Luas (Irish for 'speed') - also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System - currently encompasses two unconnected on-street light rail transit system in Dublin, Ireland. As with all Dublin fittings and fixtures, the Luas has already got alternative names: the Jerry Lee or the Daniel Day are some examples. Its most notable nickname however is the Snail on the Rail. Originally under the organisation of Córas Iompair Éireann, the project was moved to the Railway Procurement Agency [1] upon that body's inception, whilst it is operated by Connex. The Luas is a major part of the Dublin Transportation Office [2] 'DTO strategy (2000-2016)'.
Operation
The system runs off a 750 volt DC overhead power supply, and one two-carriage tram can carry 235 people. The standard European gauge of 1435 mm (or more traditionally, 4 ft 8½ ins) is being used rather than the Irish gauge of 1600 mm (5 ft 3 ins).
The system, when complete, will comprise of three lines:
- Line A: Tallaght to Abbey Street
- Line B: St. Stephen's Green to Sandyford Industrial Estate
- Line C: Abbey Street to Connolly Station
Lines A runs both north and south of the Liffey whilst Line C is entirely north of the river, both lines are commonly referred to as the Red Line. The Line B, in the Southside, is referred to as the Green Line. The Red Line and Green Line are not connected to each other, with a fifteen minute walk between the two closest points. The services will run on a ten minute basis, with a service every five minutes during on-peak times.
Services commenced on the Green Line on Wednesday 30th June 2004, with free fares to all for the first five days of operation. The Red Line opened on 28th September 2004, almost a month or so behind schedule. It remains to be seen whether the Luas will prove effective in combating Dublin's traffic congestion problems.
The two separate lines (red and green) are, in effect, wholly separate tram systems – with seperate depots and facilities, and fixed allocations of trams (there is no simple method to transfer trams between the two lines).
The trams are sleek, and silver and all look identical from a distance. But in fact, have sligthly different dimensions on each line: Red Lines are shorter, and have a different car width from the Green Lines. This means that Red Line trams can be operated on the Green Line, but not vice-versa. The Red Line trams have a capacity of about 370 people, wheras the Green Line trams have a capacity of about 430.
Criticism
There has been much criticism of the system and its pre-operational organisation. The standard Irish gauge of 5 ft 3 ins (1600 mm) has not been used – one theory is that it would be too wide for normal streets. The project exceeded its budget by a sizeable amount, costing over €700 million, and there were many delays throughout its construction. There were significant costs associated with building two entirely separate tram systems at the same time. For instance whereas one depot would ordinarily be used, two were constructed. The system may not be compatible with the proposed metro system for Dublin. The green line will in any case, have to be upgraded - to continue underground from at least the point at which it terminates (St. Stephen's Green). The prior section of route is almost entirely an old railway alignment (see History of rail transport in Ireland) and is of heavy-rail quality.
There was considerable disruption to traffic during construction work. Businesses also suffered immensely because of the disruption, and visitors to the city have been inconvenienced. However, the Green line (Sandyford to St. Stephen's Green) has already proven extremely popular, bringing many more visitors into the city centre, and carrying a reported 700,000 passengers in its first month of operation.
Within minutes of starting service, the Luas had collided with a car on Harcourt Street, near-collisions were an occasional problem, as of August 2004. A second collision with a car was reported on the red line at the end of August 2004, which at the time was undergoing final testing prior to the public launch due at the end of September 2004. September 2004 also witnessed the first collision between two Luas trams at the crossover at the St. Stephens Green terminus.
Derailments are not uncommon - two having been reported on the Green line in the two months since opening, as of August 2004.
The price of tickets has also been criticised, with a minimum fare of €1.30 being charged for an adult single journey at off-peak times within a single zone, rising during peak hours. There is a greater level of ticket checking than on the DART or Dublin Bus, making fare evasion more difficult but also increasing inconvenience for passengers who must more frequently pull out their ticket.