Luas is Growing: Luas Finglas Public Consultation launched and new 55m tram now in service

Tuesday 28th July Dublin, Ireland

At Luas Broombridge Depot today, Eamon Ryan T.D., Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport announced the launch of a Public Consultation for Luas Finglas and welcomed the first of eight new Luas 55m trams into service. These larger trams will increase Luas capacity on some of the busiest sections of the network.

Luas Finglas is the extension of the Luas Green Line from Broombridge to Charlestown via Finglas. It will add four new stops to the line and create a key public transport connection between the communities of Charlestown, Finglas Village, Finglas west, St Helena’s and Tolka Valley and the city centre.

The National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland have developed an Emerging Preferred Route for Luas Finglas and are inviting comments from all stakeholders and members of the public on the proposed route.

Luas Finglas will be constructed mostly in grass track, an attractive innovation in Ireland, while a cycle and pedestrian path will be constructed along much of the line, providing family-friendly, sustainable, convenient access between northside communities and the city centre. The final stop at Charlestown, close to the M50 will include a 600-vehicle park and ride facility.

Submissions on the proposed route can be made on www.luasfinglas.ie where all details of Emerging Preferred Route are available. The site includes a virtual consultation facility, a first for public transport projects in Ireland. This user-friendly method to access information allows our infrastructure projects to proceed on schedule despite Covid-19 restrictions.

New bigger Luas trams to increase capacity

The first of eight brand-new Luas 55m trams has just been delivered and is going into passenger service now. Seven more 55m trams will be delivered in the coming months and all will be in passenger service by early 2021. Each of these new trams will carry approximately 100 more passengers than the existing 44m trams.

In addition, work on converting 26 existing 44m trams into 55m trams is now 50% complete with 13 extended trams now in passenger service. By early 2021, the number of trams in the Luas fleet will increase from 73 to 81 with 41 trams being 55m long. Combined, the eight new trams and 26 extended trams will increase capacity on the busiest sections of the Luas network by nearly 30%.

While inspecting the new Luas 55m tram at Broombridge Minister Ryan said; “I am delighted to announce this consultation on the Emerging Preferred Route for Luas Finglas. I encourage the public and stakeholders to take part in this Public Consultation so we can deliver a major public transport improvement to Finglas and north Dublin. I’m also very pleased to see the first of eight new 55m Luas trams going into passenger service and to see that half of the 44m trams have now being extended. I am also pleased there will be a pedestrian and cycling path along most of the route. The government is committed to improving sustainable public transport. I look forward to the Luas network and fleet growing in the coming months and years.”

Anne Graham, CEO National Transport Authority said; “The extension of the Luas to Finglas is a clear example of the kind of progress we are making in planning to invest in ambitious and exciting sustainable transport solutions. I believe that Luas has the potential to be transformative for this part of the city and will further enhance the area for people who live here, work here, or want to run a business here. We are anxious to get feedback on this proposal, so I encourage members of the local community to engage with this consultation process and let us know what you think.”

Michael Nolan, CEO Transport Infrastructure Ireland said; “Transport Infrastructure Ireland is delighted to achieve this progress for Luas. Public Consultation is always a vital step and we hope anyone interested in the project will make a submission. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Alstom and Transdev have been working hard to improve Luas capacity and it is great to see the new 55m tram here in Dublin and that we are now half way to extending the 44m tram fleet. We’ll continue to work hard over the coming months to get all the new and extended trams into passenger service.”

Nick Crossfield, Managing Director, Alstom Ireland and UK, said: “Alstom's trams have served Dublin for over a decade, providing a reliable, efficient and comfortable service for the city’s commuters and visitors from all over the world. This brand new 55m tram will create more space for passengers on Luas, and we are proud to be working with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Transdev to improve the service for everyone that uses it. Dublin was one of the first cities in the world to adopt Citadis trams and now passengers rely on them in over 50 cities worldwide. With this brand new 55m tram, the longest we have ever built, Dublin is leading the world again.”

Ends.

For more information please contact Tom Manning, tom.manning@tii.ie | 087 410 0199

Notes for the Editor

Luas Finglas Key Facts

Luas Finglas is an extension of the Luas Green Line from Broombridge to Charlestown. It is 4km long and adds four new stops to the line: St Helena’s, Finglas Village, Mellows Park and Charlestown. It includes a 600-space Park & Ride at Charlestown as well as a pedestrian and cycling path along most of the line. It will interchange with the Maynooth and Docklands rail line and future DART services at Broombridge and with BusConnect at the new Luas stops. Tram journey time from Charlestown to Broombridge will be 13 mins and approximately 30 mins from Charlestown to Trinity College in the city centre. Luas Finglas will make Luas available to 30,000 people who live within 1km of the new Luas stops, as well those from the wider catchment area who choose to use the park and ride or cycle to the Luas stops.

Luas Finglas – How to take part in Public Consultation

Due to social distancing requirements, physical events are not yet being scheduled. However, a virtual consultation process has been established at www.luasfinglas.ie. All details of the proposed route, including drawings, maps, key facts and a virtual exhibition room are at www.luasfinglas.ie.

Visit the virtual exhibition on www.luasfinglas.ie.

Have your say at www.luasfinglas.ie and via email info@luasfinglas.ie.

Luas Green Line Capacity Enhancement

The €100m Luas Green Line Capacity Enhancement programme was launched in 2017 with the goal of significantly increasing passenger capacity by increasing tram sizes, lengthening platforms and extending the Sandyford Depot. This programme, despite the restrictions of Covd-19, is being delivered on time and within budget by TII. Surveys by the NTA of passenger demand and conditions on the Luas Green Line indicated that the line is currently operating at capacity during peak periods, with crowding experienced between the Balally and Ranelagh stops. This crowding is resulting in passengers being unable or unwilling to board at these stops. Demand projections from the NTA suggest that there is a latent demand for travel on the Green Line where people are not travelling by Luas due to peak period capacity constraints.

Luas Passenger Trips Per Year 2004 - 2018

  • 2004* – 6.6 million (*Luas opened in 2014 and operated for part of 2014).
  • 2005 – 22 million
  • 2006 – 26 million
  • 2007 – 28.4 million
  • 2008 – 27.4 million
  • 2009 – 25.4 million
  • 2010 – 27.5 million
  • 2011 – 29.1 million
  • 2012 – 29.4 million
  • 2013 – 30.5 million
  • 2014 – 32.6 million
  • 2015 – 34.6 million
  • 2016 – 34.1 million
  • 2017 – 37.6 million
  • 2018 – 41.8 million
  • 2019 – 48.1 million

Luas Line & Extension Openings

  • The Green Line opened on Wed 30th Jun 2004.
  • The Red Line opened on Tue 28th Sep 2004.
  • The Red Line extension to The Point opened on Tue 8th Dec 2009.
  • The Green Line extension to Brides Glen opened on Sat 16th Oct 2010.
  • The Red Line extension to Saggart opened on Sat 2nd Jul 2011.
  • The Green Line extension to Broombridge opened on Sat 9th Dec 2017.

Department of Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport

The Department of Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport is the Government Department responsible for the delivery of Ireland’s transport policy. Ireland's transport policy is centred around the efficient movement of people and ensuring increased accessibility to all passengers using the transport network.

National Transport Authority

The National Transport Authority is the transport authority for the Greater Dublin Area and the public transport contracting and licensing agency for Ireland. It is involved in the supply of various public transport services in Ireland including the Luas service which is jointly contracted with TII. The NTA also funds public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area. For more information see www.nationaltransport.ie.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s mission is to deliver transport infrastructure services, which contribute to the quality of life for the people of Ireland and support the country’s economic growth. TII's primary function is to provide an integrated approach to the future development and operation of the national roads network and light rail infrastructure throughout Ireland. For more information see www.tii.ie.

Alstom

Alstom Transport SA is the Luas Vehicle Manufacturer, responsible under contract with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, for the manufacture and delivery of Luas trams and tram parts. For more information see www.alstom.com.

Transdev Dublin Light Rail Limited

Transdev is the Luas Operator and Maintainer, responsible under contract with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority, for the operation of Luas services, and the maintenance of Luas infrastructure and vehicles. For more information see www.transdevireland.ie.