Details of the proposed rail link between Swords and Dublin city centre are being outlined at the first oral hearing into the MetroLink project this morning.
An Bord Pleanála will hear discussions and examinations of issues surrounding the project over the next five weeks.
An application for the construction of the Metro was lodged last September by Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
It proposes a railway linking Swords in north Dublin to Charlemont in Dublin's south city centre, with journeys taking 25 minutes.
Trains will run every 90 seconds and will be capable of carrying up to 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction and 53 million passengers a year.
Currently, the Luas Green Line can carry 9,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
Green Party TD for Dublin Central, Neasa Hourigan, says it'll be a great addition to the city:
"It'll take 53 million trips in it's first year and the majority of those will be cars taken off the road."
"It is a significant infrastructural piece. It's a huge investment for the state, but these big projects are often worth it. You know, we look at the Luas and the DART now and a lot of us, who live in neighbourhoods they serve, think God, how did we live without them? They're integral to get around the city."
At the opening of the oral hearing this morning it was revealed that the project would take 9 years to complete once consent is granted.
It's expected to cost around €9.5 billion on completion.
