Navan railway project
dead?
By - Evan Short.
The Navan to Dublin railway project looks to be dead in
the water after it was revealed that one of two key
bridges along the M3 protecting the route is not being
built.
Site visits by the Meath Post to both locations at Pace
(Dunboyne) and Cannistown (Navan) has revealed that
whilst the bridge protecting the railway at Dunboyne is
being constructed, the bridge south of Navan is not, and
the M3 is now being built directly across the railway
alignment.
News of this missing bridge and its impact on the Navan
Dublin railway project is likely to be met with anger by
Meath's commuters.
However Iarnród Éireann claim that the NRA
have factored in the problem and will build embankments
to allow the railway to go ahead.
During the planning process for the M3 in 2003, concerns
were raised by Iarnród Éireann that
reopening of the Navan Dublin railway would be made too
costly if M3 planners were allowed cut the former railway
line in two by running the M3 through it without first
building a bridge.
Local railway campaigners, using information from
Iarnród Éireann, succeeded in obtaining the
insertion of two railway bridges in the M3 plans to
protect efforts to reopen the railway.
Under order of An Bord Pleanála, Meath County
Council drew up plans for one bridge at Dunboyne to
protect the former railway line, and another at
Cannistown just south of Navan.
As recently as 2006, Meath County Council planning office
insisted that both bridge plans remained on file and that
the Navan Dublin railway line was being protected.
An Bord Pleanála's ruling stated that a bridge to
allow the railway pass beneath the M3 similar to the
Dunboyne bridge should be constructed at Cannistown. The
instruction was that unless Iarnród Éireann
indicated that they intended following a new rail route
for at this section then the bridge as designed should be
inserted.
To run the line over the motorway would take an enormous
effort and massive cost, with a 26 foot embankment
required to run for kilometres on either side of the M3
to allow the railway pass above the motorway.
As late as last month, Iarnród Éireann
indicated that this section of the former line was being
retained, but the evidence in this photograph shows this
has not happened.
Despite this, a spokeswoman told the Meath Post that the
NRA are aware of their responsibilities.
"The (the NRA) are going to make provision and
embankments will be built that will allow the railway to
go ahead".
© Meath Post, 12th. July 2008.
