Luas passenger numbers jump to record 30.5 million

Passenger numbers on Dublin's Luas jumped to a record 30.5 million last year, according to the Rail Procurement Agency (RPA),

The city’s light rail system carried an additional 1.2 million passengers in 2013, a 4 per cent increase on the previous year’s tally.

While passenger numbers dropped in 2008 and 2009 at the height of the economic downturn, they have been rising ever since, partly due to the opening of three extensions in 2010 and 2011.

The RPA, which manages the system on behalf of the National Transport Authority (NTA), also cited a number of marketing initiatives as reasons for the increased passenger numbers, including its "kids go free" scheme and reduced rates for park-and-ride users .

RPA chief executive Rory O'Connor said that it was "hugely encouraging" to see the system doing so well and praised the effort put into customer service by the staff of the Luas operator, Transdev.

He also noted that the common factor in the most successful cities was an “integrated” public transport system.

The NTA's Leap card, which allows commuters jump between Dublin Bus, Luas, Dart and Irish Rail services with a pre-paid card, was introduced in December 2012. In past year, the number of people using the cards has doubled.

Gerry Murphy, chief executive of the National Transport Authority, said: "Luas is a key part of the city's integrated public transport network."

“With a focus on customer requirements, the authority has been rolling out a sustained programme of new initiatives, including the leap card, real time passenger information, journey planning apps and new bus fleets.”

An Bord Pleanála in August 2012 granted permission for the new Luas line which will run from St Stephen's Green to Cabra and connect the existing Red and Green lines.