The new proposed route for the €2 billion-plus Luas Cork light rail transport system was published on Friday, after changes to reduce the impact on local residents and businesses.
The biggest change from the early draft route for the rail line published by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in April 2025 is a new diversion of the route in Bishopstown.
The route will now run along a number of schools and sports clubs before bisecting the Cork University Hospital (CUH) campus.
It is envisaged the change will improve access to the schools and sports clubs, reduce traffic congestion while providing direct access to CUH.
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Residents of the area were notified of the route change on Thursday, it is understood, though some have raised concerns the new route will necessitate compulsory purchase orders.
TII said it is engaging with CUH, as well as the clubs and schools along the route “to minimise the impact on their lands”.
A public consultation has been opened where members of the Cork public can give their views on the “preferred route” for the Cork Luas.
The new light rail line in the State’s second-largest city will comprise 27 stops running from Ballincollig in the west of the city, to Mahon Point in the east.
In the new route, the 27 stops will be spread across Munster Technological University, Cork University Hospital, UCC, Cork city centre, Kent Station, Cork Docklands, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Blackrock and Mahon.
In the west of the city near Ballincollig, the route is moving farther west to Flynn’s Road, with changes made to reduce the impact of the route on the Church of St Mary and St John.
In a statement, TII said the new route is “largely similar” to the “emerging preferred route” the State body published in mid-2025.
TII said the new route “includes some improvements, including the addition of new stops and reconfiguring other stops to minimise the impact on local residents and businesses”.
More than 1,000 submissions were received during the first submission window, which raised concerns of cost, disruption during construction, accessibility and issues with the route, the Irish Examiner previously reported.
Luas Cork will be designed as a high-capacity system, and it is expected that at peak times with services every six minutes, the trams will carry 2,300 passengers per hour in each direction with journey times of 35 minutes from Ballincollig to the city centre and another 20 minutes to Mahon.
The project is expected to facilitate the opening up of the Cork docklands for the creation of 20,000 homes and up to 25,000 jobs.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the “significant infrastructure project” will improve transport and connectivity in the city, and encouraged the public to “have their say” on the new route.
Submissions can be made on www.luascork.ie until June 12th at 5.30pm.
