Dublin’s €3 billion DART Underground project is to be redesigned in a bid to cut costs, said Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe.
The Irish Government has adopted recommendations from the National Transport Authority (NTA) which was asked to review the DART Underground project.
NTA advocated a redesign of the project to identify a “lower cost technical solution”. It also said design and planning works needed to be advanced to allow construction work to start around 2020.
DART Underground is a proposed new line, most of which will be underground, from the Northern Line just north of Connolly Station to Inchicore on the Kildare Line.
It makes up the lion share of the €4 billion DART Expansion Programme, which involves various electrification schemes and an expansion of fleet and depot facilities.
Minister Donohoe said: “As government works to further stabilise the public finances, we must continue to seek the best value for taxpayers’ money in everything we do.
“A project of such magnitude – in the order of €4 billion – has to be designed and delivered in a way that best ensures cost effectiveness for the taxpayer and the State.”
