Luas is ‘central’ to people accessing facilities and services
AS LUAS celebrates its 20th birthday, the light rail tram is on track to see its total number of passengers in 2024 surpass 50 million for the first time.
Since making its maiden voyage along the Green Line on the 30th of June 2004 and the Red Line three months later on September 26th, the Luas has stretched to 43km across the city.
There are now 81 trams servicing both the 21km Red Line and 22km Green Line, with more than 400,000 Dubliners living within 1km of a Luas stop.
Since 2004, some 650 million passengers have travelled on the Luas, many more than projected, and all with zero emissions.
This year, 50 million are expected to travel, the highest annual number in the past 20 years.
Locally, key expansions to the Red Line include Connolly to the Point in 2009 and Belgard to Saggart in 2011.
In 2017, a cross city extension saw the Red and Green lines link when the Green Line was extended from St Stephen’s Green to Broombridge.
In a report issued on the Benefits of the Luas by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Mick Mulhern, the Director of Planning and Transport with South Dublin County Council, contributes.
Mr Mulhern said: “Luas is central to bringing people into South Dublin’s capital town to go to Tallaght Hospital, TUD [Technological University Dublin] as well as attending matches at Tallaght Stadium, to shop in the Square and to attend cultural facilities including Rua Red and the Civic Theatre.
“Access to Luas in the regeneration area of Tallaght has also been critical in enabling the delivery of 1,500 new homes in recent years.”
In relation to the Citywest extension, the Benefits of the Luas report said that this stretch of track has been a ‘catalyst’ for new housing along the corridor surrounding Luas stops at Citywest Campus, Fortunestown and Saggart.
The 4.2km stretch recorded a 93 per cent increase in boardings for stops on the Citywest extension between 2015 and 2023 – as the Red Line connects thousands of commuters to Tallaght town centre and beyond.
The report states that ‘between 2011 and 2022, around 1,700 homes were delivered within a 1km catchment of a Luas stop in the corridor, representing more than 20 per cent of the homes delivered across the entire administrative area of South Dublin County Council’.
However, as documented in The Echo, residents living in these areas are hopeful that these new communities will move forward in a sustainable way, with the development of adequate community facilities and services complimenting transport infrastructure.
Dubliner Eddie Byrne drove that first tram in 2004 and has since trained the Luas drivers that followed – more than 400 in total.
Speaking on the 20th anniversary, Eddie said: “From that very first trip in 2004, it has been an incredible pleasure to play a small part in some extraordinary Luas stories.
“From transporting the bride and groom on the happiest day of their lives, concert goers to see their heroes, and essential front-line staff during the difficult time of covid-19, we really have seen it all over the past 20 years.
“The extension to the trams and the lines are great indicators of how successful the Luas has been for the people of Dublin.
“Driving the Luas and training the next generation of drivers has given me a fascinating insight into our wonderful city and I know it’ll continue to play a key role in the fabric of Dublin for many years to come.”
Operated by Transdev, Luas employs 700 people and it’s estimated that €5 billion has been contributed to the Irish economy by commuters since 2004.
