Dublin's light rail Luas system carried 16,452,856 passengers in the first year of its operation.
RPA chief executive Frank Allen
The first Luas trams started running 12 months ago today. According to the Rail Procurement Agency (RPA), which implements light rail projects for the Government, Luas is on course to carry 20 million passengers by the end of the year.
Last Friday was the busiest day so far for the light rail system, when 91,398 passengers used it. The figures were boosted because thousands of U2 fans travelled to Croke Park by Luas. The RPA says Luas is now taking more than 30,000 passengers per day from their cars in the capital.
It said plans were at an advanced stage for extending the Green Line - which runs from Sandyford to St Stephen's Green - to Cherrywood. Plans are also being progressed for extending the Red Line - which runs from Tallaght to Connolly Station - to the Point Depot.
Plans to link up the two lines are being prepared and will shortly be presented for consultation, according to the agency.
"I am delighted with the way in which Dublin has taken to Luas", said RPA chief Frank Allen. "We were always confident that we would meet our targets but it is really gratifying to see that we have managed to surpass all expectations and that Luas has so quickly established itself as an integral part of the Dublin landscape".
Minister for Transport Martin Cullen this morning hailed the "huge success" of Luas. "If we continue to deliver high quality transport, Luas proves the passengers will come", he said.
He called on the Opposition parties to revise their views on the project.
"Fine Gael described Luas as a disaster, Labour labelled it a national joke. If such a negative approach were taken in this country everyday, I shudder to think where we would be," he added.
However, Fine Gael's transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell responded: "This is wrong, we have always been firm supporters of the project and have consistently called for a city-wide Luas network.
“The only disaster in all of this has been the dithering of successive Fianna Fáil Ministers.
"We were certainly very critical of the dithering, delays and indecision of Minister Mary O’Rourke which set the project back by several years and resulted in the northside line being dropped. In return for this, Minister O’Rourke promised a Dublin metro would be operational by 2005."
