Dublin Luas Light Rail Network, Republic of Ireland

Dublin is by far the largest city in Ireland, with over a million inhabitants and forecast to continue its rapid recent growth. Serious road congestion is being addressed with a large-scale light rail network titled Luas (Irish for speed).

With origins in the Dublin Transportation Initiative (DTI) report of April 1994 and initially within the remit of Ireland's heavy rail operator CIÉ, the first two routes opened in 2004, with several more planned over the next decade under the terms of the Irish infrastructure plan, Transport 21.

The project is truly international with companies from (amongst others) Ireland, Italy, France, Australia, the UK and Germany. Construction was let to AMB (Ansaldo, MVM and Ballast Needam).

System designers were Sinclair Knight Merz, Halcrow and Roughan & O'Donovan. Mott MacDonald, EPO and Semaly have acted as advisors and assistants to the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA), an arm of the Irish government.

Alstom supplied the trams and Scheidt & Bachmann the automatic fare collection and monitoring system. Veolia Transport Ireland (formerly Connex) is the system's operator, also acting as manager for the maintenance contracts on behalf of the RPA.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The five-year construction programme began in August 1999. Red Line links Tallaght on the south-western outskirts of Dublin, with Connolly Station at the east of the city centre.

Wholly south of the River Liffey, the Green Line is from St Stephen's Green, adjoining to the city's main retail area, to Sandyford. The line uses part of the formation of a former heavy rail route from Dublin Harcourt Street to Bray.

Mainly a segregated route featuring some substantial structures and capable of full metro conversion, approximately 2km runs on-street in a more traditional tramway-type operation on the approach to St Stephen's Green. As built, the Red and Green lines are independent, with separate maintenance facilities and no rail connection.

Park and ride facilities are provided at six sites (five during 2008 due to Green Line extension works). Luas has standard European track gauge (1,435mm), different from the Iarnród Éireann/Irish Railways heavy rail network's 1,600mm gauge.

ROLLING STOCK

Luas is operated by 40 75% low-floor double-ended Alstom Citadis units, initially configured as 26 30m three-car formations and 14 40m five-car formations. A programme is in place to create an all five-car fleet, with the Red Line sets being augmented with new sections from 2007. but it is intended that they will eventually become the same length. The metallic purple trams have subsequently had a lateral yellow line added to aid visibility.

Maximum capacity for the 2.4m-wide three and five-car units is 256 and 358. Floor height is 350mm, except over the powered bogies where the height is 600mm. The two versions have four 140kW motors, the five-car version having an extra two 120kW motors fitted to one of the centre sections.

SIGNALLING / COMMUNICATIONS

Luas command and control centre is at Red Cow (by the Red Line) which, as well as controlling movements on both lines, has access to the automatic fare collection system which can be operated manually if necessary.

Conventional absolute block signalling is adequate with services operating at five-minute intervals during peak-hours and ten-minute intervals off-peak.

At five-minute peak headways this provides scope to carry 3,700 and 2,800 persons per direction per hour respectively. Four-minute peak headways are being examined to be implemented as demand dictates.

Luas stops have a shelter, customer help points (linked to the control room), ticket machines and real-time passenger information set in advertising drums. Signage is in both official languages, Irish and English, with the system receiving an award for promoting the Irish language in 2006.

The system is easily accessible with low-level platforms and tactile paving. rolling stock has air conditioning in the driver's cab. The passenger area has heating and ventilation. Video surveillance equipment and public address for enhanced passenger safety.

THE FUTURE

The aim is for Dublin to have an integrated public transport system comprising quality bus, Luas, Metro and an expanded DART and suburban rail network with park-and-ride facilities. It is hoped to secure 63% of the total passenger business by 2016 compared to 27% in 1997.

In July 2007 a survey for the Dublin Transportation Office indicated that Luas has not had a significant affect on car usage, although bus use in areas covered by Luas has fallen. Earlier indications were that Luas would be used to link Dublin Airport to the city centre, currently served by an intensive but traffic-inhibited bus service.

However, this is now a role due to be filled by the Metro North Line. This will run north from a terminus at St Stephen's Green, which is also due to be a stop on the projected in-tunnel Dart Interconnector heavy rail link between the Connolly and Heuston lines.

Under Transport 21, the RPA identifies the following LUAS developments (projected opening):

• Line A1 Extension to Citywest (2010)
• Line B1 Extension to Cherrywood (2010)
• Line B2 Extension from Cherrywood to Bray (not specified)
• Line C1 Extension to Docklands - The Point (2009)
• Line BX City Centre Link-Up (2012)
• Line D Extension from City Centre Link-Up to Grangegorman (2012)
• Line F New line to Lucan (2013)

Construction of the C1 extension began in 2007. From a junction between Connolly and Busáras, stops on the new line serving the growing business district will be at George's Dock, Mayor Square, Spencer Dock and The Point. Building works for the Sandyford-Cherrywood extension have also begun.

Forecast to add up to 25 million passengers annually to Luas, in September 2007, options for Line F to Lucan were announced prior to the public consultation stage for determining the final route.

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