Luas operator says walking on Dublin tracks is ‘trespass’

People thinking of walking the tram-free Luas lines in and out of Dublin on Thursday or Friday have been warned they could face prosecution.

Service operator Transdev has said that even with a drivers' strike taking place, it is against the law for anyone to be on its property.

“Transdev remind customers that although there is no tram service it is against the law to trespass on Luas tracks and property. The overhead lines will be live and maintenance will be working on parts of the system,” it said in a statement.

Whereas it is almost impossible to traverse the city centre without stepping on the rails, the warning is far more likely targeting those who might potter along the suburban lines, possibly as a quiet and direct route in and out of the city.

Official warning notices have been issued by the company in the past, informing those trespassing on the lines that prosecutions can be brought. Last year, 12 cases of tresspass were brought to court under the Transport Railway Infrastructure Act 2001.

Perhaps less surprisingly, the same rules apply to traditional rail lines.

Irish Rail said the illegality of stepping onto its tracks is a permanent fixture as even an all out commuter rail strike doesn't rule out the possibility of freight services or other unscheduled trains.

And while it can be equally risky stepping into a busy city street with passing traffic, it can take a fast moving train up to 1km to effectively apply the brakes.