PASSENGER figures rose by 1.2 million last year according to figures from the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) and the National Transport Authority (NTA).
A total of 30.5 million trips were taken on Luas during 2013 compared to 29.3 in 2012. The figures represent an increase of four per cent and are a new record for one of Europe’s most successful light rail systems.
Luas passenger numbers have grown steadily since the return of trams to Dublin streets in 2004. While passenger numbers dropped in 2008 and 2009, reflecting the general economic trend, they have been growing since then, partly due to the opening of three extensions in 2010 and 2011, grant-aided by the NTA.
Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar described Luas as
“a success story from the start
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“It’s great to see Luas now having a record year with more than 30 million passengers,
? he said.
“Luas does not require an operational subsidy and Dublin is clearly suited to light rail. This month formal construction work starts on Luas Cross City, which will finally link the two Luas lines and fill in a major gap in our infrastructure.
“Luas Cross City will make Dublin properly connected and all sorts of new journeys will become possible.
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