Luas Green Line to remain closed until Saturday morning

Services stopped shortly after 9am after two trams failed due to a technical fault

People are seen walking on the tracks along the Luas green line between Beechwood and St Stephen’s Green on Thursday after a technical fault led to the suspension of all services. Photograph: Michael Ruane
People are seen walking on the tracks along the Luas green line between Beechwood and St Stephen’s Green on Thursday after a technical fault led to the suspension of all services. Photograph: Michael Ruane

There will be no Luas Green Line services until 6.30am on Saturday after a technical fault halted all services during Friday morning’s rush hour.

Luas operator Transdev said a there was a fault with the overhead wires and “unfortunately services are expected to be down until start of service tomorrow morning at 6.30am.”

The fault will require thousands of evening rail commuters to make alternative travel arrangements.

The company said Luas tickets are valid on Dublin Bus. Finnegans coaches are operating between Dundrum and Brides Glen Luas stops.

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The morning suspension, which happened shortly after 9am, resulted in many commuters walking into town along the rail lines.

The Luas Twitter account posted at 9.20am on Friday that all services on the Green Line had been suspended and apologised for any inconvenience to passengers.

Remain suspended

Shortly after 1pm it confirmed services would remain suspended for the remainder of the day.

The red line is operating as normal, while lifts and escalators are also operating normally.

Friday morning’s Luas travel disruption is the third service interruption this week.

Green line services were delayed on Thursday after a disruptive passenger was removed from the tram at the Beechwood stop.

The tram was forced to stop at Beechwood in Ranelagh shortly after 7am after a Luas staff member requested Garda assistance in removing a man who was filming members of staff.

Under the Luas byelaws, passengers may not “use any camera or video recorder or any form of equipment for recording sound or images so as to interfere with any other person”.

The man was escorted from the tram at Beechwood station leaving rush-hour trams operating with a 15-20 minute delay.

Earlier there were severe disruptions on the M50 following two separate vehicle breakdowns on Friday morning.

The breakdowns caused traffic disruption on the M50, the M1/M50 interchange and Junction 6 Blanchardstown.

Traffic volumes returned to normal after 11am.

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak is an Irish Times reporter specialising in immigration issues and cohost of the In the News podcast