The extension will cut the journey time to the city centre by just under 15 minutes during rush hour.
Four new stops are set to be added to the Luas green line on a route that will see the line extended from Broombridge to Charlestown via Finglas in north Dublin.
On Tuesday (28 July), Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport Eamon Ryan TD announced the launch of a public consultation for the proposed Luas Finglas extension.
The proposed route will create a public transport connection between the communities of Charlestown, Finglas Village, Finglas west, St Helena’s and Tolka Valley and the city centre.
Luas Finglas will be comparable to higher speed sections of the Luas network and it is predicted that the extension will cut the journey time from Charlestown to Trinity College from approximately 44 minutes to 30 minutes during morning rush hour.
An emerging preferred route has been developed by The National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland and comments from all stakeholders and members of the public on the route are invited via luasfinglas.ie, where all details of the route are available.
The Luas Finglas extension will be constructed mostly in grass track, while a cycle and pedestrian path will be constructed along much of the line. The final stop at Charlestown, close to the M50, will include a 600-vehicle park and ride facility.
Image via luasfinglas.ie
On Tuesday morning, Minister Ryan also welcomed the first of eight new 55 metre Luas trams into service, with the new larger trams set to increase Luas capacity on some of the network’s busiest sections.
Seven more 55 metre trams, each of which will carry approximately 100 more passengers than existing 44 metre trams, will be delivered in the coming months and will be in passenger service by early next year.
Work on converting 26 existing 44 metre trams into 55 metre trams is also 50% complete, with 13 extended trams now in passenger service.
By 2021, there is set to be 81 Luas trams in service, 41 of which will be 55 metres long. All in all, the addition of the new trams and conversion of existing trams will increase capacity on the busiest sections of the Luas network by almost 30%.
Commenting at the Luas Broombridge Depot on Tuesday morning, Minister Ryan said: “I am delighted to announce this consultation on the Emerging Preferred Route for Luas Finglas. I encourage the public and stakeholders to take part in this public consultation so we can deliver a major public transport improvement to Finglas and north Dublin.
“I’m also very pleased to see the first of eight new 55 metre Luas trams going into passenger service and to see that half of the 44 metre trams have now being extended. I am also pleased there will be a pedestrian and cycling path along most of the route.
“The government is committed to improving sustainable public transport. I look forward to the Luas network and fleet growing in the coming months and years.”
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