These works have annoyed a lot of people. They are in place to facilitate the works at Kishoge Train Station so it can open, following delays that led to an avoidable €3.8m refurb being required. But this means the original car park is no longer in the plans. Read on…
This update 26th August 2024, replaces previous updates 1st August, 29th May, 14th May, 15th March, 6th Dec 2023, 5th October 2023. I have changed the name of the article from earlier because not everyone is familiar with term R136 in its own right.
26th August
The train station opened today. The official launch was held at noon with lots of dignitaries and speeches. Reference is made to the station opening after a “short delay” of 15 years or so. If it’s a joke, it’s not funny.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see, but it’s been a nightmare of bad planning and bureaucratic incompetence. This station will serve the future residents of Kishoge Urban Centre in the Clonburris SDZ well, but it does not meet the needs of the existing population of Lucan who were blighted by badly planned housing developments as a result of dodgy decisions made in the 1980s and 1990s.
We had a chance to address this and open the station in 2009, but instead the NTA planned the station for future rather than existing residents and were facilitated in this by the way certain Councillors voted in the Clonburris SDZ plan in 2017/1 when we tried to tie in future house building with the opening of the station.
Now we have a less than ideal lane closure on the R136 to open the station as the original car park is no longer part of the plans (see earlier updates below). The delay also necessitated a €3.8 million refurb as the existing station fell into disrepair, exacerbated by vandalism and nature being let run riot (eg Badgers, pigeons etc causing additional mayhem).
Not to mention that there is still insufficient peak capacity on this suburban line and a lack of connection to Grand Canal Dock at weekends, as well as an inadequate feeder bus network (151, W4 only). Some improvements are promised down the line (if you pardon the pun) and I will keep the pressure on.
So excuse me for not joining the photo op or ribbon cutting part.
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1st August
NTA confirms that train station should be open by the 26th August to correspond with the new timetable launched for the previous day. It's a pity the works outlined below were needed.
This new timetable (https://www.irishrail.ie/getmedia/35a51b65-354a-4dca-a617-c0677be385e1/Table-0102-DubCorkLimkDub_v2.pdf) is also still not meeting the needs of people locally, but that's another discussion.
29th May - Works commenced. The first casualty of the NTA not opening the train station in 2009 for the existing residents of Lucan and now necessitating a major €3.8million upgrade and off-street parking along the Grange Castle Road (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishoge_railway_station).
As an aside, a lot of people appear not to know of what was planned in advance apart from my own updates and this does not appear to have been referenced to any degree by SDCC (outside consultation portal) or by other elected representatives.
If we had got our way this station would have been open for existing residents long ago, but instead people were fobbed off that this station is for the new housing in Clonburris and our motions in 2018 to tie in the opening before housing provision were voted down by a number of political parties, including SF, SD and Labour and then upheld at the An Bord Pleanala hearing. An example of what we were looking for then is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/HD8zpMbvjbfTENAs/?mibextid=WC7FNe
If the station opened with the original car park in situ, there’s a reasonable chance any later planning application would have left it in situ even allowing for the urban centre master plan. If it was opened in 2009 as it should have been, then the car park would still be there today.
But in line with the SDZ masterplan, a planning application subsequently went in to change the original car park proposal and reconfigure it into a plaza adjacent to future housing units. The NTA supported this proposal. See planning permission granted here: https://planning.agileapplications.ie/southdublin/application-details/65211
This photo below was added later as I didn’t have a chance to put up in May. Train station is at top of map: Note plaza instead of car park.
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14th May - works to commence in late May/early June for a three month period
Statement from SDCC: "Proposed works along the R136 will commence in the coming fortnight comprising of the reallocation existing road space and installation of traffic calming, road safety and on-street parking measures at Kishoge Train Station (not yet opened) located within the Clonburris SDZ in the townland of Kishoge, County Dublin. These works are being undertaken on behalf of the Council under Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 (as amended). The works will last for approximately 10-12 weeks from when they commence.
"These works are needed to create a safer and more accessible environment to support the opening of the Kishoge Train Station and the impending development of this area as an urban centre in line with the Clonburris SDZ Planning Scheme."
In tandem with these works a speed limit reduction is being implemented on this stretch of road.
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Earlier update 15th March 2024 - The speed limit reduction has been passed. This will facilitate interim temporary car parallel "park and ride" parking on the R136 to facilitate works on Kishoge station. We were told at a meeting that Irish rail won't sign with the contractor to do works until they have car parking facilitated.
Earlier projections had the train station due to open in April of 2024, but this process has been delayed and current projections are for later in the year, date to be determined [later update says end August 2024]
Documentation for speed limit now agreed and works will get underway shortly.
ROAD TRAFFIC (R 136 KISHOGUE TRAIN STATION SPECIAL SPEED LIMIT) BYELAW 2024 –
Map of area dealt with
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6th December - Non-Statutory consultation on the Section 38 Traffic Calming proposal for the R136 – required to open Kishoge Station - has now concluded
(See consultation link at bottom for indicative drawings until new report becomes available)
We had an initial briefing on the plans and it appears that a permanent parking bay is going to be made out of one lane either side to create 56 standard spaces and four Universal Access spaces.
This will include new road markings, traffic signals and boxes etc and the works should be completed to enable the train station to open in April 2024.
In response to concerns about traffic being slower on this link road as a result, SDCC management said that the Clonburris SDZ future housing on either side would effectively change this road into an internal distributor road rather than a link road. An engineer also suggested that because it comes to a pinch point at Griffeen Avenue Lucan in any event, making it single lane will lead to less sudden congestion. This may be the case, however, but congestion will still exist and I doubt the same effect applies heading southwards towards Tallaght.
From a positive perspective, having the orbital W4 use the Bus Lane on this route now gives a better option between Lucan, North Clondalkin and Tallaght and allows follow on options from the train station, aside from park and ride.
I'll post up the revised documents as they become available.
---- Update 22nd October---
Non-statutory consultation has commenced on these plans. You can view and make submission at this link:
https://consult.sdublincoco.ie/en/consultation/r136-grange-castle-road-section-38-consultation
----- Earlier Update 5th October gives good overview -----
A four week non-statutory consultation has begun on plans to slow down traffic and create parking spaces on both sides of the R136 "Outer Ring Road" passing through the Clonburris SDZ. This is primarily driven by the need to finish the renovation works at Kishoge train station to enable it to finally open (current schedule April 2024).
If you want to make a submission on the consultation go to the portal link at the start of this article.
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