Extra Luas trams to ease crowding

CROWDED CONDITIONS on morning peak time Luas Green Line services should ease from today with the deployment of additional trams for the Cherrywood extension, the Railway Procurement Agency has said.

It says service frequency will rise from one tram every 4½ minutes, to one every 3½ minutes, between Sandyford and St Stephen’s Green.

Most trams will continue to run only between Sandyford and St Stephen’s Green, with just one in every three trams in the morning peak serving the €300 million, 7.5km extension.

This will give a morning peak frequency of about one tram every 10½ minutes on the Sandyford to Cherrywood section of the line.

The low frequency on the new extension reflects a collapse in projected development along a good proportion of the route which resulted in the decision not to open two of the 11 stops, at Racecourse and Brennanstown. A 350-space park and ride site at Carrickmines is not expected to open until next year.

An hourly Dublin Bus service connects to the Cherrywood Luas on weekdays stop and serves Bray, Greystones and other parts of north Wicklow.

Despite the failure of development along the southern end of the line to materialise, the railway agency said it expects an additional two million passengers per year to use the Green Line as a result of the extension.

Spokesman Tom Manning said the agency would be “delighted” to have to insert more trams into the timetable if overcrowding was being experienced.

Mr Manning said the service could go to one tram every three minutes with existing infrastructure, rising to one tram every two minutes with relatively minor amendments to the system.

But he said experience had shown that while there were “issues” in the morning peak, it was for a short period only at about 8.30am.

Raising the frequency to 3½ minutes would help alleviate this “pinch point” he said.

Mr Manning also pointed out crowded conditions tend not to happen in the evening rush. Luas ticket pricing currently offers discounts for travel at off peak times.

The extension is to open at 11am today after an official launch by Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

To celebrate the opening the agency is offering free travel on the entire Green Line over the weekend and “family-style fun”, face painting and treasure hunts are to be held at various stops along the route.