The opening of Dublins MetroLink in the mid-2030s is said to be looking like a pipe dream, as planners in An Bord Pleanala have instructed Transport Infrastructure Ireland to hold a secondary public consultation period to enable the public submissions on additional information submitted during the projects oral hearings.The oral hearing concluded four months ago, and consultation on the new information will run from August 19th to October 8th, 2024.An Bord Pleanalas ability to deal with large transport projects was recently questioned as it took two years to approve the Dart+ West project. In that case, the An Bord Pleanla board had its inspectors report for around 180 before making a decision on the project.MetroLinks railway order planning application was submitted in September 2022. If there is a similar time frame between an inspectors report being submitted to the board and the board publishing its decision, the project is unlikely to be decided on until at least mid-2025.Professor Brian Caulfield, head of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin, said: More consultation, this will bring us into a 3rd year of the planning process mid-2030s looking like a pipe dream for the delivery of Metro.Dublin Commuters, a group that advocates for better sustainable transport, said, Another round of consultation for MetroLink will surely lead to more delays to its implementation and increased costs.The group added: Well be encouraging everyone to submit positive responses when it reopens later this month.In a LinkedIn post, the official MetroLink account said: With the average worker spending almost a month and a half stuck in traffic each year in the capital, MetroLink is urgently needed to improve the quality of life for the people who work, live, and visit here.An oral hearing into the MetroLink project was held earlier this year. An Bord Pleanala has now instructed TII, to hold a secondary public consultation period, to enable the public to review and consider additional information submitted during that hearing, the MetroLink project team said.MetroLink said that all documentation for the second round of public consultation is available to view online at the Oral Hearing Documents for Second Round of Public Consultation section on www.metrolinkro.ie.Hard copies will also be available from August 19 2024 to October 8 2024 at An Bord Pleanala offices, Dublin City Council offices at Civic Offices at Wood Quay, Fingal County Council offices at County Hall in Swords, Transport Infrastructure Ireland offices at Parkgate Business Centre, National Transport Authority (NTA) offices Harcourt Lane and at Ballymun Library. TII said that a workstation with PC will also be available at TII offices to enable all relevant documentation to be accessible for individuals with visual impairments.IMAGES: Artist impressions of MetroLink, including it passing over the M50 and near Swords.