Irish Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe announced that the DART Underground project will not proceed as currently designed but will be redesigned to provide a lower cost technical solution for the project.
The estimated cost of the currently designed DART Underground Project is EUR 3 billion and the cost of the currently envisaged DART Expansion Programme is EUR 4 billion. The EUR 4 billion is inclusive of the EUR 3 billion DART Underground Project.
This decision has been made in the context of preparations for the next Capital Plan from 2016.
The National Transport Authority was requested to review the Dart Underground project in conjunction with the updating of the long term transport strategy for the Greater Dublin Area region. Based on the outcome of the updated business case, the authority recommended that the project, which remains a key element of integrated transport for the Greater Dublin Area, be redesigned to provide a lower cost technical solution, whilst retaining the required rail connectivity.
‘A project of such magnitude – in the order of EUR 4 billion – has to be designed and delivered in a way that best ensures cost effectiveness for the taxpayer and the State. The overall DART Expansion Programme has a key role to play in delivering an efficient transport system and I intend to progress key elements of the overall Programme but the NTA’s recommendations that the tunnel element can be delivered at a reduced cost to the taxpayer have to be accepted,’ Minister Donohoe said.
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