Irish Rail is to scale back its redevelopment plans for the Tara St commuter railway station in Dublin city centre.
In a revised planning application, the state-owned company has reduced the overall floor area of the Stg£40m scheme by 14,607 sq ft (1,357 sq m) to 189,505 sq ft (17,605 sq m).
Original proposals for a 15-storey glazed tower block facing directly across the River Liffey from Dublin’s tallest building, Liberty Hall, have been scaled back, with the height reduced from 60.8m to 44.9m. The plans also include 150,699 sq ft (14,000 sq m) of offices, as well as a restaurant and bar.
Tara St, Ireland’s busiest station, handles 25,000 passengers a day, or 7m annually, and has seen steady growth in passenger numbers in recent times serving commuters travelling into town from the Dublin coastline. The plans will facilitate passenger growth by doubling the station’s capacity.
While the reductions to the tower reflect planner resistance to tall buildings in Dublin, it will still be one of the highest towers in the Irish capital, located within a cluster of high buildings.
By including innovative features such as a “media wall’ displaying commuter information and advertising, the station development aims to be self-financing.
EGi News 14/11/01
