Work to identify route options for the proposed €1bn Cork light rail system is set to get under way next month.

The National Transport Authority says it hopes to achieve some quick-wins on the bus and rail network once its ambitious €3.5bn transport strategy for the greater Cork area is adopted.

A €1bn 25-stop light-rail system linking Ballincollig to Mahon via a new docklands bridge is among the proposals contained in the long-awaited Cork Metropolitan Area Draft Transport Strategy (CMATS).

Work on a €1bn light rail system for Cork will not start until 2031 at the earliest with the focus in the interim on improved roads and increased bus lanes.

A €1bn light rail system between Ballincollig and Mahon Point via the city centre, as well as eight new railway stations and 100km of bus lanes, are contained in a radical new transport plan for Cork.