'Bitter blow' as route announcement for Cork Luas delayed again

Preferred route, due to be announced early this month, will now not be published until later this year

Planning and design work for the €1bn Cork light rail system has already cost over €1.8m to date.

The proposed Cork Luas route, which was to be announced in early July, has been delayed until later this year in another blow to the project’s time frame.

A spokesperson for the National Transport Authority confirmed additional work was required on the city centre section of the route following discussions with Cork City Council.

Deputy chief executive of the NTA Hugh Creegan said last month an emerging preferred route had been identified, which was to be announced in early July before a public consultation on the project.

A spokesperson for the NTA said Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the NTA were now undertaking the additional work on the city centre section.

“That task is likely to take a couple of months, and it is now anticipated that the emerging preferred route for Luas Cork will be published later this year — we do not have an exact date yet,” they said.

The 17km east-west route, which was expected to be announced last summer, would serve 25 stops including Ballincollig, Curraheen, Munster Technological University, Cork University Hospital, University College Cork, Cork city centre, Kent Station/Cork North Docklands, Cork South Docklands, and Mahon.

Planning and design work for the €1bn Cork light rail system, one of the most significant elements of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy through to 2040, has already cost over €1.8m to date.

Labour local area representative Peter Horgan said the delay was a “bitter blow” and underlined previous calls for a public transport tsar for Cork to be created.