The ambitious project will link key locations around the city, including UCC, Kent Station, and The City Centre.
As part of an ambitious project to expand the city’s transport network, plans have been unveiled to bring the Luas to Cork.
The highly-effective tram system currently operates throughout Dublin, connecting key locations across the city.
Now, the Luas is officially coming to Cork, transforming the city’s current transportation network.
When will it be operational? – an ambitious and expensive project
The plans reveal an 18 km (11 miles) line that runs from Ballincollig to Mahon, with 25 stops around the city.
The proposed Cork Luas line will link key locations around the city, such as UCC, Kent Station, and the city centre. Thus, transforming the current network of public transport within the city.
As part of Project Ireland 2040, which includes plans for new cycle routes, a bridge over the River Lee, and a Ballincollig Park-and-Ride, the Luas is set to come to Cork within the next five years.
Linking key locations around Cork – reshaping the city’s transport network
As Ireland’s second largest city, Cork is a hub for tourism, business, and life. Thus, it is much in need of an effective and efficient transport system.
So, the plans to bring the Luas to Cork have been welcomed by many. However, the €2 billion project has not been without controversy.
Speaking on the project at Cork City Hall, Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, “High-quality public transport projects like Luas Cork are key to delivering the large-scale regeneration and investment planned for Cork.
He explained how it will help with the “development of the Cork city docklands, [which are] expected to deliver 20,000 new homes and almost 25,000 jobs at a 4.2-acre site at Kennedy Quay.”
There is currently no exact time frame for the project. However, sources report that if planning permission is obtained by 2028, the project could begin soon after, with an estimated five-year build.
