Tram systems in Dublin
Dublin is the capital of Ireland, situated on the country’s east coast where the River Liffey flows into Dublin Bay. The river divides the city centre into its northside and southside, linked by a succession of bridges. Dublin’s historic streets, Georgian squares and waterfront districts reflect its development from a medieval port into Ireland’s principal political, commercial and cultural centre.
Major attractions include Trinity College, Dublin Castle, St Patrick’s Cathedral and the Guinness Storehouse. Beyond the historic centre, the redeveloped Docklands contrast with the coastal towns and suburbs surrounding Dublin Bay.
Dublin’s public transport combines an extensive bus network with Luas trams, DART suburban trains and commuter rail services. Buses provide the widest coverage, while DART serves the coastal corridor and commuter trains connect the city with surrounding towns. These services form part of the Transport for Ireland network, with the TFI Leap Card providing a common payment method across participating bus, tram and rail services.
Luas connects several important transport hubs, including Heuston and Connolly railway stations, Busáras coach station and Broombridge railway station. It also links the city centre with residential districts, shopping areas and employment centres. Dublin Airport is served by buses and coaches rather than by Luas.
Dublin’s modern tram system is known as Luas, an Irish word meaning “speed”. It opened in 2004 and comprises two lines, identified by colour rather than number: the Red Line and the Green Line. The network combines street running in the city centre with substantial sections of reserved track through the suburbs.
The Red Line links the Docklands and the northern side of the city centre with Dublin’s southwestern suburbs. It has branches at both ends, with services normally linking Tallaght with The Point and Saggart with Connolly, sharing the central section between Belgard and Busáras. Along the way, it provides connections to Busáras and Heuston railway station. The Green Line runs from Broombridge through the city centre to Dundrum, Sandyford and Brides Glen, with some services operating over a shorter section between Parnell and Sandyford.
The two lines were originally separate. The opening of the Green Line’s Cross City extension in 2017 brought them together in the city centre, where passengers can change between Abbey Street on the Red Line and the nearby O’Connell–GPO or Marlborough stops on the Green Line. The Green Line follows different streets in each direction through part of the centre.
Further information about each line is available in the Lines tab.
KeolisAmey — Luas
Keolis Amey Light Rail Ireland operates and maintains Luas. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is the state body responsible for the system, which forms part of the wider Transport for Ireland public transport network. KeolisAmey took over operation on 1 September 2026.
Dublin’s first horse tram service opened on 1 February 1872, linking College Green with Rathgar. Further routes followed, connecting the centre with growing suburbs on both sides of the River Liffey. In 1881, three tramway companies merged to form the Dublin United Tramways Company, bringing much of the developing network under common ownership. Its Spa Road works in Inchicore became an important centre for tram construction.
Electric operation began on 16 May 1896 between Haddington Road and Dalkey. Electrification subsequently spread across the network, replacing horse traction and establishing electric trams as a familiar feature of Dublin’s streets. Double-deck tramcars served routes radiating from the city centre to residential districts and coastal suburbs.
Motor buses increasingly competed with trams during the twentieth century, and routes were progressively converted to bus operation. The company changed its name to the Dublin United Transport Company in 1941, reflecting its changing role. Dublin’s last city tram service, on the route to Dalkey, ran on 9 July 1949.
The separate Hill of Howth Tramway, opened in 1901, survived for another decade. Linking Sutton and Howth railway stations by a scenic route over Howth Head, it carried both local passengers and visitors to the peninsula. Its closure on 31 May 1959 brought the first era of tram operation in the Dublin area to an end.
Trams returned in 2004 with the opening of Luas, a new light rail system. The Green Line opened on 30 June 2004, running between St Stephen’s Green and Sandyford. Much of its southern corridor reused the alignment of the former Harcourt Street heavy rail line, which had closed in 1958. The Red Line followed on 26 September 2004, linking Tallaght with Connolly railway station via Heuston and the city centre. The two lines initially operated separately, requiring passengers transferring between them to walk through the centre.
Three extensions enlarged the system over the following years. The Red Line reached The Point in the Docklands in 2009, the Green Line extended south from Sandyford to Brides Glen in 2010, and a new Red Line branch from Belgard to Saggart opened in 2011, serving the Citywest area.
The Luas Cross City extension opened on 9 December 2017, taking the Green Line north from St Stephen’s Green through the city centre to Broombridge. It crossed the Red Line near Abbey Street, creating a convenient interchange between the two services, and introduced a connection with suburban rail at Broombridge. Different northbound and southbound street alignments were used through part of the city centre.
Further investment increased capacity on the Green Line through longer trams, additional vehicles and associated infrastructure improvements. These works allowed Luas to carry more passengers without adding another route. In September 2026, operation and maintenance passed from Transdev to KeolisAmey, beginning a new operating contract for the established network.
Dublin currently has 2 tram lines, which are listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| Red | The Red Line runs between its eastern termini at The Point and Connolly and the western termini at Tallaght and Saggart, sharing a central section between Belgard and Busáras. |
| Green | The Green Line runs between Broombridge and Brides Glen via the city centre, St Stephen’s Green, Dundrum and Sandyford. |
The Luas network uses 1,435 mm standard-gauge track, with power supplied at 750 V DC through overhead wires. City-centre sections use embedded rails in paved streets, while suburban sections include reserved alignments with ballasted track and some grassed track. Both lines combine segregated running with road crossings and sections shared with other traffic.
The Red Line has branches serving Tallaght and Saggart in the southwest, together with a short spur to Connolly railway station near its eastern end. The Green Line incorporates part of the former Harcourt Street heavy rail alignment south of the centre. Through the city centre, its northbound and southbound tracks follow different streets and cross the River Liffey on separate bridges.
Three depots support the network: Red Cow on the Red Line, and Sandyford and Broombridge on the Green Line. Red Cow also houses the central control room, from which staff monitor tram movements and manage services across both lines.
Luas uses an entirely Alstom Citadis fleet, comprising 81 articulated trams divided between two principal types. All are 2.4 metres wide.
The Red Line operates 40 Citadis 401 trams, each approximately 40.8 metres long with a 70% low-floor layout. This fleet includes vehicles originally delivered as shorter Citadis 301 trams and subsequently lengthened.
The Green Line operates 41 Citadis 502 trams, approximately 54.7 metres long and fully low-floor. These include 26 vehicles originally supplied as Citadis 402s and lengthened between 2019 and 2021, alongside 15 trams delivered in the longer configuration. The extended vehicles provide substantially greater capacity on the busy Green Line corridor.
Platforms and designated boarding areas provide accessible entry to the trams, with wheelchair spaces available on board. The Green Line’s fully low-floor vehicles allow step-free movement throughout the passenger compartment, while the Red Line vehicles include raised internal sections.
The approved Luas Finglas project will extend the Green Line approximately 3.9 km north from Broombridge to Charlestown, serving communities around Tolka Valley and Finglas. Four additional stops are planned: St Helena’s, Finglas Village, St Margaret’s Road and Charlestown.
The extension will run mainly on a reserved alignment, with grass track along much of the route. New bridges will carry the line over the railway and Royal Canal at Broombridge and across the River Tolka. A park-and-ride facility near St Margaret’s Road will provide access from the surrounding road network.
Planning approval was granted in October 2025, and legal challenges were resolved in April 2026. Land acquisition and procurement are progressing, with main construction expected to commence by 2029 and enabling works potentially starting earlier. The opening date remains subject to the delivery programme.