Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross has announced the first of 26 Green Line trams has been extended and is now in passenger service.
Minister Ross today welcomed into service, the first of the newly-extended trams to operate on the Luas Green Line.
The 11.1m extension increases the length of the tram from 44m to 55m and increases passenger capacity by 30%.
The first of these extended trams is now in passenger service on the Green Line, and over the next 14 months, 25 more will be introduced.
The extended trams will increase passenger capacity by 89, from 319 to 408.
This major programme of investment is aimed at easing the pressure on busy Green Line services.
The number of journeys on Luas has increased from by over ten million, from 30.5 million in 2013 to 41.8 million last year, with commuter peak-time services on the Luas Green Line particularly high in demand.
At the unveiling of the first extended tram, at Sandyford Luas Depot, Ross said: “I am delighted to see the first of 26 extended Luas trams going into passenger service. The government is committed to improving public transport service as this investment shows.
"I look forward to the better service Luas will be able to provide to Green Line customers over the coming months as more of the trams are extended."
