Luas (, Irish: ; meaning 'speed') is a tram system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, the red line has been extended and split into different branches further out of the city and the green line has been extended north and south as a single line. Since the northern extension of the green line in 2017, the two lines intersect in the city centre. The system now has 67 stops and of revenue track, which in 2024 carried 54 million passengers, an increase of 12% compared to 2023. The two lines carried 55 million passengers in 2025.
Luas is operated by the KeolisAmey consortium, having been operated from commencement to August 2026 by Transdev, under tender from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) (prior to the RPA merger with the National Roads Authority to form TII, the tender was originally under the defunct Railway Procurement Agency. The Luas was a major part of the National Transport Authority's strategy (2000–2016). Four extensions to the initial Luas lines have been completed. Construction of a extension of the Green line through the north city centre to Broombridge, which linked both Green and Red lines, began in June 2013 and opened to passengers in December 2017. This is the extension route previously known officially as BXD.
History The idea for a new tram or light rail system for the city of Dublin was first suggested, in the 1990s, by a Dublin Transportation Initiative (DTI) report, which referenced the original Dublin tramways, once running over and reaching most parts of the city. Following this report Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), the state-owned public transport operator in Ireland, was asked to study the different options. They recommended two phases for the construction of a tram system:
Phase 1: Tallaght to Dundrum/Balally via the City Centre Phase 2: Ballymun to the City Centre and Dundrum/Balally to Sandyford.
The Transport Act, 1996 created a legal framework for CIÉ to build a tram system and in May 1997 the company applied for a light railway order to construct the first phase, as well as the Dundrum/Balally to Sandyford part of phase 2.
An inquiry started in July 1997, but was put on hold to investigate the possibility of underground sections in the city centre. In May 1998 the government decided to build two lines, amending the plans. The first was to run from Tallaght to Connolly Station, while the second would run from Sandyford Industrial Estate to Dublin Airport, through the city centre and Ballymun. Part of the second was to be underground through the city centre. In promotional content from the mid-1990s, journey time from Tallaght to the city centre was predicted to be 30 minutes.
The responsibility for developing Luas was transferred from CIÉ to the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA), a separate government agency created in December 2001. Construction work began in March 2001 on the Tallaght to Connolly line, as well as the Sandyford to St. Stephen's Green section of the second line, with Ansaldo of Italy and MVM of Australia getting the contract to build the system. The St. Stephen's Green to Dublin Airport section was dropped before construction began, as it was decided to serve the area by a metro instead. The contract to maintain and operate the system was awarded to Connex.Connex beats First to run Dublin's trams from 2003 Rail issue 435 15 May 2002 page 11
The development of Luas Red Line was facilitated by European Union funding of €82.5 million under the European Regional Development Fund, and part of the cost of some line extensions (e.g. over 50% of Line B1 to Cherrywood) was raised though levies on development in areas close to the projected route.
Launch The original launch date for Luas was to be 2003, but delays in construction saw this date pushed back by a year. An advertising campaign took place to inform the public of the development of the system, while construction was taking place. Construction finished in February 2004 and a period of testing and driver training began. 30 June 2004 was decided on as the official launch date of the Green Line.After 55 years, trams return to Dublin streets Rail issue 492 7 July 2004 page 14 The first tram went into service for the general public at 3 p.m. Several days of free travel and a family fun weekend took place to launch the system. The Red Line opened on 26 September 2004, with six days of free travel for the general public.
2004 to present By November 2006, over 50 million journeys had been made on the system. Around 90,000 Luas trips are made each day. In 2007, 28.4 million journeys were made; there were 27.4 million journeys in 2008 and 25.4 million journeys in 2009. To date, the busiest day on Luas was Friday, 21 December 2007 when 145,000 passenger journeys were recorded.
Luas operates without a state subsidy. The service recorded a surplus of €985,000 (€680,000 in 2004) – an achievement well ahead of an anticipated deficit of €2.5 million.
On Tuesday, 8 December 2009 the Red Line C1 Connolly to Docklands extension opened. There are four stops: George's Dock, Mayor Square-NCI, Spencer Dock (serving the new Docklands railway station, approximately away) and terminating in Point Village, opposite the 3Arena, this extension however bypasses Connolly. Construction started at the beginning of June 2007. Test runs began on the line in September 2009 before the opening.
On 16 October 2010, the B1 extension from Sandyford to Cherrywood opened.
In February 2026, it was revealed that Transdev would lose the concession to operate the Luas later that year, with the new operator being the international consortium KeolisAmey.
Luas Cross City
In June 2010, plans to join the two Luas tracks were finalised. On 20 May 2011 Dublin City Council made submissions to An Bord Pleanála's Oral Hearing into Line BXD stating that the planning authority had a serious area of concern with the overhead conductor system in the historical city centre, and asking for a wire-free zone.
Luas Cross City is an extension of the Green Line which links with the Red Line, and continues northwards to Broombridge railway station in North Dublin (where there is an interchange at an Iarnród Éireann station). The extension began at the existing St Stephen's Green Green Line stop. Construction started in June 2013, with services beginning four and a half years later, in December 2017.
Line BX (includes Line D to Broombridge) – City Centre link for Red and Green Lines. The RPA started public consultation on the route in December 2005. In March 2007 the preferred route was announced. The route runs from St Stephen's Green to College Green where the line changes from a double track to single track. From here it runs north through Westmoreland Street, over O'Connell Bridge and along the west side of O'Connell Street to Cathal Brugha Street. It then turns east into Cathal Brugha Street and turns south to run along Marlborough Street, across the River Liffey on the Rosie Hackett Bridge, continues along Hawkins Street and College Street and joins up with the double-track section of the line at College Green. 2012 was the original completion date given in the Transport 21 plans, but construction only started in 2013. Completion, and commencement of passenger services, occurred in December 2017. The RPA applied for a Railway Order application to An Bord Pleanála for a combined Line D / Line BX Luas Line that runs from St Stephen's Green to Broombridge via the city centre and Broadstone / Grangegorman. Line D – City Centre to Liffey Junction. This serves Grangegorman, the site of the new TU Dublin campus. This line is linked with the Maynooth mainline rail line.
On 10 November 2011, the government announced in its 2012–16 Infrastructure and Capital Investment plan that the project to link the Red and Green lines, known as BXD, was to proceed. No other new lines or extensions were being funded. Construction work for the new Rosie Hackett bridge across the River Liffey (connecting Marlborough St and Hawkins St) began in April 2012, on which the southbound Luas BXD track was laid. A Railway Order was granted by An Bord Pleanála for Luas BXD line on 3 August 2012. The project was subsequently branded as Luas Cross City. Cross City opened to passengers on 9 December 2017.
Infrastructure
Stops and lines The network currently comprises two colour-coded lines, one having branches: Red Line – The Point or Connolly to Saggart or Tallaght (each route is approximately long, but the total track length is longer since the Belgard-Tallaght and Belgard-Saggart sections are separate parts of the Red Line) Green Line – Broombridge via Sandyford to Bride's Glen,
The Red Line runs east–west through Dublin's Northside, then crosses the River Liffey and travels southwest to the heavily populated suburb of Tallaght, with a second branch running through the Citywest campus to terminate at Saggart. It was planned, designed and constructed in two separate stages: Line A from Tallaght to Abbey Street Line C from Abbey Street to Connolly Station
This was followed by two extensions: Line C1 from Connolly to The Point, which opened in December 2009 Line A1 from Belgard to Saggart, which opened in July 2011
On the south side of Dublin city, the Green Line mostly follows the route of the old Harcourt Street railway line, which was reserved for possible reuse when it closed in 1958, although some diversions have been made. It was known internally as Line B during planning and construction, and has also had several extensions: Line B from Sandyford to St Stephen's Green Line B1 from Sandyford to Bride's Glen, which opened in July 2010 Line BX from St Stephen's Green to connect with the Red Line, which opened in December 2017 Line D extends Line BX to Broombridge, and opened simultaneously with Line BX in December 2017 Line B2 is a proposed extension from Bride's Glen to Bray
The cost of building the original Red and Green Lines was €728m.
It was envisaged in the original plans that the Green Line would meet the Red Line at O'Connell Street. However, two separate unconnected lines were built, leaving a (10–15 minute walk) – through O'Connell Street, Westmoreland Street, College Green and Grafton Street – between the two lines. Plans to link the lines were announced with the proposed building of the BX Line under Transport 21: this was opened to passengers on 9 December 2017. There are 32 stops on the Red Line and 35 (plus two extra unopened stops surrounding Carrickmines) on the Green Line.
A third line to Lucan, known as Line F or Luas Lucan, was planned from an early stage; there had been a tram to Lucan in the era of the Dublin tramways. Development of a preferred route for this line began in 2024.
Track and rolling stock
The system operates on a overhead power supply. The international standard track gauge of is used, rather than the Irish .
The silver Alstom Citadis trams, manufactured in La Rochelle, France, reach a top speed of on off-street sections, but travel at a slower speed on-street where conflicts with other vehicles and pedestrians can occur. The 26 initial Red Line '3000' Class trams were long Citadis 301 configurations with a capacity of 256. The 14 initial Green Line '4000 Class' trams, each long Citadis 401 configurations, have a capacity of 358 including two wheelchairs. Starting in 2007, all the Red line trams were upgraded to by inserting two more articulated sections, with the last one converted by June 2008. Both configurations of tramcars are fully compatible with both the Red and the Green Lines.