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Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...
/ light rail system in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both lines have been extended and split into different branches further out of the city. The two lines, as of 2017, now intersect and connect within Dublin city centre. The system now has 67 stations and of revenue track, which in 2018 carried 41.8 million passengers, an increase of 11.2% compared to 2017. Luas is operated by
Transdev Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a French-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020. History The group was formed by the merger of ...
, under tender from
Transport Infrastructure Ireland Transport Infrastructure Ireland ( ga, Bonneagar Iompair Éireann) is a state agency in Ireland dealing with road and public transport infrastructure. The body was established in 2015 by merging the former National Roads Authority and Railway P ...
(TII). (Prior to the later RPA merger with the National Roads Authority to form TII, the tender was originally under the defunct Railway Procurement Agency jurisdiction). The Luas was a major part of the National Transport Authority's strategy (2000–2016). Four extensions to the existing Luas lines have been completed. Construction of a extension to the Green line to the North city centre and Broombridge, which links both Green and Red lines, began in June 2013 and opened to passengers in December 2017. This is the extension route previously known officially as BXD.


History

The idea for a new tram or light rail system for the city of Dublin was first suggested in 1981, by a Dublin Transportation Initiative (DTI) report, which referenced the original Dublin tramways, once running over and reaching most parts of the city. Following this report Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), the state-owned public transport operator in Ireland, was asked to study the different options. They recommended two phases for the construction of a tram system: *Phase 1: Tallaght to Dundrum/Balally via the City Centre *Phase 2: Ballymun to the City Centre and Dundrum/Balally to Sandyford. The Transport Act, 1996 created a legal framework for CIÉ to build a tram system and in May 1997 the company applied for a Light Railway Order to construct the first phase, as well as the Dundrum/Balally to Sandyford part of phase 2. An inquiry started in July 1997, but was put on hold to investigate the possibility of underground sections in the city centre. In May 1998 the government decided to build two lines, amending the plans. The first was to run from Tallaght to Connolly Station, while the second would run from Sandyford Industrial Estate to Dublin Airport, through the city centre and Ballymun. Part of the second was to be underground through the city centre. The responsibility for developing Luas was transferred from CIÉ to the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA), a separate government agency created in December 2001. Construction work began in March 2001 on the Tallaght to Connolly line, as well as the Sandyford to St. Stephen's Green section of the second line, with
Ansaldo Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. is an Italian power engineering company. It is based in Genoa, Italy. The absorbed parent company, Gio. Ansaldo & C., started in 1853. It was taken over by Leonardo S.p.A. In 2011, Leonardo S.p.A. sold 45% stake in A ...
of Italy and MVM of Australia getting the contract to build the system. The St. Stephen's Green to Dublin Airport section was dropped before construction began, as it was decided to serve the area by a metro instead. The contract to maintain and operate the system was awarded to Connex. The development of Luas Red Line was facilitated by
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
funding of €82.5 million under the European Regional Development Fund, and part of the cost of some line extensions (e.g. over 50% of Line B1 to Cherrywood) was raised though levies on development in areas close to the projected route.


Launch

The original launch date for Luas was to be 2003, but delays in construction saw this date pushed back by a year. An advertising campaign took place to inform the public of the development of the system, while construction was taking place. Construction finished in February 2004 and a period of testing and driver training began. 30 June 2004 was decided on as the official launch date of the Green Line. The first tram went into service for the general public at 3 p.m. Several days of free travel and a family fun weekend took place to launch the system. The Red Line opened on 26 September 2004, with six days of free travel for the general public.


2004 to present

By November 2006, over 50 million journeys had been made on the system. Around 90,000 Luas trips are made each day. In 2007, 28.4 million journeys were made; there were 27.4 million journeys in 2008 and 25.4 million journeys in 2009. To date, the busiest day on Luas was Friday, 21 December 2007 when 145,000 passenger journeys were recorded. Luas operates without a state
subsidy A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...
. The service recorded a surplus of €985,000 (€680,000 in 2004) – an achievement well ahead of an anticipated deficit of €2.5 million. On Tuesday, 8 December 2009 the Red Line C1 Connolly to Docklands extension opened. There are four stops: George's Dock, Mayor Square- NCI,
Spencer Dock Spencer Dock ( ga, Duga Spencer) is a former wharf area, close to where the Royal Canal meets the River Liffey, in the North Wall area of Dublin, Ireland. As of the 21st century, the area has been redeveloped with occupants of the Spencer ...
(serving the new Docklands railway station, approximately away) and terminating in
Point Village The Point Village is a commercial and residential development in the North Wall area of Dublin, Ireland. The elements of the €800 million development completed to date include offices and residential and hotel accommodation, a small shopping c ...
, opposite the
3Arena The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 December 2008. It was built on the site of the former Point Theatre, a smaller musi ...
, this extension however bypasses Connolly. Construction started at the beginning of June 2007. Test runs began on the line in September 2009 before the opening. On, 16 October 2010 the B1 extension from Sandyford to Cherrywood opened.


Luas Cross City

In June 2010, plans to join the two Luas tracks were finalised. On 20 May 2011 Dublin City Council made submissions to
An Bord Pleanála (; meaning "The Planning Board"; ABP) is an independent, statutory, quasi-judicial body that decides on appeals from planning decisions made by local authorities in the Republic of Ireland. As of 2007, An Bord Pleanála directly decided majo ...
's Oral Hearing into Line BXD stating that the Planning Authority had a serious area of concern with the overhead conductor system in the historical city centre asking for a wire-free zone. Luas Cross City is an extension of the Green Line which links with the Red Line, and continues northwards to Broombridge in North Dublin (interchange with Iarnród Éireann station). The extension began at the existing
St Stephen's Green St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by ...
Green Line stop. Construction started in June 2013, with services beginning in December 2017. *Line BX (includes Line D to Broombridge) – City Centre link for Red and Green Lines. The RPA started public consultation on the route in December 2005. In March 2007 the preferred route was announced. The route runs from St Stephen's Green to College Green where the line changes from a double track to single track. From here it runs north through Westmoreland Street, over
O'Connell Bridge O'Connell Bridge () is a road bridge spanning the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland, which joins O'Connell Street to D'Olier Street, Westmoreland Street and the south quays. History The original bridge (named ''Carlisle Bridge'' for the th ...
and along the west side of O'Connell Street to
Cathal Brugha Street Cathal Brugha Street ( ) is a street on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. Location The street runs eastwards from near the Parnell Square end of Upper O'Connell Street, crossing Marlborough Street and changing name to Seán Macdermott Str ...
. It then turns east into Cathal Brugha Street and turns south to run along Marlborough Street, across the River Liffey on the
Rosie Hackett Bridge The Rosie Hackett Bridge (Irish: ''Droichead Róise Haicéid'') is a road and tram bridge in Dublin, Ireland, which opened on 20 May 2014. Spanning the River Liffey and joining Marlborough Street to Hawkins Street, it is used solely by public ...
, continues along Hawkins Street and College Street and joins up with the double-track section of the line at College Green. 2012 was the original completion date given in the Transport 21 plans, but construction only started in 2013. The completion date, along with the commencement of passenger services, was December 2017. The RPA applied for a Railway Order application to An Bord Pleanála for a combined Line D / Line BX Luas Line that runs from St Stephen's Green to Broombridge via the city centre and Broadstone / Grangegorman. *Line D – City Centre to Liffey Junction. This serves
Grangegorman Grangegorman () is an inner suburb on the northside of Dublin city, Ireland. The area is administered by Dublin City Council. It was best known for decades as the location of St Brendan's Hospital, which was the main psychiatric hospital ...
, the site of the new TU Dublin campus. This line is linked with the
Maynooth Maynooth (; ga, Maigh Nuad) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's ...
line. On 10 November 2011, the government announced in its 2012–16 Infrastructure and Capital Investment plan that the project to link the Red and Green lines, known as BXD, was to proceed. No other new lines or extensions were being funded. Construction work for the new Rosie Hackett bridge across the
River Liffey The River Liffey ( Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the Riv ...
(connecting Marlborough St and Hawkins St) began in April 2012, on which the southbound Luas BXD track was laid. A Railway Order was granted by An Bord Pleanála for Luas BXD line on 3 August 2012. The project was subsequently branded as Luas Cross City. Cross City opened to passengers on 9 December 2017.


Infrastructure


Stops and lines

The network currently comprises two lines: # Red LineThe Point or
Connolly station Connolly station ( ga, Stáisiún Uí Chonghaile) or Dublin Connolly is one of the busiest railway stations in Dublin and Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. On the North side of the River Liffey, it provides InterCi ...
to Saggart or Tallaght (each route is approximately long, but the total track length is longer since the Belgard-Tallaght and Belgard-Saggart sections are separate parts of the Red Line) # Green LineBroombridge via
Sandyford Sandyford () is a suburb of Dublin, located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. Sandyford Business District makes up much of the suburb and encompasses 4 business parks: Sandyford Business Park, Stillorgan Business Park, Central Park and S ...
to Bride's Glen, The Red Line runs east–west through Dublin's
Northside Northside or North Side may refer to: Music * Northside (band), a musical group from Manchester, England * NorthSide, an American record label * NorthSide Festival (Denmark), a music festival in Aarhus, Denmark * " Norf Norf", a 2015 song by Vinc ...
, then crosses the
River Liffey The River Liffey ( Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the Riv ...
and travels southwest to the heavily populated suburb of Tallaght, and then on through the
Citywest Citywest ( ga, Iarthar na Cathrach) is a suburban development on the southwestern periphery of Dublin, originally developed as a "business campus." It contains a large hotel, with a convention centre, a small shopping centre and a small but e ...
campus to terminate at Saggart. It was planned, designed and constructed in two separate stages: * Line A: Tallaght to O'Connell Street * Line C: O'Connell Street to Connolly Station This was followed by two extensions: * Line C1 from Connolly to The Point, which opened in December 2009 * Line A1, the spur from Belgard to Saggart, which opened in July 2011 On the south side of Dublin city, the Green Line mostly follows the route of the old Harcourt Street railway line, which was reserved for possible reuse when it closed in
1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
. It was known internally as Line B during planning and construction, and has also had several extensions: * Line B was originally from Sandyford to St Stephen's Green. * Line B1 is the extension from Sandyford to Bride's Glen which opened in July 2010. * Line BX is the extension from St Stephen's Green to connect with the Red Line which opened in December 2017. * Line D extends Line BX to Broombridge and opened simultaneously with Line BX in December 2017. * Line B2 is a proposed extension from Bride's Glen to Bray. The cost of building the original Red and Green Lines was €728m. It was envisaged in the original plans that the Green Line would meet the Red Line at O'Connell Street. However, two separate unconnected lines were built, leaving a (10–15 minute walk) – through
O'Connell Street O'Connell Street () is a street in the centre of Dublin, Ireland, running north from the River Liffey. It connects the O'Connell Bridge to the south with Parnell Street to the north and is roughly split into two sections bisected by Hen ...
, Westmoreland Street, College Green and
Grafton Street Grafton Street () is one of the two principal shopping streets in Dublin city centre (the other being Henry Street). It runs from St Stephen's Green in the south (at the highest point of the street) to College Green in the north (the lowes ...
– between the two lines. Plans to link the lines were announced with the proposed building of the BX Line under Transport 21: this was opened to passengers on 9 December 2017. There are 32 stops on the Red Line and 35 (plus two further unopened stations) on the Green Line. A third line to Lucan (Line F) is planned. The line is planned to start in the city centre and travel north west to Lucan.


Track and rolling stock

The system operates on a overhead power supply. The international standard
track gauge In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many ...
of is used, rather than the Irish . The silver
Alstom Citadis The Alstom Citadis is a family of low-floor trams and light rail vehicles built by Alstom. , over 2,300 Citadis trams have been sold and 1,800 tramways are in revenue service throughout the world, with operations in all six inhabited continen ...
trams, manufactured in
La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. Wi ...
, France, reach a top speed of on off-street sections, but travel at a slower speed on-street where conflicts with other vehicles and pedestrians can occur. The 26 initial Red Line '3000' Class trams were long Citadis 301 configurations with a capacity of 256. The 14 Green Line '4000 Class' trams, each long Citadis 401 configurations, have a capacity of 358 including two wheelchairs. Starting in 2007, all the Red line trams were upgraded to by inserting two more articulated sections, with the last one converted by June 2008. Both configurations of tramcars are fully compatible with both the Red and the Green Lines. 26 new 43-metre Citadis 402 trams, numbered as the '5000 Class', were ordered for delivery in early 2009. These are 100% low-floor configuration and solely operate on the Green Line, with the 4000 Class trams cascaded to the Red Line after the entire 5000 Class had been introduced. 7 further, Citadis 402 variants were procured for use on the St. Stephen's Green – Broombridge line. They were brought into service between January and June 2018. These are numbered as members of the 5000 Class, with all existing 5000 Class units being lengthened to match. 8 further new units were ordered for delivery during 2020, with the first of those entering service in July 2020. In October 2019, it was announced that 26 existing Green Line trams would be extended to . In other aspects, the two lines are identical except that the inter-axis width between the tracks on the Green Line is slightly wider than on the Red Line. The construction planning for the Green Line ensures a distance of track centres at including a extra for the kinematic envelope of metro trains. This does not relate to the track gauge of , which is identical on both lines. This will allow wider metro trains be run on the same tracks if a proposed upgrade to full metro service is implemented. This is possible because the route uses an old railway line and as such has few interactions with vehicular or pedestrian traffic. The Railway Procurement Agency has stated (November 2006) that "We still envisage conversion of almost all Luas lines to light metro standard in the long-term.". Platform length also varies between lines, with the original platforms lengthened to on the Green Line The main engineering structures on the Green Line at present are Milltown Viaduct, also known as The Nine Arches, a large stone viaduct dating from 1854, and the William Dargan Bridge, a large
cable-stayed bridge A cable-stayed bridge has one or more ''towers'' (or ''pylons''), from which cables support the bridge deck. A distinctive feature are the cables or stays, which run directly from the tower to the deck, normally forming a fan-like pattern ...
at Taney Cross, near Dundrum town centre.


Travel on Luas


Ticketing

Luas tickets are purple in colour and credit card sized. They bear a
magnetic stripe The term digital card can refer to a physical item, such as a memory card on a camera, or, increasingly since 2017, to the digital content hosted as a virtual card or cloud card, as a digital virtual representation of a physical card. They share ...
on the back although this is not used on Luas. Uniquely among Dublin's public transport, tickets are not checked upon boarding trams; instead, a
proof-of-payment Proof-of-payment (POP) or proof-of-fare (POF) is an honor-based fare collection system used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, passengers are required to carry a ticket, pa ...
system is used. Ticket machines operate at every Luas stop and these are the only source of single-journey and return tickets. They also sell 1-day, 7-day and 30-day tickets, valid in either some or all the fare zones, for adults, children and students. Combi tickets valid on Dublin Bus and Luas are no longer on general sale, but can be purchased as commuter tickets via the "Taxsaver" scheme, as can various other combinations of bus, Luas, and
Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal InterCity, Commuter, DART and f ...
commuter train service. Certain ticket combinations are not possible (for example a one-day student ticket), and tickets can only be valid from the stop at which they are purchased and must commence their validity within 90 minutes, valid until a specific time shown on the card. Certain tickets require the user to hold an ID card and write the number on the ticket, to prevent the ticket from being transferred to another person. Ticket machines accept card payments (by
American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation specialized in payment card industry, payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Man ...
, MasterCard, or Visa and have a weekly limit of €150 (upper limit changed from €50 per transaction to €150 per week in January 2012 after upgrading all POS terminals to have a PIN keypad). Formerly €5 was the minimum amount which could be paid via card, but this limit has since been removed. Student tickets can be loaded to a Student Leap card, issued upon verification of student status. No other form of student identification is accepted on Luas. Tickets cannot be purchased on board the trams. Passengers encountered by a ticket inspector and not in possession of a valid ticket or validated Leap card are issued a fine (referred to as a standard fare) of €100, reduced to €45 for prompt payment. Non-payment within 28 days may result in prosecution. The lines are divided into 10 zones, five for the green line and four for the red, plus a shared central zone. Fares are calculated based on how many zones a journey is taken through, with a five-zone cap. There is a stop on the border of each zone, which is considered to be in whichever zone is more beneficial to the traveller. When the network opened, it was necessary to walk some distance or take another form of transport to connect between the two lines, but nowadays there is a short walking connection between O'Connell - GPO or Marlborough Street on the green line and Abbey Street on the red line.


Smartcard

In March 2005, a
smartcard A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card) is a physical electronic authentication device, used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an embedded integrated circuit (IC) c ...
for Luas was launched. The smartcard was phased out following launch of the integrated Leap Card which is further detailed below. The final day of Luas Smartcard operations was on 30 September 2014. The Luas smartcard allowed travellers to pay for travel on the Luas network. Credit was pre-loaded onto the smartcard at ticket machines by cash, debit card or credit card, with a minimum top-up of €5 and a maximum credit on the card of €100, and the customer had to validate the card using readers on the platform before boarding the tram and then again after exiting the tram. This is still referred to as 'tag-on' and 'tag-off' on the current Leap Card system. A smartcard could be purchased at a Luas ticket agent or online. The card cost €10, which included a €3 non-refundable charge for the card, €3 of credit and €4 for a fully refundable 'reserve fund' which allowed travel even if there was insufficient credit on the card for the journey. The card had to be topped up before another journey could be taken. Smartcard fares were slightly cheaper than standard single and return fares from ticket machines. For example, a journey within a single zone cost €1.25 with the card, compared to €1.50 (€1.60 during peak time) single with a paper ticket, or €2.80 return. Daily, 7-day and 30-day tickets generally worked out cheaper, unless used only rarely. Luas smartcards were unable to store multiple-journey tickets and these tickets were issued on paper only until May 2014, since all tickets have been loaded onto the new Leap Cards. Until January 2012 there were three different smart-card systems in Dublin: the Luas smart-card, the
Dublin Bus Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. ...
prepaid Smartcard system for day-cards or longer and the smart-card for commuter trains and the
DART Dart or DART may refer to: * Dart, the equipment in the game of darts Arts, entertainment and media * Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero * Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe'' * Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character * Da ...
which is -as the Luas card- a per journey tag on/off card but not compatible with Luas cards. The "Leap Card" smartcard has functionality that it caps the daily and weekly spend to ensure Leap Card holders do not pay more than they would have had they bought day, weekly, or monthly tickets. This functionality had been enabled on Luas and DART services. As of 2017, the National Transport Authority reported the number of Leap Card users was 2.5 million.


Free travel

All persons in Ireland are entitled to be issued with a Public Services Card for accessing key public services and for identity purposes. Persons on the following Social Welfare payments are provided with a Public Services Card with yellow "FT" in the top right-hand corner, which functions as a smart card in the same way as a Leap Card, but allows free travel: * Pension (senior citizens over 66) * Disability Allowance (persons with a disabling medical condition lasting longer than a year approved by a general practitioner, a departmental medical officer or a departmental welfare officer) * Carers Allowance Visitors from non-European countries to Ireland must pay full adult fare on buses, trams and trains regardless of their age or disability, and would thus be better off financially with a Leap Visitor Card set with the appropriate period pre-loaded (24 hours, 3 days, 7 days). The free travel system was created by Ministerial Order (not an Act of the
Oireachtas The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the bicameral parliament of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of: *The President of Ireland *The two houses of the Oireachtas ( ga, Tithe an Oireachtais): ** Dáil Éireann ...
as with many such schemes) by then Minister for Health, Charles J Haughey in the late 1960s and is considered a 'third rail' politically.


Hours of operation and frequency

Trams operate from 05:30 to 00:30 Monday to Friday. On Saturday services run from 06:30 to 00:30, while on Sundays it is only from 07:00 to 23:30. Public holidays are the same as Sundays, except trams run until 00:30. Services run at regular intervals, from every 4–5 minutes during peak times to every 15 minutes late at night. During the Christmas season (from early December to the last weekend before Christmas), a night service runs on Luas during Friday and Saturday nights (as well as on New Year's Eve), with the last trams departing the city centre at 03:30. However, fares are priced at a premium of €5 single (€4 on Leap Cards).


Night Luas

In 2016 while Dublin Bus was considering plans for the rolling out of its 24-hour bus service, a spokesperson for Transdev revealed that the company had looked at extending the Christmastime 'Night Luas' to operate every weekend of the year, but that "realistically, the demand for services is just not there nd thatthe service just wouldn’t be financially viable." In June 2022, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan asked the National Transport Authority to again re-examine the prospect of running Luas services on a 24-hour basis. The NTA responded by saying that a significant extension of the tram system was "not something that should be progressed at this point" noting that essential maintenance on the tram system - such as on its overhead cable systems, overhead line equipment and rail works - can only be carried out when all trams are out of service. The Authority pointed to its increased night bus services which have been coming online in recent years arguing that the delivery of 24-hour services across the bus network "is more feasible".
Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil É ...
TD Neale Richmond pointed out that as well as more 24-hour Dublin Bus services, late-night Luas services are "badly needed .given the persisting issues with access to taxis in Dublin city centre". "This is becoming a public safety issue with many people being forced to walk home, often alone, late at night as public transport is not operating and taxis are hard to come by," he added.


Accessibility

The low floors and wide spaces of the Citadis trams mean that wheelchair users can easily board. All stations have also been designed with ramps, to allow easy access. Several have lifts, such as Kilmacud and Dundrum on the Green Line, while Connolly Station has escalators that connect the Luas station to the main station building. The website for Luas also has an accessibility newsletter.


Safety

Before Luas was launched, a Safety Awareness Day was held in Dublin city centre. Thousands of reflective armbands were distributed to pedestrians and cyclists, in order to ensure their visibility for tram drivers. This policy seems to have worked as Luas has been described as being "one of the safest transport systems in the world". Both trams and stops are monitored using CCTV 24 hours a day from the central control room, located in the Red Cow Depot. Before Luas was launched, it was feared that the tram system would lead to a high number of fatal accidents. As of 2022, however, there have been approximately 10 fatalities. There have been many occurrences of cars striking trams, mainly caused by motorists breaking red lights. On 16 September 2009, a Luas collided with a Dublin Bus at the O'Connell Street-Abbey Street Junction. In the collision, 22 people were injured, three of them seriously, including the tram driver. Early investigations suggested that the bus had the green light to move, and that the Luas must have had technical problems. The Luas driver was later charged with dangerous driving, causing harm and operating a tram in a manner which posed risk to others. He was subsequently acquitted of dangerous conduct by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.


Security

Security on Luas trams, platforms and facilities is provided directly by Transdev. Luas Security Officers patrol the system to counter anti-social or other incidents, and intervene in incidents prior to the arrival of the Gardaí. Luas Security Officers wear tactical uniforms and stab-resistant body vests.


Incidents and criticism

There have been several incidents involving Luas, often leading to its temporary closure. As of September 2022, this included ten fatal incidents, with approximately 540 million passengers carried. On 17 March 2012, a fire in buildings on Benburb Street resulted in Red Line services being suspended in the city centre until 24 March 2012. Other fires in buildings adjacent to the Red Line have led to shorter closures from time to time. On 7 November 2013 a flash fire occurred on a tram as it approached Busáras stop. There were no injuries and the damage to the Tram was minor. There had been a similar fire in 2008. Park and ride charges have also attracted criticism. As of 2022 the cost of parking for a full day is between €2 and €5. It was described by former government
Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parl ...
and head of the Dáil transport Committee Eoin Ryan as "unacceptable for Luas to charge passengers for parking at their Park and Ride facilities on top of ticket fares". On 8 February 2018 there were traffic delays in south Dublin because the longer 55 metre tram was too long for O'Connell bridge, when it was obstructed by a taxi blocking a junction. In August 2021, the tweet, "A long-term goal of mine has been to lead a disinformation campaign which claims that the Luas is free until enough people believe it that they have no choice but to give in and make the Luas is free," by journalist Carl Kinsella, resulted in a cascade of tweets,
meme A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ...
s and posters improperly claiming the Luas was free of charge. The consequences of the effects of the Irish
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
had to be dealt with by Luas' workers, Transdev issuing a statement to confirm that this is not the case and ticketless travellers face a €100 fine, and a Twitter user ''Sally'' responding to the disinformation tweets online.


Accidents and deaths

In February 2008, a 59-year-old man was struck by a tram at Cookstown Way in Tallaght, sustaining serious head injuries and dying in hospital the following day. In May 2009, a worker died at Citywest during the construction of the Luas A1 extension to Saggart. In September 2009 a Red Line Luas tram and a double-decker number 16 Dublin Bus collided at the crossing of Abbey Street and O'Connell Street in central Dublin. The front section of the tram was derailed in the incident and the driver's cabin was crushed flat against the left hand side of the bus. At least 21 people were injured and three were seriously hurt, including the driver of the tram who had to be cut out from the wreckage. In October 2011, a 35-year-old Polish man, was struck and killed by a Red Line tram on Steevens Lane near Heuston Station. In June 2012, a 32-year-old woman was struck by a Luas tram in
Inchicore Inchicore () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Located approximately west of the city centre, Inchicore was originally a small village separate from Dublin. The village developed around Richmond Barracks (built 1810) and Inchicore railway works ...
, after falling onto the tracks at Blackhorse platform as a tram pulled in. She was caught between the platform and tram, and suffered severe head and body trauma. Emergency services managed to free her from under the tram, and the area was cordoned off for a forensic examination. She was rushed to hospital, and died of her injuries on 6 July 2012. As of 2019, she is the only Luas passenger (counted as a passenger, as she had intended to travel on the tram) to have died in a collision incident. On 7 April 2014, a car collided with a Luas tram at the junction of Jervis Street and
Abbey Street Abbey Street () is located on Dublin's Northside, running from the Customs House and Store Street in the east to Capel Street in the west. The street is served by two Luas light rail stops, one at the Jervis shopping centre and the other near ...
, and was caused to fatally strike a 35-year-old pedestrian from Dublin, who was pronounced dead at the scene. On 8 July 2017, a woman died after being struck by a city centre-bound Luas tram at St. James Walk, just past the Fatima stop, in Rialto. On 14 February 2019 a woman was struck and killed on a Tallaght bound tram between the Cookstown and Tallaght Hospital stops. She was pronounced dead at the scene. On 11 March 2019 a male pedestrian was struck and killed near the Kingswood stop. In December 2019, a male cyclist died in a collision with a tram at Peter's Place. In September 2022, a male pedestrian aged in his 50s died after he was struck by a tram between the Cabra and Broombridge stops.


Ransomware cyberattack

In January 2019 the website was compromised with a message threatening to "publish all data and send emails to your users" unless 1
Bitcoin Bitcoin (abbreviation: BTC; sign: ₿) is a decentralized digital currency that can be transferred on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network. Bitcoin transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distr ...
was paid in five days. At the time of the attack one bitcoin was worth €3,385.
Transdev Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a French-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020. History The group was formed by the merger of ...
took the site offline on Thursday January 3, 2019. That afternoon they said that the records affected were those of people who had signed up to a Luas newsletter and that those people would be contacted in the next 24 hours to inform them of the breach. No financial records had been compromised. The Data Protection Commissioner and
Garda National Economic Crime Bureau The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB; formerly Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation/GBFI) – informally known as the ''Fraud Squad'' – is a specialised division of Ireland's national police force, the Garda Síochána, that investig ...
were both notified of the attack.


Proposed lines

*Line E – In May 2008, the feasibility study for a possible Luas line E, to run from Dundrum to the City Centre via Rathfarnham, Terenure and
Harold's Cross Harold's Cross () is an affluent urban village and inner suburb on the south side of Dublin, Ireland in the postal district D6W. The River Poddle runs through it, though largely in an underground culvert, and it holds a major cemetery, Mou ...
, was completed. The line was found to be feasible and it was submitted to the Minister for Transport but was rejected on being found uneconomic to operate. *Line F1/2 – City Centre to
Lucan Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (3 November 39 AD – 30 April 65 AD), better known in English as Lucan (), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (modern-day Córdoba), in Hispania Baetica. He is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial ...
. On 27 September 2007, Noel Dempsey (Minister for Transport) launched the public consultation process for the planned Luas line to Lucan. Two main route options where identified, with a number of sub-options also identified. It was expected that would link with the proposed Metro West. The preferred route was announced in November 2008 and the RPA where planning the precise alignment and station and depot locations. The planning for the two lines was split in two. Line F1 was to be the line from Lucan to where it will connect with the existing red line at Blackhorse and Line F2 will be where the line was to leave the existing red line at James and continue on to College Green. *Luas Finglas – A extension from Broombridge through
Finglas Finglas (; ) is a northwestern outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It lies close to Junction 5 of the M50 motorway, and the N2 road. Nearby suburbs include Glasnevin and Ballymun; Dublin Airport is to the north. Finglas lies mainly in the posta ...
to Charlestown Shopping Centre was announced in 2020, with a possible operating date of 2028. A public consultation was launched in July 2020. In November 2021,
RTÉ News RTÉ News and Current Affairs ( ga, Nuacht agus Cúrsaí Reatha RTÉ), also known as RTÉ News (''Nuacht RTÉ''), is the national news service provided by Irish public broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Its services include local, nationa ...
reported that construction would not start .


Proposed planned future extensions

*Line B2 – Cherrywood to Bray environs extension (Green Line). This is a proposed extension of . On 6 June 2007, the route of this Luas extension was announced. It is proposed to run from Brides Glen to Fassaroe and Bray (adjacent to the DART station), and will run very close to the M11 motorway, eventually crossing it near the Wilford interchange. This extension was postponed in 2009 due to the
Post-2008 Irish economic downturn The post-2008 Irish economic downturn in the Republic of Ireland, coincided with a series of banking scandals, followed the 1990s and 2000s Celtic Tiger period of rapid real economic growth fuelled by foreign direct investment, a subsequent p ...
, and while it has been proposed again in the decade since, as of October 2020, the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan confirmed the extension will not commence in the short term. In November 2021 the draft transport strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042 was published. It details several extensions to existing LUAS lines, notably an extension of the Red Line to
Poolbeg Poolbeg () is an artificial peninsula extending from Ringsend, Dublin, into Dublin Bay. History The Poolbeg peninsula was built between the mid 18th century and the present day, starting with the Ballast Office Wall, the first section of the G ...
to be delivered before 2042. It also proposes up to 8 new lines and extensions, some previously proposed, to be delivered post-2042 with the NTA to "undertake detailed appraisal, planning and design work" in that 20 year time frame. Those lines are: # City Centre to Clongriffin # City Centre to Beaumont and Balgriffin # Green Line Extension to Tyrrelstown # City Centre to
Blanchardstown Blanchardstown () is a large outer suburb of Dublin in the modern county of Fingal, Ireland. Located northwest of Dublin city centre, it has developed since the 1960s from a small village to a point where Greater Blanchardstown is the largest u ...
# Red Line Reconfiguration to provide the following lines: ##
Clondalkin Clondalkin ( ; ) is a suburban town situated 10 km south-west of Dublin city centre, Ireland, under the administrative jurisdiction of South Dublin. It features an 8th-century round tower that acts as a focal point for the area. Clondal ...
-City Centre; ## Tallaght-
Kimmage Kimmage ( or ''Camaigh uisce'', meaning "crooked water-meadow", possibly referring to the meandering course of the River Poddle), is a suburb on the south side of the city of Dublin in Ireland. Location Kimmage is to the south of Dublin city ...
-City Centre. # Tallaght to City Centre via Knocklyon; # Green Line Reconfiguration to provide the following lines: ## City Centre to Bray via UCD and
Sandyford Sandyford () is a suburb of Dublin, located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. Sandyford Business District makes up much of the suburb and encompasses 4 business parks: Sandyford Business Park, Stillorgan Business Park, Central Park and S ...
##
Sandyford Sandyford () is a suburb of Dublin, located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. Sandyford Business District makes up much of the suburb and encompasses 4 business parks: Sandyford Business Park, Stillorgan Business Park, Central Park and S ...
to City Centre The plan also examines the potential for an orbital LUAS, declaring that its alignment(s) should be specified and protected in the later half of the plan. Other upgrades to the system such as new stops, expanded depots, and improved security are also mentioned.


Other projects

Following the introduction of Luas in Dublin, there is support to bring trams to other Irish cities. During the 2007 election campaign,
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...
and the
Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...
both announced plans for tram systems in
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
,
Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2 ...
,
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
,
Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...
and Bray. The 2007 Programme for Government between these two parties and the
Progressive Democrats The Progressive Democrats ( ga, An Páirtí Daonlathach, literally "The Democratic Party" ), commonly referred to as the PDs, was a conservative-liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland. Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Ma ...
included feasibility studies on these projects within the first two years of the government. Cork and Limerick were expected to complete their studies by "mid 2009". As a result of the financial crisis beginning in 2008, a moratorium was placed on future capital projects; as such, no feasibility studies have been completed as of 2017. In 2018 a revived campaign for a
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
LUAS or " GLUAS" was launched receiving support
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
TD
Catherine Connolly Catherine Connolly (born 12 July 1957) is an Irish Independent politician who has served as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann since July 2020. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since 2016. She previo ...
. The campaign claims a 21 km
very light rail Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) is a light rail tram system proposed to operate in Coventry, England. The system has been promoted as being the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. When finished, it will also be the first tram network to ope ...
line with trains every five minutes could be installed for as little as €200 million, and make a major contribution to reducing Galway's traffic. The denial of planning permission for the Galway's second ring-road in 2022 is likely to add pressure to solve the area's traffic problems. In May 2019, plans were revealed for a Luas-style system in Cork. The system would consist of a long line with 25 stops from Ballincollig to Mahon Point.


See also

*
Transport in Ireland Most of the transport system in Ireland is in public hands, either side of the Irish border. The Irish road network has evolved separately in the two jurisdictions into which Ireland is divided, while the Irish rail network was mostly create ...
*
List of Irish companies This is a list of notable companies based in Ireland, or subsidiaries according to their sector. It includes companies from the entire island. The state of the Republic of Ireland covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of ...
* Public Transport Operators in Dublin * Dublin United Transport Company (leading pre-1950 operator of Dublin's original tram system) * Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) * Trams in Europe *
Cork Light Rail Since the early 2000s, a number of proposals have been made by politicians and interest groups in Cork City, Ireland to introduce a light rail system in the city. As of early 2019 it was in a period of public consultation. The proposal has bee ...
(a similar project proposed for
Cork City Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city's ...
)


References


External links


Luas website

Track plan of the Luas tram system

Luas Cross City project



Rail Users Ireland
Ireland's National Rail Users Group

Photos of Luas construction
Railway Procurement Agency
* {{Transdev 2004 establishments in Ireland 750 V DC railway electrification Light rail in Ireland Rail transport in Ireland Tram transport in the Republic of Ireland Transdev Transport companies of the Republic of Ireland Transport in County Dublin