Work on moving pipelines from the route nearly done

Work on moving the underground water, gas, electricity and telecom pipelines from the entire Luas route is virtually complete and expected to be "signed-off" by the end of this year.

In addition tracks have been laid in much of the outer areas leaving the city centre track-laying to be completed following the end of this year's Operation Freeflow - the now annual moratorium on digging up the roads in Dublin city centre during the Christmas rush.

The depot at the Red Cow roundabout has been built and the full complement of 26, 30-metre trams have been delivered. The carriages can now be seen being tested near the Red Cow roundabout. The Sandyford line is being developed a few months behind the Tallaght route and the longer, 40-metre trams are not due to start arriving until the New Year.

The Sandyford depot is due to be built by the end of this year.

Dedicated new bridges have been built across the M50 at the Red Cow roundabout, and at Taney junction in Dundrum, while refurbishment of the Nine Arches viaduct at Milltown has started.

Work has also begun on bridges at Charlemont Place, Ranelagh; Dartmouth Road, Northbrook Road, Ranelagh Road, Charleston Road and Suir Road.

The Railway Procurement Agency is particularly pleased with the progress on diverting the utilities, the gas, water, electricity and telecom services.

Not only have the service providers taken the chance to replace much of the city's decaying services, but co-operation and planning has worked well, perhaps providing a template for digging up roads in the future.

The contractor undertaking the major construction work, a consortium called AMB JV is currently installing track on Line A from Tallaght Square to Church Street in the city.

On the Sandyford line track is being laid from Charleston Road to Albany Road; from Cowper Road to Milltown; Milltown to Windy Arbour; Dundrum to Kilmacud; Kilmacud to Sandyford.

Connex, a subsidiary of Vivendi Environment SA, a French publicly owned company which employs more than 220,000 people in transport companies which carry more than 1 billion passengers worldwide, has been selected to operate the Luas system.

The necessary demolition work in Mary's Abbey and Arran Quay Terrace in the city section is progressing on schedule.

Fourteen 40-metre trams serving the Sandyford route B, will descend from bridge height to street level, via a ramp currently under construction at Peter's Place near the Grand Canal. In the city they travel on street level.