Dublin commuters will have free access to the Luas system's Green Line for five days when the service is launched later this month, it was announced today.
The Rail Procurement Agency, which oversees the Luas network, said it wanted to offer a free-of-charge "familiarisation period" to encourage people to get acquainted with the service.
The Green Line, which runs from Sandyford to St Stephen's Green, will be officially launched by the Minister for Transport, Mr Seamus Brennan, on June 30th.
The Luas lines will be divided into fixed zones and fares will depend on the number of zones travelled.
The cost of an single adult ticket on the Green Line will range from €1.30 to €2, with return tickets costing between €2.50 and €3.
A single ticket from Beechwood in Ranelagh to Harcourt Street will cost an adult €1.60.
Children will be charged a flat rate of €0.80 for a single ticket and €1.50 for a return ticket.
To minimise delays at stops, passengers will be required to have a valid ticket before boarding a tram. There will be no ticket barriers at the platforms or payment on entering the trams. Tickets will be available from vending machines located at each stop and from selected retail outlets.
The Rail Procurement Agency's chairman, Mr Padraic White, said the fares should prove attractive bearing in mind the "frequency, reliability and smoothness" of the service.
Mr White said he believed that the seven-day ticket with unlimited travel for €16 - or €14 from selected retailers - would prove "particularly attractive to regular commuters".
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/518d93d3-f26f-4914-9ae0-93b67a60d484.png)