Work on Metrolink to commence 'within next two years', says Chambers

Vivienne Clarke

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers has said he is hopeful work on MetroLink will commence “within the next two years”.

Welcoming the acquisition by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) of a site on O'Connell Street for the development of MetroLink, Chambers told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that the development was a sign of a government “willing to get on with trying to build MetroLink.”

The site, which spans around 200 metres along O'Connell Street and is approximately two acres in size, was once home to the Carlton Cinema and had formed part of a €500 million redevelopment plan for the area by the UK-based property group.

TII said bringing the site into public ownership is a significant step in facilitating the delivery of MetroLink, but will also allow it to work with Dublin City Centre Taskforce on a masterplan for the redevelopment of the capital's main street.

“I think we can really build an exciting vision for the north inner city, regenerating O'Connell Street and the wider north inner city with more housing, more commercial opportunity and also having a metro system running through the north inner city was a huge opportunity for regeneration.

"I think we'll see now the work of Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Dublin City Taskforce, I suppose, collaborate on what's possible in the context of ensuring we build MetroLink but also put regeneration first, which many people have been hearing about for years. And this is what we've asked the Transport Infrastructure Ireland team to do.

“We're a government that wants to build MetroLink, wants to start it. I know people have been hearing about it for too long. We've prioritised it in the sector investment plan with Minister O'Brien in terms of transport investment.”

Chambers said MetroLink would “probably” take about 10 years to build and that building would commence in the next two years.

When asked about the “final” price of MetroLink and if there would be “an outer limit”, the Minister said that would be set out of government, but they had yet to receive a formal limit or formal cost range as it was being finalised.

“When we receive that we'll set it out in detail.”

“We'll be doing everything to ensure value for money and ensure that it's delivered.”

“We will make an informed decision on the base of the costings that we receive and we'll set that out when that concludes.

The Department of Transport has considered different alternatives and they've published that in recent years. They've set out very clearly from a transport perspective how MetroLink is critical around wider housing supply in North Dublin to build low carbon transportation, connecting and having a rail link to the airport as well is of significant importance.”

Chambers said there had been “extensive cost benefit analysis” which the government would receive when they make a final decision on MetroLink “in the early autumn.”