Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the building of the €2 billion-plus Luas Cork light rail transport system would be transformational for the city as it would facilitate the opening up of the Cork docklands for the creation of 20,000 new homes and up to 25,000 new jobs.
Mr Martin said the 18km-long light rail system, extending from Ballincollig in the west through the city centre to Mahon in the east, was hugely significant, as Cork aims to be the fastest-growing city in Ireland over the next 20 years with a population targeted to grow by 50-60 per cent.
“High-quality public transport projects like Luas Cork are key to delivering the large-scale regeneration and investment planned for Cork, such as the development of the Cork city docklands, expected to deliver 20,000 new homes and almost 25,000 jobs at a 4.2-acre site at Kennedy Quay.”
Mr Martin was speaking at Cork City Hall at the launch by National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) of a public consultation process where members of the Cork public can give their views on the ‘emerging preferred route’ for the Cork Luas.
Teachers on rising physical aggression in Irish schools: ‘I’ve been out of work due to an assault for 2½ years’
The ‘Papabiles’: Six men who could become the next pope following the papal conclave
Mystery surrounds Joanna Donnelly’s sudden departure from RTÉ weather forecasting role
Death of Pope Francis: Michael D Higgins says pontiff had ‘unfinished business’, as preparations made for papal funeral
Luas Cork is part of Project Ireland 2040 and while Mr Martin refused to be drawn on the time frame for the line, informed sources say that if planning permission is obtained by 2028, the project would then go out to tender with construction expected to take five years after a contractor is appointed.
The emerging preferred route from Ballincollig to Mahon Point shopping centre would feature 25 stops and connect key destinations such as the Munster Technological University, Cork University Hospital, University College Cork, Cork city centre, Kent Station and the docklands.
The route would also see the light rail system cross over to the south channel of the Lee to access the city centre and St Patrick’s Street and then cross the north channel of the river Lee to run along MacCurtain Street to provide a connection with Irish Rail services at Kent Station.
It would involve the construction of a new public transport bridge connecting Kent Station near Horgan’s Quay with Kennedy Quay on the south side of the Lee as well as new cycling infrastructure along much of its route and the creation of a 1,000-car park-and-ride facility in Ballincollig.
Luas Cork will be designed as a high-capacity system and it’s expected that at peak times with services every six minutes, the trams will carry 2,300 passengers per hour in each direction with journey times of 35 minutes from Ballincollig to the city centre and another 20 minutes to Mahon.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said Cork had been selected by the European Commission as one of the EU’s first climate-neutral cities and Luas Cork would be key to achieving this by encouraging people to shift away from private cars, thus reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle said Luas Cork had been long awaited and would be a vital transport link as it would provide a real choice to allow more people travel by public transport, but he stressed “the challenge is to see it constructed and operating in the shortest possible time frame”.
Hugh Creegan, interim chief executive of the NTA, said Luas Cork was a central part of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) which would also see greater investment in BusConnects Cork, heavy rail improvements and safe cycling and walking infrastructure.
TII chief executive Peter Walsh said TII had a strong record in transparent public engagement, and he urged people to engage with the public consultation which runs until June 9th so that TII can hear from as many people as possible before progressing to the next stage of design on the project.
