LUAS halted as car drives onto line

A CAR ended up on the tracks of Dublin’s LUAS system following a “bizarre” incident yesterday.

Trial runs for the service on the Green Line were brought to a halt following the overnight incident.

Connex, the operators of the service due to start next Wednesday, said no damage was caused to the tracks.

The incident happened on tram lines running through a small housing estate, Peter’s Place, off the Adelaide Road.

The Railway Procurement Agency (RPA)’s Ger Hannon said an investigation was continuing.

He said a motorist turned off the roadway into the small 28-unit housing estate, ignoring two large “No Access” signs which also signalled “Trams Only.”

“The driver passed over a deterrent pavement which must have caused his vehicle to roll and shake and, despite hitting a ramp, continued along ten metres of track,” said Mr Hannon.

The RPA’s director of corporate affairs said: “The vehicle’s exhaust pipe and undercarriage was possibly scraping off the rails. The incident beggars belief and it would take some doing to continue for that period of time along the track.”

Infrastructure and maintenance crews carried out inspections yesterday and reported no damage caused.

Residents in Peter’s Place said the open LUAS tracks highlighted the dangers facing pedestrians and, especially, children.

One mother suggested there should be flashing lights along the tram route, on the St Stephen’s Green to Sandyford line.

But Mr Hannon said the maximum speed along the route linking Peter’s Place would be 7-8 mph.