New Luas tram confusion

Luas Red Line services will terminate at Abbey St. from mid-June until early Autumn. This is to facilitate the on-going construction of the Luas Docklands Line. To allow better customer access the Abbey St. platform on the street side will be temporarily widened. Widening the platform will take about 2 weeks.

Please use Abbey Street stop as normal.
Thank you for your co-operation.

Speech by Noel Dempsey, T.D., Minister for Transport at Launch of Luas Extension
26 May 2008

Mr Ambassador, invited guests I am very pleased to be here today at the Luas Red Cow Depot to mark the completion of the Tallaght Luas Line Tram Extension Project.

This is an important phase in the continuing success story of Luas. Last year Luas carried almost 30 million passengers. These hugely encouraging passenger numbers, which are steadily rising year on year, indicate the attraction of this reliable and efficient service to the general public.

Today we are marking a move that will increase capacity on the Tallaght Line by 40%. This will mean 2000 more people per hour will be now able to enjoy the tram experience on this line.

We started this tram extension project over 12 months ago and today marks the end of this project. 26 new 40 meter trams are now on this line transporting more people than ever before across the city.

I am sure that Niall and his team at Alstom Irl. Ltd will take good care of these new trams as part of their maintenance contract with the RPA.

This particular tram extension project is one of a number of initiatives, which are aimed at increasing the capacity of Luas services and responding to customer demand.

In addition to the tram extensions, 8 new trams have been ordered to provide a further increase in capacity on the existing Luas lines. I understand that the RPA are also examining the feasibility of other measures to further increase capacity in the years ahead. All of this activity will build towards our target of capacity for an additional 80 million passengers trips per annum on the Luas/Metro networks under Transport 21.

It is important that the Luas experience should continue to be pleasant and comfortable and I am sure that enhancements such as the tram extensions, which we are marking today and the other initiatives will contribute to maintaining the quality of the experience.

It is a tribute to the professionalism of the RPA, Alstom and Veolia Transport Ireland that the significant transformation of the Luas Fleet, through the Tallaght Luas Line Tram Extension Project, has been carried out with no interruption to service and on time and within budget.

I am heartened to note that good progress is being made in the roll-out by the RPA of Luas and metro projects under Transport 21. The Docklands Extension of the Tallaght Luas Line is scheduled for completion by the end of next year.

I can imagine many of these extended trams being pressed into service in the future to carry concert-goers speedily and efficiently to and from the new Point and to carry thousands of people to the new conference centre and to the other attractions in the refurbished Docklands area.

It is also extremely encouraging to see the new bridges and other structures taking shape on the Green Line Extension from Sandyford to Cherrywood. Progress before our very eyes.

Good progress is also being made on the other key Luas and Metro projects under Transport 21. An Bord Pleanala is at present considering the Tallaght to Citywest extension and I am sure that people here in this area of west Dublin are looking forward to the commencement of operations on this service.

.........

In conclusion, I would like to commend all those who were involved in this tram extension project here and I would like to wish "bon vogage" to the newly upgraded Tram Number 3020 as it joins the other 25 trams to traverse the route between Tallaght and the City Centre.

Thank you