An ambitious plan for the future of the Luas in Dublin would see the development of two new circular lines running along the outskirts of the city centre.
The Luas 2050 vision would also include new lines to the suburbs of Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, Balgriffin and Clongriffin, as well as the two new circle lines and an orbital route outside the M50 motorway.
An internal presentation at Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said light rail would be a key part of public transport in the capital for the future and said plans for new lines should be accelerated.
However, it highlighted issues with the existing network, noting one line was already running “at or over capacity.”
READ MORE
The TII slide show noted there were not enough trams on the Red Line, which connects Dublin’s Docklands to Tallaght and Saggart, Co Dublin.
It said there were constraints to increasing services and managing future demand, but there may now be an “appetite to address” some of the challenges, given the success of the Luas network.
TII said longer, 55-metre trams might not be a solution as these were slower and because so much of the Red Line was shared with cars including at busy junctions.
It said this created possible safety issues, so more trams were needed rather than longer ones.
The presentation also said capacity on the Green Line, which runs from Broombridge to Sandyford and Bride’s Glen, Co Dublin, was “okay for [the] short term.”
[ Proposal for Finglas Luas stop near Dublin Airport rejectedOpens in new window ]
It said changes and improvements in service were possible and said this could be accommodated with the existing fleet of trams.
Issues around depots were highlighted, with the main facility at Sandyford “land constrained” and not suitable for expansion. Room at Broombridge was flagged for an increase in size, but this was not considered ideal “for operational reasons”.
It said an option around land acquisition and possible expansion at the Red Cow could be looked at in the future, while the presentation also put forward the possibility of numerous added lines, including an ambitious plan for circle routes over the next 25 years.
One of the suggested “circular” lines would run from Finglas past Dublin City University, through Drumcondra, along Griffith Avenue and onwards to Marino and Fairview.
It said in the short term, work should continue on a Luas extension to Poolbeg as well as producing studies on the efficiency and flexibility of the existing Red and Green Lines.
[ Finglas Luas: New tram line could service population of 60,000 by 2031Opens in new window ]
The slide show suggested a “new Luas project” should be examined, with one possibility being a connection to University College Dublin, while it also recommended moving forward on an extension to Bray, Co Wicklow, with an indicative start date of between 2028 and 2030.
The document said workshops on accelerating project delivery would be useful to help speed up development of new projects.
“Initial findings are that barriers [and] delays are outside the control [and] remit of the project team,” it noted.
According to the presentation, from 2029 on they should be looking at starting work on a new Luas line every one to two years to have an advanced network by 2050.
Asked about the records, a spokesman for TII said: “The Luas is a critical piece of public transportation infrastructure.
“Transport Infrastructure Ireland taking a strategic look ahead to 2050 allows for the public and decision-making bodies such as the Department of Transport and National Transport Authority to see where potential investments can be made to support the country’s future growth and development.”
