Rail or as otherwise as you see to be appropriate.
In the meantime, should you require any additional information at any time please do not hesitate to contact me directly. I also consent to using any information contained in the above as you see fit.
Mr A, 8 Oct
I would like to voice my concerns on the proposed development for the electrification of the Maynooth line.
Firstly, I am in favour of the line being electrified, and believe it is needed as it is clear, as a daily commuter to the city centre, that the current service is oversubscribed.
However, I would like to make the following observations about the existing proposals:
It is not clear how this submission will have an impact on existing road congestion, instead it appears to add yet another pressure point to an already overstretched area.
I would also worry about creating a new and busy main road directly through this area. It would appear to have a major impact on the local environment by creating a much increased flow of traffic on a currently quite road, and removing large green areas, both of which are used by children for playing, riding bicycles etc.. This would have a major safety impact by turning currently quieter, residential roads into a major road.
Given the current climate and that for the foreseeable future in a Covid-19 Ireland, I would be exceptionally worried about the impact or removing any recreational area, especially one which is used so regularly by young cyclists, the walking and jogging population etc. which has seen a huge increase in recent months.
It would also be concerning that this would have a major impact on the environmental area, removing trees, green areas etc. that are vital to our local area. The general area has already seen a huge reduction in its green areas to building and infrastructure over the past decade, and I would have serious concerns about losing more.
I am also concerned by the information on the impact of access to the local area to residents. It appears as though this would create many issues around access for the residents to both their homes and to local amenities.
The proposal appears to suggest a second large bridge will be erected. This bridge appears to be about the size of Dr. Troy bridge. This is a huge development in a residential area which is heavily populated. The major impact on quality of life that this will cause to the residents should not be underestimated.
Visually, this will also be exceptionally intrusive, basically this would be a major eyesore, especially given the requirements to remove existing green areas. As the proposal is to now create 2 cul-de-sacs in place of the existing road, I would also have concerns about the safety of the area. With the removal of through traffic, this would become more worrying an area to return from late at night if one was to use late trains. Finally, it appears that this proposal, instead of putting the general public first in terms of availability of public transport and quality of life, puts private motorists first, motorists whose needs are ill defined. This proposal appears to put the convenience of the motorist ahead of the quality of life of those in residence in the area.
I would also wonder why this proposal has been made in direct opposition to two points on the existing Fingal Development Plan? I would have assumed that any planning should be taken in concert with these plans, not seek to break them. Thank you
Mr J, 7 Oct
As a business owner operating within 150 metres of the existing Coolmine level crossing, we wish to object in the most strenuous of terms to the development as proposed.
- Blocking traffic across the existing level crossing will severely impact upon parents accessing our childcare service from North and South sides of the level crossing.
- Vehicular access to our service as envisaged is impossibly restrictive where patrons will need to navigate through a very restrictive route to get to our premises.
- Families with young children (we cater for babies >6months) require safe access to our premises, this plan does not provide this.
- The plan as envisaged will result in parking congestion close to station and in surrounding housing estates making it difficult to access our premises during drop off and pickup times.
Ms A, 6 Oct
I strongly disagree with the proposal from Irish Rail for a new road bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt, Dublin 15 for the following reasons:
Local access will be greatly hindered and residential roads on the Coolmine side of the existing Coolmine railway crossing will become a car park for those wishing to avail of the trains but unable to cross over to the existing Irish Rail carpark. This has in the past caused chaos and restrictions of local access and emergency vehicle access.
Local journeys will be complicated and frustrating for residents of the Coolmine side of the existing crossing with a simple run for instance to Carpenterstown for school drop offs or collections becoming lengthier.
Some of our valued green areas will be destroyed to allow for the construction of the bridge and will have a great impact on residents and children who use the amenities on a daily basis.
The bridge will only be an attraction to those involved in antisocial behaviour and will be a constant worry and danger to locals.
The Fingal Development Plan includes two local objective points. – ‘Preserve the existing pedestrian and vehicular right of way at the Coolmine Level Crossing’ and ‘Prohibit any road bridge’ across the train line and canal at Riverwood/Station Court (Sheet 13 Blanchardstown South Local Objective Points No. 141 & No. 142). All of the options proposed by Irish Rail conflict with one local objective point of Fingal Development Plan but the ‘emerging preferred option’ conflicts with two.
Such a monstrous construction will be an eyesore for local residents and surrounding properties. It will also have a great impact on the environment with noise and air pollution with increased traffic in our locality.
Ms A, 2 Oct
I do not agree with the proposal for a new road bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
Physical and mental health have never been more important as we now have to live with COVID. Green space is a valued amenity for all residents – adults and children alike. The proposal from Irish Rial will destroy these green areas. Pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station, will all be affected.
The Fingal Development Plan includes two local objective points: ‘Preserve the existing pedestrian and vehicular right of way at the Coolmine Level Crossing’, and ‘Prohibit any road bridge’ across the train line and canal at Riverwood/Station Court (Sheet 13 Blanchardstown South Local Objective Points No. 141 & No. 142). All of the options proposed by Irish Rail conflict with one local objective point of Fingal Development Plan but the ’emerging preferred option’ conflicts with two.
There are a number of colour coding errors evident in the multi criteria analysis carried out by Irish Rail to justify their decision to identify Option 3 / the proposed bridge as their ’emerging preferred option’. Once these colour coding errors are accounted for, it is very difficult to understand how Option 3 / the proposed bridge through Riverwood was identified as the best option for Coolmine Level Crossing.
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
The Riverwood distributor (ring) road is already congested at peak times. With the closure of Clonsilla and Porterstown level crossings to traffic, the proposed bridge through Riverwood would bring additional volume of cars through this route, leading to increased traffic congestion. Future development planned for the area (e.g. at Kellystown) will put further pressure on the local road network.
Ms M, 1 Oct
I object to the current proposed bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
Local necessary car journeys will be made more complicated and take longer. Residents of Glenville, Delwood, Riverwood will have difficulty leaving their own estates. Simple journeys that we all take for granted (e.g. to go to the nearest supermarkets/local businesses at Carpenterstown, Roselawn Shopping Centre, drops to school and creche etc) will become lengthier and more frustrating. A new bridge over the railway at current position, or over the Irish rail car park would be a much better option for local people.
The option of dropping the railway line below the road in a cut and cover approach could be feasible allowing the current road to remain or with a slight hump bridge. The construction methodology could work due to the distance to the other stations on the line allowing for decline /incline on the track.
Keeping one level crossing open will not prevent the electrification of the Maynooth line. Irish Rail have not considered all of the possibilities for keeping Coolmine Level Crossing open, such as improving safety and upgrading signalling and gate closure times. It would be possible to keep the existing level crossing and close the road completely at peak times (7-10am and 4-7pm). On off peak times and Saturday and Sunday the volume of trains is considerably less and the crossing could be managed with new gates and signalling.
I look forward to a review of the options and alternatives being proposed by Irish rail so that planning and build can commence to enhance the service for the benefit of all residents and stakeholders.
Mr N, 29 Sept
Firstly, I would like to say that I do acknowledge that expanding the Dart system onto the Maynooth line is a worthy project, I do think the proposed option for a new bridge at Station Court/Riverwood has its flaws.
Traffic increase in the area
With the proposed preferred option, option 3, there will be an increase of traffic into residential areas. Under the current proposal, all the current traffic that currently takes the Coolmine road will now take this new road which starts and ends highly residential areas.
Furthermore, traffic coming from the Blanchardstown Centre looking to go South and towards Castleknock, Phoenix Park and the City Centre will now be funnelled into a housing estate in Riverwood. This will cause significant traffic congestion.
Add to this the increase in traffic numbers using the road from the new developments that are proposed in the area and cars that will now use the road that were previously avoiding it because of level crossing and you have serious traffic congestion in the area that is already struggling.
Under the current proposal, the Coolmine Train Station Car Park is only accessible from the South end of the train line. This will increase the traffic using the new bridge thus increasing the traffic using this road.
Loss of Greenway outside Station Court
Currently there are very little green areas for adults and children to enjoy in the St Mochtas/Station Court area. One of these limited areas is the sliver of greenery adjacent to the Station Court apartments. Under the new proposals, we will lose this invaluable amenity.
Antisocial behaviour
With the building of a bridge, the Sheepmoor Lane will become a magnet for antisocial behaviour.
I would hope that other options and an improvement in the signalling could be explored before any final decision is made as the current proposed option is the one that has the biggest impact on the most residents.
Ms C, 29 Sept
I do not agree with the proposal for a new road bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
Local car journeys for residents will be complicated. Residents of Delwood will have frustrating extended journeys to reach local amenities such as Tir NA nOg park, Castleknock GAA pitches in Somerton. Residents of Riverwood will find simple trips to Roselawn shopping centre equally frustrating, with potential impact on those businesses.
Irish Rail plan to build a road bridge, similar in scale and size to the Dr Troy Bridge. They want to build in a quiet cul-de-sac in Riverwood and Stationcourt/Mochtas. The bridge will be a prominent eyesore, not only for residents in properties facing it, but for those in the neighbouring areas.
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
Other options proposed by Irish Rail provided better integration and traffic flow. There will be longer journeys in cars for people trying to drive to the Dart station and there is significant risk that the Coolmine road will be a haven for illegal parking.
The time frame for the public consultation has been extremely short, particularly as it is taking place at a time when it is difficult for residents to meet and discuss issues raised due to Covid-19 restrictions. With a dependency on technology to hold meetings it is more difficult for people with limited technology experience to have their voice heard and a section of the community has therefore been excluded from this discussion.
Mr S, 29 Sept
I would like to strongly disagree with the proposal for a new road bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt. Overall the proposal contains a number of unacceptable risks and concerns and should not proceed.
Physical and mental health have never been more important as we now have to live with COVID. Green space is a valued amenity for all residents – adults and children alike. The proposal from Irish Rail will destroy these green areas. Pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station, will all be affected.
The Riverwood distributor (ring) road is already congested at peak times. With the closure of Clonsilla and Porterstown level crossings to traffic, the proposed bridge through Riverwood would bring additional volume of cars through this route, leading to increased traffic congestion. Future development planned for the area (e.g. at Kellystown) will put further pressure on the local road network.
There are a number of colour coding errors evident in the multi criteria analysis carried out by Irish Rail to justify their decision to identify Option 3 / the proposed bridge as their ’emerging preferred option’. Once these colour coding errors are accounted for, it is very difficult to understand how Option 3 / the proposed bridge through Riverwood was identified as the best option for Coolmine Level Crossing.
These concerns just scratch the surface of this unacceptable proposal, there are numerous other downstream concerns that arise if this project were to go ahead.
Mr I, 27 Sept
I do not agree with the proposal for a new road bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
The time frame for the public consultation has been extremely short, particularly as it is taking place at a time when it is difficult for residents to meet and discuss issues raised due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Irish Rails consultation has been very poor with only very limited information being made available to the residents. For example, there is no supporting evidence that shows how Irish Rail arrived at the conclusion that Option 3 is the preferred route. The MCA document is littered with errors and persistent requests to Irish Rail to explain how their scored each criteria has been dodged, avoided and side stepped at every opportunity.
The emerging preferred option will see a bridge, similar in height to Dr Troy Bridge, built in a quiet cul-de-sac in Riverwood and Stationcourt/Mochtas. This bridge will be visually obtrusive, not only for residents in properties facing it, but for those in the surrounding area.
Irish Rails plans to open up a new entrance to the Riverwood Court estate is flawed. The plans indicate that a cul-de-sac will become the new entrance. Irish Rail obviously haven’t properly surveyed this location because if they had they would see that there is no road space for 2 cars to pass. There are no foot paths and this new exit would be on a very bad bend in the road that would almost certainly be an accident blackspot.
Irish Rail’s traffic survey does not take into account longer term changes that Covid-19 restrictions and changes in working practices will have on traffic in Dublin 15. Constructing a major new road bridge prioritises the needs of motorists over the community and will cause irreversible damage to the environment and residential amenity.
Keeping one level crossing open will not prevent the electrification of the Maynooth line. Irish Rail have not fully considered the option of keeping Coolmine Level Crossing open. This option would have the least impact on the community, traffic and the environment. It is also an option (the ‘do nothing’ option) that rates highly in their own multi criteria analysis.
A lot more creativity is required by Irish Rail before simply running a massive bridge through residential housing estates. Constructability in the short term should not supercede the best solution in the long term.
Irish Rail need to pause this consultation and go back and examine all options again and be transparent with the public on what evidence used to make their decision.
Ms E, 25 Sept
I am writing to express my profound dissatisfaction with Irish Rail consultation process for the DART Programme.
From the outset, Irish Rail have identified themselves with the dominant public opinion and are misleading the public to believe that the electrification of the line has to be done at any costs.
Your consultation process was inimical to residents’ assertions that the options were not thoroughly assessed, Option 3 is not the best choice and the documentation you have based your decision on is flawed.
- I’ll give you just one example of sloppy analysis you have published in complete contempt for us:
- In MCA1 for Option 7 the cell that indicates the Geographical Integration (2.3) reads that “There is a significant development planned in the vicinity of Ashtown”.
- Now Ashtown is 4.3 km away. The geographic integration of a proposed housing estate in Ashtown has absolutely nothing to do with a pedestrian bridge in Carpenterstown.
- Adding to that, the cell corresponding to Noise and Vibration (3.1) compares dwellings impacted within 50m for Option 7 with dwellings within 100m for all the other options.
I wonder if your experts truly believe that they can make the best decision for people of Carpenterstown based on false assumptions, data manipulated incorrectly and, as it can be seen from the above example, insufficient knowledge of the locality.
How can IR or anyone, as a matter of fact, sign off a document ruining the environmental quality of life of so many people, that is based on blatantly erroneous data and so many, many inaccuracies? Does accountability for a decision not count any longer in this country?
As far as I’m concerned, the consultations were NOT an opportunity for reparative, contemplative exchanges of ideas. It was rather a process that used us, the residents of Carpenterstown, as a product to advance your Programme while ticking all the boxes required for the rhetorical spectacle aimed to gain the good will of the public opinion.
You can now showcase that have come up with a “rough“ design which you “improved” with our suggestions and be assured that no public body will scrutinise the grounds on which you made your decision to plough a concrete viaduct through residential estates.
Mr B, 25 Sept
The proposed option for a new bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt needs to be withdrawn for the following reasons:
Irish Rail claim that closing level crossings is necessary for safety reasons but any increase in traffic in the local area will have a negative impact on road safety for everyone, particularly pedestrians and cyclists who will have to navigate much busier and more dangerous roads. The impact of increased numbers of cars and increased congestion on the local fire station and other emergency services, as well as access to local schools is not clear.
Local car journeys for residents will be complicated. Residents of Riverwood will have difficulty leaving their own estates. Simple journeys that we all take for granted (e.g. to go to the nearest supermarket at Roselawn Shopping Centre) will become lengthier and more frustrating
The Riverwood distributor (ring) road is already congested at peak times. With the closure of Clonsilla and Porterstown level crossings to traffic, the proposed bridge through Riverwood would bring additional volume of cars through this route, leading to increased traffic congestion. Future development planned for the area (e.g. at Kellystown) will put further pressure on the local road network.
Reduced vehicular traffic, in the newly created cul-de-sac, will introduce a risk of antisocal behaviour for the area
Irish Rail plan to build a road bridge, similar in scale and size to the Dr Troy Bridge. They want to build in a quiet cul-de-sac in Riverwood and Stationcourt/Mochtas. The bridge will be an prominent eyesore, not only for residents in properties facing it, but for those in the neighbouring areas.
Physical and mental health have never been more important as we now have to live with COVID. Green space is a valued amenity for all residents – adults and children alike. The proposal from Irish Rial will destroy these green areas. Pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station, will all be affected.
When Mícheál Martin was Minister for Health and Children he launched READY, STEADY, PLAY! A National Play Policy for Children in Ireland. In his foreward to the policy he said “Parental fears of traffic and other possible dangers have led to children having fewer and fewer opportunities to play“. The proposed new bridge will greatly restrict our children’s opportunities to play.
Under EU Directive 2002/49, the Irish government is mandated to avoid, prevent or reduce the ahrmful effects of exposure to environmental noise.
The Programme for Government calls for modal shifts from private to public transport, walking and cycling. Building a new road bridge does not promote a modal shift and will only serve to make our local roads even more dangerous for cycling and walking (see the section on Transport in particular https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/2020/06/draft-programme-for-govt.pdf)
Irish Rail haven’t taken into account the busy pedestrian route through Riverwood Court and Riverwood Hall to the level crossing which is used by Irish Rail customers, as well as individuals and families accessing childcare and other amenities on the other side of the level crossing. Since there are such severe shortages in the availability of early years childcare services in Dublin 15 at present, any development that will hinder access such facilities, particularly by foot, will have significant equality and social inclusion implications. These matters should have been taken into account during the MCA process.
Mr J, 24 Sept
This is a submission generally regarding Irish Rail’s DART+ Emerging Preferred Option, apparently subject to public consultations, and specifically on the future of Coolmine level crossing, to create a concrete flyover that cuts through Station Court and Riverwood Court.
I oppose the plan, specifically Irish Rail’s Emerging Preferred Option, the erection of a concrete road-bridge or flyover at St. Mochta’s/Station Court, leading to Riverwood.
Plans to electrify the train line and bring the Dart to Maynooth are to be welcomed, however I oppose Irish Rail’s plans to build or erect a concrete road-bridge (flyover).
Instead, I wish Irish Rail to keep and upgrade the level crossing at Coolmine, to improve signalling and reduce closure times at the level crossing, while work begins to electrify the Maynooth train line. Reduced closure times was part of the original intention when the signalling was upgraded in 2001, but that improvement has never been realised by Irish Rail. The level crossing and signalling can be upgraded while work on the electrification of the line begins, and we know from studies carried out at other prominent junctions in Dublin, that automated signalling results in massive reductions in railway crossing closure times.
I wish Irish Rail to delay its plans and public consultations on the future of Coolmine level crossing until the Covid-19 pandemic passes, when it will be safe for people to meet and independent reviews can be undertaken into the long-term future of Coolmine crossing.
- The community has had minimal, if any, notice of the Irish Rail plans. We have not been able to meet to discuss the proposals due to Covid-19 restrictions. This plan should be shelved until after restrictions; then a proper plan can be drawn up, and public consultations can be carried out in the correct public fashion.
- One impact of the proposed nine-metre-high, 12-metre-wide flyover is that it will irreparably damage our local environment including the destruction of access to residents’ houses, and the removal of flora & fauna in the neighbourhood. Local wildlife will be put at risk, with considerable numbers of birds, rabbits, foxes, badgers, bats, hedgehogs and other animals endangered – once inflicted, this loss cannot be recovered.
Irish Rail has already acknowledged that a concrete road-bridge or flyover through St. Mochta’s/Station Court to Riverwood will have a major damaging effect on the local environment, far more damaging than any other option.
- This neighbourhood has been tended extensively by Fingal County Council parks department, assisted by local residents to maintain this essential amenity. It contains essential green space, including mature trees, parkland, communal gardens, cycle lanes, cul-de-sacs, and invaluable space for our children to play safely. A concrete flyover or road-bridge will destroy that necessary amenity.
- A concrete flyover or road-bridge to be built within a few metres of our homes will lead to enormous increases in air and noise pollution, endangering the health and quality of life for all in the local community either side of the railway.
- A concrete flyover or road-bridge will drive thousands of motorists to Coolmine train station, flooding our neighbourhood with cars and defeating the government’s stated intention of encouraging the public to use public transport or cycle.
- The Fingal County Council Local Area Plan has ruled out the construction of a concrete road-bridge/flyover between St Mochta’s and Riverwood.
- More cars being channelled into our residential neighbourhood via a concrete flyover (road-bridge) will create even greater traffic congestion (at Blanchardstown Town Centre, Blanchardstown village, Coolmine, Carpenterstown, and right down to Chapelizod village), than the already considerable congestion the railway is causing in these neighbourhoods.
- As proven by the visible evidence at many other such constructions, a concrete flyover or road-bridge will encourage anti-social behaviour and crime.
- The station is already well served by public transport – the 37 and 39 buses drop commuters within a five-minute or less walk of Coolmine station.
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate my objection to this inadequate and destructive plan, and I request Irish Rail to delay any further plans & consultations until after the pandemic is over, but instead plan for the upgrade of signalling and improved operation at Coolmine level crossing.
Ms E, 24 Sept
The proposed option for a new bridge at Riverwood/St Mochta’s/Stationcourt needs to be withdrawn for the following reasons:
Irish Rail plan to build a road bridge, similar in scale and size to the Dr Troy Bridge. They want to build in a quiet cul-de-sac in Riverwood and Stationcourt/Mochtas. The bridge will be an prominent eyesore, not only for residents in properties facing it, but for those in the neighbouring areas.
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
Physical and mental health have never been more important as we now have to live with COVID. Green space is a valued amenity for all residents – adults and children alike. The proposal from Irish Rial will destroy these green areas. Pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station, will all be affected.
Reduced vehicular traffic, in the newly created cul-de-sac, will introduce a risk of antisocial behaviour for the area
The information available on the Irish Rail website is difficult to find, read and navigate. For those without computer equipment and/or strong ICT and literacy skills it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to access. Public webinars held by Irish Rail to date have not been well advertised
Keeping one level crossing open will not prevent the electrification of the Maynooth line. Irish Rail have not considered all of the possibilities for keeping Coolmine Level Crossing open, such as improving safety and upgrading signalling and gate closure times.
There are a number of colour coding errors evident in the multi criteria analysis carried out by Irish Rail to justify their decision to identify Option 3 / the proposed bridge as their ’emerging preferred option’. Once these colour coding errors are accounted for, it is very difficult to understand how Option 3 / the proposed bridge through Riverwood was identified as the best option for Coolmine Level Crossing.
Covid has changed the way we work and subsequently how frequently we commute. The traffic survey used by Irish Rail to support this project was undertaken before COVID. It puts a priority on motorists over residential amenities when this is clearly not required at present.
Local car journeys for residents will be complicated. Residents of Riverwood will have difficulty leaving their own estates. Simple journeys that we all take for granted (e.g. to go to the nearest supermarket at Roselawn Shopping Centre) will become lengthier and more frustrating
Other options proposed by Irish Rail provided better integration and traffic flow. There will be longer journeys in cars for people trying to drive to the Dart station and there is significant risk that the Coolmine road will be a haven for illegal parking.
Mr K, 24 Sept
I strongly object to the proposed bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt. I am a Riverwood Court Resident and object for the following reasons:
The much used Green area at Riverwood Court will be destroyed and made unusable for children and adults.
The increase of traffic and road pollution will take it impossible for residents to use of what small amount of Green Space, if any, that is left.
The increase of road traffic will make it unsafe for children and adults to walk to local creches and schools.
Traffic congestion will make the simple task of leaving the estate by car extremely difficult at peak times.
A quiet residential area will be reduced to a building site, forcing residents to sell their homes and reduce the value of existing properties.
The pedestrian route from Riverwood Court to the Train Station via Riverwood Hall will be cut off. This will make the walking route to the station longer.
Irish Rail has made no contact with residents informing us of their plans and the very short consultation process.
Irish Rail has already started to survey the site despite the consultation process not being complete. A worker from Murphy Surveys (murphysurveys.ie) was on the site of the Riverwood Court green from 9am on Thursday the 24th of September.
There are other options including the upgrading of the existing signalling system and leave the level crossing in place. This would be be a fraction of the cost and more environmentally friendly.
I am cc’ing my local representatives with my concerns and hope that a sensible solution be found that protects and respects local residents as well as the environment.
Mr R, 24 Sept
The proposed option for a new bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt needs to be withdrawn for the following reasons:
Irish Rail plan to build a road bridge, similar in scale and size to the Dr Troy Bridge. They want to build in a quiet cul-de-sac in Riverwood and Stationcourt/Mochtas. The bridge will be an prominent eyesore, not only for residents in properties facing it, but for those in the neighbouring areas.
Reduced vehicular traffic, in the newly created cul-de-sac, will introduce a risk of antisocal behaviour for the area
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
Physical and mental health have never been more important as we now have to live with COVID. Green space is a valued amenity for all residents – adults and children alike. The proposal from Irish Rial will destroy these green areas. Pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station, will all be affected.
Covid has changed the way we work and subsequently how frequently we commute. The traffic survey used by Irish Rail to support this project was undertaken before COVID. It puts a priority on motorists over residental amenities when this is clearly not required at present.
Local car journeys for residents will be complicated. Residents of Riverwood will have difficulty leaving their own estates. Simple journeys that we all take for granted (e.g. to go to the nearest supermarket at Roselawn Shopping Centre) will become lengthier and more frustrating
The Riverwood distributor (ring) road is already congested at peak times. With the closure of Clonsilla and Porterstown level crossings to traffic, the proposed bridge through Riverwood would bring additional volume of cars through this route, leading to increased traffic congestion. Future development planned for the area (e.g. at Kellystown) will put further pressure on the local road network.
Other options proposed by Irish Rail provided better integration and traffic flow. There will be longer journeys in cars for people trying to drive to the Dart station and there is significant risk that the Coolmine road will be a haven for illegal parking.
Irish Rail claim that closing level crossings is necessary for safety reasons but any increase in traffic in the local area will have a negative impact on road safety for everyone, particularly pedestrians and cyclists who will have to navigate much busier and more dangerous roads. The impact of increased numbers of cars and increased congestion on the local fire station and other emergency services, as well as access to local schools is not clear.
The time frame for the public consultation has been extremely short, particularly as it is taking place at a time when it is difficult for residents to meet and discuss issues raised due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The information available on the Irish Rail website is difficult to find, read and navigate. For those without computer equipment and/or strong ICT and literacy skills it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to access. Public webinars held by Irish Rail to date have not been well advertised
Many residents of Riverwood did not receive notification from Irish Rail that a public consultation was underway.
There are a number of colour coding errors evident in the multi criteria analysis carried out by Irish Rail to justify their decision to identify Option 3 / the proposed bridge as their ’emerging preferred option’. Once these colour coding errors are accounted for, it is very difficult to understand how Option 3 / the proposed bridge through Riverwood was identified as the best option for Coolmine Level Crossing.
Keeping one level crossing open will not prevent the electrification of the Maynooth line. Irish Rail have not considered all of the possibilities for keeping Coolmine Level Crossing open, such as improving safety and upgrading signalling and gate closure times.
Irish Rail haven’t taken into account the busy pedestrian route through Riverwood Court and Riverwood Hall to the level crossing which is used by Irish Rail customers, as well as individuals and families accessing childcare and other amenities on the other side of the level crossing. Since there are such severe shortages in the availability of early years childcare services in Dublin 15 at present, any development that will hinder access such facilities, particularly by foot, will have significant equality and social inclusion implications. These matters should have been taken into account during the MCA process.
Ms C, 23 Sept
The proposed option for a new bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt needs to be withdrawn for the following reasons:
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
Physical and mental health have never been more important as we now have to live with COVID. Green space is a valued amenity for all residents – adults and children alike. The proposal from Irish Rial will destroy thes green areas. Pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station, will all be affected.
Reduced vehicular traffic, in the newly created cul-de-sac, will introduce a risk of antisocal behaviour for the area
Local car journeys for residents will be complicated. Residents of Riverwood will have difficulty leaving their own estates. Simple journeys that we all take for granted (e.g. to go to the nearest supermarket at Roselawn Shopping Centre) will become lengthier and more frustrating
The Riverwood distributor (ring) road is already congested at peak times. With the closure of Clonsilla and Porterstown level crossings to traffic, the proposed bridge through Riverwood would bring additional volume of cars through this route, leading to increased traffic congestion. Future development planned for the area (e.g. at Kellystown) will put further pressure on the local road network.
Irish Rail claim that closing level crossings is necessary for safety reasons but any increase in traffic in the local area will have a negative impact on road safety for everyone, particularly pedestrians and cyclists who will have to navigate much busier and more dangerous roads. The impact of increased numbers of cars and increased congestion on the local fire station and other emergency services, as well as access to local schools is not clear.
The time frame for the public consultation has been extremely short, particularly as it is taking place at a time when it is difficult for residents to meet and discuss issues raised due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The information available on the Irish Rail website is difficult to find, read and navigate. For those without computer equipment and/or strong ICT and literacy skills it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to access. Public webinars held by Irish Rail to date have not been well advertised
Many residents of Riverwood did not receive notification from Irish Rail that a public consultation was underway.
There are a number of colour coding errors evident in the multi criteria analysis carried out by Irish Rail to justify their decision to identify Option 3 / the proposed bridge as their ’emerging preferred option’. Once these colour coding errors are accounted for, it is very difficult to understand how Option 3 / the proposed bridge through Riverwood was identified as the best option for Coolmine Level Crossing.
Keeping one level crossing open will not prevent the electrification of the Maynooth line. Irish Rail have not considered all of the possibilities for keeping Coolmine Level Crossing open, such as improving safety and upgrading signalling and gate closure times.
Irish Rail haven’t taken into account the busy pedestrian route through Riverwood Court and Riverwood Hall to the level crossing which is used by Irish Rail customers, as well as individuals and families accessing childcare and other amenities on the other side of the level crossing. Since there are such severe shortages in the availability of early years childcare services in Dublin 15 at present, any development that will hinder access such facilities, particularly by foot, will have significant equality and social inclusion implications. These matters should have been taken into account during the MCA process.
Mr D, 23 Sept
I object to the current proposed bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
Local necessary car journeys will be made more complicated and take longer. Residents of Glenville, Delwood, Riverwood will have difficulty leaving their own estates. Simple journeys that we all take for granted (e.g. to go to the nearest supermarkets/local businesses at Carpenterstown, Roselawn Shopping Centre, drops to school and creche etc) will become lengthier and more frustrating. A new bridge over the railway at current position, or over the Irish rail car park would be a much better option for local people.
The option of dropping the railway line below the road in a cut and cover approach could be feasible allowing the current road to remain or with a slight hump bridge. The construction methodology could work due to the distance to the other stations on the line allowing for decline /incline on the track.
Keeping one level crossing open will not prevent the electrification of the Maynooth line. Irish Rail have not considered all of the possibilities for keeping Coolmine Level Crossing open, such as improving safety and upgrading signalling and gate closure times. It would be possible to keep the existing level crossing and close the road completely at peak times (7-10am and 4-7pm). On off peak times and Saturday and Sunday the volume of trains is considerably less and the crossing could be managed with new gates and signalling.
I look forward to a review of the options and alternatives being proposed by Irish rail so that planning and build can commence to enhance the service for the benefit of all residents and stakeholders.
Mr W, 22 Sept
Q.1 Do you own or occupy property located within the immediate vicinity of the proposed development? Owner
Q.2 Do you support the principle of the DART+ Maynooth Line project? (electrification of the existing rail line and increasing train capacity): Yes
Please expand on your answer: Electrification of the line will provide a more environmentally friendly option for public transport with a better train frequency, the possibility of more stations and better connectivity to the existing DART system for more streamlined travel (less changes).
Q.3 What aspects of the project are of most interest to you? Option 3 Coolmine level crossing
Q.4 Do you have any comments, suggestions, ideas on the Emerging Preferred Option being presented? Building a large elevated concrete road bridge no more than 500 metres from an existing large elevated concrete road bridge (Dr Troy bridge) over the same rail and canal will
effectively hem in the Riverwood estate and severely impact on the local environment leading to increased air and noise pollution. This is an ill conceived plan for the Coolmine level crossing that ignores the detrimental impact on the local community on both sides of the proposed bridge and flies in the face of attempts to limit motor vehicle usage and traffic volumes in the area. The current crossing acts as a means of restricting the volume of traffic choosing to cross over the canal so the proposed construction will increase traffic.
Q.5 Please share any other comments you have on the project:
- Construction of an elevated concrete road bridge would be expensive and unnecessary waste of public money when a cheaper upgrade of the existing level crossing could be achieved.
- The construction of the elevated concrete road bridge would remove mature trees and green space amenity from Riverwood that is used by the local community. It would also have a detrimental impact on the canal environment and the wildlife that exists in it.
- Modelling on traffic flows and public transport requirements for Dublin 15 needs to be revised since the current pandemic has fundamentally changed the need for city centre office space.
Q6 Will the improved services encourage you to change from travelling by private car to public transport? No
Please expand on your answer: I currently use the train anyway without problem. I also cannot see a future scenario when, as a public servant, or others working for Government will return to a five day week in the city centre.
Ms F, 21 Sept
I object to the proposed bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
The emerging preferred option will see a bridge, similar in height to Dr Troy Bridge, built in a quiet cul-de-sac in Riverwood and Stationcourt/Mochtas. This bridge will be visually obtrusive, not only for residents in properties facing it, but for those in the surrounding area.
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
The proposed bridge will destroy green areas used by resident children and adults. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, these green spaces have become more important than ever for the mental and physical health of residents. These green areas are also used frequently by pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station.
I object in the strongest terms to this proposed development.
Ms A, 21 Sept
I object to the proposed bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
The Riverwood distributor (ring) road is already congested at peak times. Having lived in the area for the last 20 years, I can also attest to the huge increase in the volume of traffic using Dr Troy Bridge. Poor planning in relation to the location of schools has only added to this. On school mornings a normal 5 minute car journey over the bridge and back becomes 30 minutes.
With the closure of Clonsilla and Porterstown level crossings to traffic, the proposed bridge through Riverwood would bring additional volume of cars through this route, leading to increased traffic congestion. Future development planned for the area (e.g. at Kellystown with approximately 3,500 dwellings in the pipeline) will heap further pressure on the local road network. The existing proposal to funnel all the current and future traffic through Riverwood must be rejected. I am not objecting to the closure of the level crossings but to the proposed solution proffered by Irish Rail. It is not “the preferred option” despite the use of such language by Irish Rail.
Additionally, the planning failure to include a thoroughfare for vehicular traffic via the Clonsilla level crossing is hard to understand. Surely Irish Rail planners are au fait with the huge increase in housing in the Hansfield/Ongar area. It defies common sense to funnel all that traffic down towards Riverwood making journeys longer unnecessarily and the consequential impact of same on the environment.
Local car journeys for residents will also be impacted. Residents of Riverwood will have difficulty leaving their own estates. Simple journeys that we all take for granted (e.g. to go to the nearest supermarket at Roselawn Shopping Centre) will become lengthier and more frustrating.
Irish Rail were not aware of the busy pedestrian route through Riverwood Court and Riverwood Hall to the level crossing (per responses to questions at a webinar on 7 Sept. 2020), which is routinely used by Irish Rail customers, as well as individuals and families accessing childcare and other amenities on the other side of the level crossing. Since there are such severe shortages in the availability of early years childcare services in Dublin 15 at present, any development that will hinder access such facilities, particularly by foot, will have significant equality and social inclusion implications. The failure of Irish Rail to take this route into account in MCA1 or MCA2 raises further questions about the accuracy, reliability and thoroughness of their analysis to date.
There are a number of colour coding errors evident in the multi criteria analysis matrices prepared by Irish Rail to justify their decision to identify Option 3 / the proposed bridge as their ’emerging preferred option’. For example, in the document ‘Annex 9.3B Stage 2 MCA Level Crossing matrices’ (available on the Irish Rail website), the following parameters have been assigned the wrong colour code: Option 1 parameters 1.1, 1.2, 5.3, 6.2; Option 3 parameter 3.2; Option 4 parameter 3.6, Option 6 parameters 3.2, 5.3 and 6.2. Once these colour coding errors are accounted for, it is very difficult to see how Option 3 / the proposed bridge through Riverwood was identified as the ’emerging preferred option’ for Coolmine Level Crossing.
The emerging preferred option will see a bridge, similar in height to Dr Troy Bridge, built in a quiet cul-de-sac in Riverwood and Stationcourt/Mochtas. This bridge will be visually obtrusive, not only for residents in properties facing it, but for those in the surrounding area.
A cul-de-sac at Coolmine train station will introduce a risk of antisocial behaviour as there will be a lack of passing vehicular traffic.
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered yet the intention of Irish Rail is to proceed anyway.
The emerging preferred route is not acceptable. Further consideration by Irish Rail is now required in order to reach an agreed solution with those it will impact the most.
Mr J, 21 Sept
I object to the proposed bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
The proposed bridge will destroy green areas used by resident children and adults. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, these green spaces have become more important than ever for the mental and physical health of residents. These green areas are also used frequently by pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station.
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
Irish Rail claim that closing level crossings is necessary for safety reasons but any increase in traffic in the local area will have a negative impact on road safety for everyone, particularly pedestrians and cyclists who will have to navigate much busier and more dangerous roads. The impact of increased numbers of cars and increased congestion on the local fire station and other emergency services, as well as access to local schools is not clear.
The time frame for the public consultation has been extremely short, particularly as it is taking place at a time when it is difficult for residents to meet and discuss issues raised due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Ms L, 21 Sept
I object to the proposed bridge at Riverwood/Stationcourt for the following reasons:
Moving traffic from its existing route and bringing it into a quiet residential area will have a devastating impact on living conditions, increasing noise and air pollution, and impacting the health and well-being of residents. According to Irish Rail’s MCA2, the bridge through Riverwood/Stationcourt is the option that will directly impact the most residential properties of the four options considered.
The proposed bridge will destroy green areas used by resident children and adults. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, these green spaces have become more important than ever for the mental and physical health of residents. These green areas are also used frequently by pedestrians, joggers, walkers and cyclists who live in the surrounding areas, including Irish Rail customers accessing the station.
The emerging preferred option will see a bridge, similar in height to Dr Troy Bridge, built in a quiet cul-de-sac in Riverwood and Stationcourt/Mochtas. This bridge will be visually obtrusive, not only for residents in properties facing it, but for those in the surrounding area.
The Riverwood distributor (ring) road is already congested at peak times. With the closure of Clonsilla and Porterstown level crossings to traffic, the proposed bridge through Riverwood would bring additional volume of cars through this route, leading to increased traffic congestion. Future development planned for the area (e.g. at Kellystown) will put further pressure on the local road network.
Local car journeys for residents will also be complicated. Residents of Riverwood will have difficulty leaving their own estates. Simple journeys that we all take for granted (e.g. to go to the nearest supermarket at Roselawn Shopping Centre) will become lengthier and more frustrating.
Irish Rail were not aware of the busy pedestrian route through Riverwood Court and Riverwood Hall to the level crossing (per responses to questions at a webinar on 7 Sept. 2020), which is routinely used by Irish Rail customers, as well as individuals and families accessing childcare and other amenities on the other side of the level crossing. Since there are such severe shortages in the availability of early years childcare services in Dublin 15 at present, any development that will hinder access such facilities, particularly by foot, will have significant equality and social inclusion implications. The failure of Irish Rail to take this route into account in MCA1 or MCA2 raises further questions about the accuracy and reliability of their analysis to date.
Mr F, 20 Sept
Q.1 Do you own or occupy property located within the immediate vicinity of the proposed development? Owner
Q.2 Do you support the principle of the DART+ Maynooth Line project? (electrification of the existing rail line and increasing train capacity): Yes
Q.3 What aspects of the project are of most interest to you? First & foremost we are in favour of progress. The electrification of the Maynooth line is progress, but how this is achieved is what I am opposed to, Iarnroad Eireann’s proposal to build a bridge through residential areas.
Q.4 Do you have any comments, suggestions, ideas on the Emerging Preferred Option being presented? The proposed construction of an overbridge and road, cutting through Riverwood Court will have more negative than positive outcomes.
Q.5 Please share any other comments you have on the project: We do not ordinarily object to matters but this proposal has hit an accord with us for the following reasons;
- We are living in Riverwood since 1999. Riverwood and the surrounding Carpenterstown area is a lovely, neighbourly, quiet place that we chose to rear our family in. If this proposal proceeds than Riverwood would be nestled between the bridge behind Riverwood Square and this new bridge.
- Riverwood would become a thoroughfare for all re-directed traffic in the area. These huge volumes of traffic would result in an already congested traffic situation at certain times during the day. Potentially there would be more accidents too as traffic would be passing in residential areas which are also home to a number of schools.
- This bridge would have a huge impact on our quality of life, mental health and wellbeing.
- Environmentally the construction of the bridge would result in the destruction of trees, further deletion of our scarce green spaces and that does not even consider the inevitable noise pollution that would ensue.
Mr M, 18 Sept
I wish or object to Option 3 (Riverwood Court bridge) regarding the Coolmine Level Crossing for the following reasons:
a) This has all been discussed previously and the Fingal Development Plan rules out such a bridge. It would be a serious attack on local democracy and the views of local representatives to resurrect such a proposal.
b) The amount of roundabouts is already too many, given the number of schools – ironically, the traffic delays at the level crossing have reduced the dangers of such roundabouts. A further roundabout, at the entrance to Riverwood Court, would increase road safety difficulties.
c) The build-up of traffic was only for a an hour morning and evening, and even this no longer applies with the reduced traffic volume, generally.
Regarding alternatives, I am disappointed to see that the “rapid lift” gates such as are used at Lansdowne Road and Sandymount are not included as an option. I’ve heard rumors Irish Rail would like to replace them with bridges but that is too aspirational at this stage to underpin their exclusion from the Maynooth line considerations. (The Shannon drainage is “proposed” since 1927 and who now remembers the National Spatial Strategy proposals.). Given the amount of bridge-building envisaged, overall, along the Maynooth Line, the actual use of such gates on the DART, and the rapidly-growing opposition to the Riverwood Bridge option at Coolmine, “rapid lifting” gates should be pencilled-in for at least this one level crossing.
Ms L, 18 Sept
I am a homeowner living in Riverwood Court, Carpenterstown, Dublin 15.
While I am in favour of the electrification of the Maynooth line, I am completely opposed to the selection of Option 3 (the proposed construction of an overbridge and road, cutting through Riverwood Court).
Having read Irish Rail’s Preliminary Selections Report, it is unclear to me why Option 3 has been selected as the “Emerging Preferred Option”. The Stage 1 MCA Matrix (on p.142 of the report) appears to show that Option 3 compares unfavourably to Options 1 and 6 (overbridge at Coolmine Rd & east of Coolmine Rd respectively). If this matrix is correct, Option 3 is the least preferred option of the three in terms of Integration, Social Inclusion and Physical Activity, compares unfavourably to Option 1 in terms of Environment and is on an equal standing with the other two options in terms of Economy and Safety. Perhaps the rationale for this result might be clarified? A less costly option would be to simply upgrade the signalling system and leave the level crossing in place. This would reduce the amount of time that the gates are closed and make for a more efficient system for both road and train users.
As a Riverwood Court resident, I believe that the implementation of Option 3 will result in increased traffic, increased noise levels (in what is a very quiet neighbourhood), increased air pollution and, generally, a less safe environment for the many young families in the area. Ultimately, this proposal will destroy the character of the estate, changing it from a nice, peaceful, green, child-friendly area into one which is noisy, congested with traffic and its resultant pollution, with limited green spaces for the many children in the estate.
In terms of traffic, it should be noted that the construction of a road-bridge from Station Court to Riverwood Court will result in enormous increases in traffic into Riverwood Court and surrounding residential areas. The bridge will be a through route for all traffic from southside, via Knockmaroon Hill, to Clonsilla Rd. It will also be an alternative route for access from Clonsilla/Ongar and surrounding areas to the M50 and the Navan Rd via Laurel Lodge. On top of this, it will be used by traffic from Clonsilla/Ongar to the City Centre and the Phoenix Park, via Laurel Lodge and Castleknock Village. This will be all day, not only at peak times. Also, 3,000 new homes are planned for Kellystown and this will add hugely to traffic volumes. Apart from the obvious increases in noise and air pollution, this increase will also result in more Road Traffic Accidents and will pose dangers to our children walking and cycling to school and other activities.
While the broad aim of the project (increased environmental-friendliness) is laudable, it is ironic that this is to be achieved by steps which are environmentally-unfriendly.
In view of my points above, I wish to again state I am strongly opposed to Irish Rail’s selection of Option 3.
Mr R, 18 Sept
I am shocked and deeply concerned to learn of Iarnroad Eireann’s proposal to build a bridge through the entrance of the Riverwood Court estate. This would be absolutely devastating for the residents of Riverwood which is a quiet residential estate, residents who are paying mortgages and property tax based on the estate as it was designed and developed over approximately 20 years ago. It would also have a huge negative impact on the residents of surrounding areas of Carpenterstown as well.
This bridge would have a huge impact on our quality of life, mental health and wellbeing. It would bring huge volumes of traffic, congestion and potentially more accidents to this residential area which is also home to a number of schools. It would impact hugely on the local environment in terms of destruction of trees and green spaces not to mention noise pollution.
I am in favour of progress in terms of electrifying the Maynooth line but not at the expense of causing such damage to a lovely, quiet, residential area and surrounding areas.
Mr D, 18 Sept
This submission used the online form.
Q.1 Do you own or occupy property located within the immediate vicinity of the proposed development?: Owner
Q.2 Do you support the principle of the DART+ Maynooth Line project? (electrification of the existing rail line and increasing train capacity): Yes
Q.3 What aspects of the project are of most interest to you?: The proposed construction of an overbridge and road, cutting through Riverwood Court.
Q.4 Do you have any comments, suggestions, ideas on the Emerging Preferred Option being presented?: It is unclear, reading Irish Rail’s Preliminary Selections Selection Report, why Option 3 (the construction of an overbridge and road through Riverwood Court) has become the “Emerging Preferred Option”. The Stage 1 MCA Matrix (on p.142 of the report) appears to show that Option 3 compares unfavourably to Options 1 and 6 (overbridge at Collmine Rd & east of Coolmine Rd respectively). If this matrix is correct, Option 3 is the least preferred option of the three in terms of Integration, Social Inclusion and Physical Activity, compares unfavourably to Option 1 in terms of Environment and is on an equal standing with the the other two options in terms of Economy and Safety. Perhaps the rationale for this result might be clarified?
Q.5 Please share any other comments you have on the project.: As a Riverwood Court resident, I believe that the implementation of Option 3 will result in increased traffic, increased noise levels (in what is a very quiet neighbourhood), increased air pollution and, generally, a less safe environment for the many young families in the area. Ultimately, this proposal will destroy the character of the estate. It is ironic that the broad project’s environmental aims are to be achieved only by steps which are environmentally-unfriendly.
Q.6 Will the improved services encourage you to change from travelling by private car to public transport?: No
Ms D, 17 Sept
I am a resident in Riverwood and I’m writing to express my heartfelt objection to the proposed bridge being built in Riverwood. It will cause a huge impact to the local and even not so local residents as it will remove the local green areas so important for children and families, as well as about 20 mature trees.
The appeal of our estate, and the reason most of us have chosen to live in it is the tranquillity and safety. That will be effectively destroyed with the introduction of this bridge, and me and many (all I’ve talked to)residents are strongly apposed. Please forward the emails on to whoever relevant as we really need a voice in this, it would be extremely devastating to our community.
Thank you for your time,
Mr P, 17 Sept
I’m writing to express my concern on the proposed bridge that would connect St Mochta’s Grove/Stationcourt to Riverwood Court.
As a Riverwood resident, the Dart+ program sounds extremely promising, and I understand a project like this is not with compromise. Initially I assumed this was a foot bridge, however, I was shocked to learn of the size and impact of what’s been proposed. It seems very extreme to me to propose bringing a significant portion of motor traffic cutting right through a small residential estate. It clear in my opinion that the road into Riverwood Court road was only purposed to facilitate access in and out of the estate – it is not and should be repurposed as a main road. There will be clear negative impact on the surrounding green areas, noise pollution, and general safety that the community currently enjoys. While the electrification of the line brings several key environmental benefits, it feels like the environmental impacts are being shifted elsewhere, in this case by ruining a residential estate.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email, and I hope you can re-access the options available.
Ms B, 16 Sept
I am a resident of Riverwood, Dublin 15. I live right beside Riverwood Court and every day I walk my dogs through the estate. It is a nice quiet peaceful estate.
The train runs directly beside my house and Irish Rail are always very helpful with notifications about maintenance works being done on the tracks. I believe there is a good relationship with our local community and Irish Rail.
However the proposal of the new bridge is extremely concerning for us all. It will destroy beautiful green areas and will massively increase noise and air pollution. Not to mention the drastic increase in traffic congestion. This is going to have a terrible impact on living conditions in the area. We moved to a quiet estate to get away from traffic, not to have it zooming by us.
Is it not possible to build the bridge directly over where the current crossing is now? That seems to make the most sense.
I strongly object to this bridge being built.
AB, 17 Sept
I am a resident of Riverwood and it has recently come to my attention that Irish Rail is considering possible solutions regarding rail line crossing in the area.
Clearly, to any reasonable person, the only practical solution is to install some sort of self-closing gates (not sure how they are called), similar to those along the DART. It is surprising beyond belief that Irish Rail even considers a visual monstrosity of a full-blown bridge over an established residential neighbourhood, destroying the green where the children play, increasing the noise pollution in the process – only circa 500 meters from another visual sore of a bridge, Dr Troy Bridge!
When the planner considers major infrastructural projects such as bridges in a brand new neighbourhood, future residents can make an informed decision before choosing to live under or near a bridge. But to bring a brand new bridge in the middle of an established neighbourhood out of the blue is unacceptable. This is not a LEGO set, people live here. Other, cheaper, solutions, such as self-closing gates, are available. I hope your planning office sees that.
J, 17 Sept
Totally against the construction of the bridge.
Reasons:
- Loss of Nature and animals that are always around.
- Traffic
- Noise
- Loss of tranquility.
- Also when buying the house I was not informed that there was any plan to build a bridge in the middle of the green area.
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