Longer Luas trams to ease congestion

Neil Fetherstonhaugh

THE introduction of longer Luas trams on the Green Line will allow for an extra 60 passengers on every vehicle, it was revealed at the launch of a new transport plan last week.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe, was present as an order for the new trams was placed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

The order for seven ‘Citadis’ trams with Alstrom Transport SA is the next important step as the Luas Cross City (LCC) project progresses.

Placing the order for additional trams at a cost of €36.5 million (excluding VAT) will ensure their delivery in advance of the Green Line extension coming into operation at the end of 2017.

The new trams will be the same type currently being used on the Green Line but with two additional modules per tram. This will make them 9-module trams – at a total length of 54.6m which is an increase in length from the current 43m-long trams. Each new tram will be capable of accommodating 379 passengers, 60 more than the existing Green Line vehicles.

Speaking at the St Stephen’s Green tram platform Minister Donohoe said: “Placing the order for the new trams today is another important step in this project. The new trams will carry more people and allow the Luas Cross City extension to provide a frequent, efficient and integrated transport option for the city centre and all the way through Broadstone and out to Cabra.”

Anne Graham, the CEO of the National Transport Authority, added:  “All around the city centre tracks are being laid and each month is bringing this project closer to completion. Having new trams in operation from the very start of the new extension being opened is critical to ensure LCC is a success and fully operational from day one at the end of 2017.”

The tram-stop platform lengths on the Luas Cross City are already designed to accommodate longer trams.

The original Green Line platforms between St Stephen’s Green and Sandyford will be extended in length in advance of the delivery of the new trams.

The trams will be maintained at both the Sandyford and Broombridge Luas depots. The trams will be manufactured by Alstom Transport SA in La Rochelle, France.

The introduction of new longer Luas trams on the Green Line is an example of how capacity within existing transport infrastructure must be maximised to help relieve increasing congestion issues, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce stated.

The chamber was responding to the announcement that seven new longer trams have been ordered which will increase the number of passengers carried per tram rise by 20 per cent.

The chamber said that maximising the potential of existing infrastructure will provide a short-term fix while the city waits for other new major transport projects such as the DART Underground and Metro North to come on stream.

“The number of people coming into Dublin city centre is increasing all the time,” Dublin Chamber CEO Gina Quin said. “As the economy continues to grow, the pressure on our transport network will increase. It is vital that we make our existing infrastructure sweat as much possible. It is only 11 years since the Luas Green Line opened and already carriages are at capacity at peak times. Increasing the size of carriages will mean that more people will be able to use the Luas to come in and out of the city.”