EIGHT new Luas trams will be added to the current fleet under a €100m project to extend services on the Green Line, Transport Minister Shane Ross has said.
The Luas Green Line Capacity Enhancement Project will see the lengthening of the existing 26 Green Line trams and the extension of the Sandyford Depot to accommodate the longer trams.
The new trams will have capacity for 60 additional passengers to be carried per tram – a total of 369 people per tram.
Minister Ross said he was delighted to announce that the project to enhance the Luas Green Line will commence in 2018.
“This is an ambitious endeavour which will see an additional eight trams being added to the Luas fleet, the lengthening of the existing 26 Green Line trams and the extension of the Sandyford Depot in order to accommodate these longer trams,” Minister Ross said.
“The new trams will allow for 60 additional passengers to be carried per tram – a total of 369 people per tram in all.”
The Minister said the upgrade is a follow-on project from Luas Cross City which he will be launching on December 9.
A complementary project to lengthen the platforms at Green Line stations is also near completion.
“All these initiatives combined will add greatly to the choice and experience of the travelling public and ease congestion in the city,” the minister stated.
The Green Line Capacity Enhancement project is identified in the National Transport Authority’s Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035.
The capacity increases at peak periods provided by the project is designed to reduce crowding on the Green Line thus enhancing accessibility for mobility and sensory impaired users during these periods.
After the opening of Luas Cross City the capacity on the Green Line will be approximately 6,400 passengers per direction per hour based on 21 trams per hour.
At the end of the Green Line capacity project this will increase to approximately 8,160 passengers per direction per hour based on 24 trams per hour.
The increase in capacity is 1,760 passengers per direction per hour.
Minister Ross added: “More trams, longer trams, connecting trams, longer platforms and a bigger depot to house them in – this is all great news for our public transport system.”
Senator Neale Richmond (FG) also welcomed the news that the Cabinet has agreed to the extension of Green Line Luas trams that service his Dublin Rathdown constituency.
“I have been campaigning for this for over 12 months,” Senator Richmond said.
“It was based on the many representations I have had from locals in Dublin Rathdown who find they cannot get on Luas trams during rush hour, or if they can get on, they find the trams are too packed.
“Last spring I carried out a survey which found that 10 per cent of passengers on the Green Line could not get on the first tram that comes along.”
and that 60% never get a seat when they do get on a tram. With varying waiting times depending on what stop you are waiting at, this is becoming even more problematic.
“The demands on the green LUAS line are set to grow with the LUAS linking in the city centre as well as the high levels of residential development in Stepaside, Cherrywood and Carrickmines due to be completed in the next 18 months. Added to this is the welcome growth of commercial activity in Sandyford, Dundrum and Carrickmines, making the LUAS ever more popular.
“Bigger trams and longer platforms are vital to meeting the current and future demands on the LUAS but in addition I would say that further investment in our bus and light rail network is needed across Dublin to ensure the city can cope with our strong economic growth.”