Luas records surplus of €200,000

THE Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) has announced that Dublin’s Luas light-rail service recorded a surplus of €200,000 for 2005, its first full year of operation.

The surplus was recorded a year ahead of initial projections and means that the €2.5 million budgeted by the Department of Transport for the service to meet an anticipated first year deficit will not be needed.

“Luas has now joined a very small group of public transport systems worldwide that don’t rely on subsidies to operate and it’s the only such system in Ireland,” said chairman of the RPA Padraic A White at the launch of its annual report yesterday.

“We’ll continue to improve the service in response to public demand. From September, a four-minute frequency rate will be introduced on the Green Line between Sandyford and St Stephen’s Green and capacity on the Red Line — between Tallaght and Connolly Station — will be increased by 40% next year,” Mr White added.

An average of 60,000 people travelled on the service last year and figures for May showed a 30% year-on-year increase. The system cost an initial €775m to build.

Under the Government’s Transport 21 blueprint, the RPA was granted the go-ahead to proceed with significant expansion of the network and the development of two Metro lines in Dublin. The RPA is forming a specialist team to prepare for the beginning of the construction of the Sandyford to Cherrywood line later this year and the Docklands link — subject to planning permission — in the first half of next year.

“If negotiations with Citywest developers are successful, construction of the Citywest line could also start next year, subject to planning,” Mr White added.

Reaction to Luas’ progress report was mixed, with Labour TD Roisin Shortall calling for an expansion of the network to meet the needs of all Dubliners and more investment in order to help cut the number of cars on the roads of the capital.

“The future of transport in Dublin must be driven by an increased investment in public transport so that people can be coaxed out of their cars. The success of Luas shows what can be achieved in this regard, but improvements can be made.

“There are still issues around overcrowding on trams and while there are proposals from the RPA to increase capacity, we need action on this sooner rather than later,” said Ms Shortall.