Cork Luas: TII to reopen public consultation for 18km route

A visualisation of a Cork Luas tram on the Skehard Rd. File picture: LuasCork.ie

Residents and businesses along the proposed route of the multi-million Cork Luas project are to be given a second chance to air their views and concerns on a project that has split public opinion.

The first public consultation highlighted significant concerns among individuals, businesses, and organisations, with the National Transport Authority (NTA) confirming that more than 1,000 submissions were received.

The consultation feedback demonstrated strong public support for light rail in Cork, with 55% of the submissions expressing satisfaction or neutral support for the specific route proposed.

However, 45% expressed dissatisfaction with the route.

Concerns aired also included cost, disruption during construction and operation, accessibility, and a desire to extend it to communities not included on the initial emerging preferred route.

Luas Cork is a proposed 18km light rail line that will deliver a high-capacity public transport link between Ballincollig and Mahon, via the city centre.

The NTA has said a second round of public consultation will now take place in the second quarter of this year.

It said it hopes to proceed with a railway order application for the project late this year, once the final preferred route has been identified.

The NTA said “some amendments are anticipated to be made to the scheme proposals”, details of which have not been released.

“Following the development of those revised designs, it is intended that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will undertake a second round of public consultation in Q2 2026, setting out a proposed preferred route.

Con Dennehy, licensee of The Venue Bar in Ballintemple, said “no notification” of a second round of consultation has been shared with business owners in the area.

He said he is directly impacted by the project as the current proposed line will see his premises demolished due to a required land take needed to facilitate the alignment of the route through Blackrock.

Fine Gael councillor for the Cork city South East ward Des Cahill said that the project is progressing at a “remarkable speed”.

“We’ll have to see what the amendments to the proposal are, but in some ways, the train has left the station.

“I’m not very happy with the idea of new bridges on the river, I would prefer to see them look for alternatives as the potential sterilisation of the river will dramatically change the ethos of the city — but we’ll have to wait and see.”