The Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe says the DART Underground project is being shelved because the tunnel needs to be redesigned.
Mr Donohoe has confirmed that the plan will not form part of the Government's five-year Capital Plan due next week.
He says the current design of the tunnel will not meet Dublin's needs - so it needs redesigning, even though the taxpayer has already spent €40m preparing it.
The estimated cost of the DART Underground was €3bn and the cost of the currently envisaged DART expansion programme is €4bn.
The National Transport Authority (NTA), was requested to review the DART Underground project in conjunction with the updating of the long term transport strategy for the Greater Dublin area.
The NTA recommended that the project be redesigned "to provide a lower cost technical solution, whilst retaining the required rail connectivity".
Minister Donohoe says he endorses the NTA recommendations, and intends to provide funding in the new Capital Plan to progress redesign and planning for the revised project.
The DART Underground is a rail link proposal, mostly underground, from the Northern Line just north of Connolly Station to Inchicore on the Kildare Line - and with stations located at Docklands, Pearse, St Stephen’s Green, Christchurch, Heuston and Inchicore.
The Authority has recommended the following:
- That the compulsory acquisition powers of the approved railway order for the DART Underground Project are not activated - i.e. the "notices to treat" are not issued
- That the DART Underground Project is redesigned to provide a lower cost technical solution for the project, whilst retaining the required rail connectivity
- That a new railway order is sought for the revised, lower cost DART Underground Project, together with any remaining elements of the overall DART Expansion Programme which have not already been approved under separate approval processes
- That the design and planning work of the revised DART Underground Project is advanced in order to be available for commencement of construction after 2020
- That the non-tunnelled elements of the DART Expansion Programme be progressed in line with available funding
