February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Twelve years in the making and the Luas should finally hits the tracks today with the opening of the Sandyford to St. Stephen’s Green line. Following a launch by Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan, the service will be available to commuters free of charge for the first five days.
Luas construction workers were in a race against time Tuesday night to complete certain sections of the rail line. By lunchtime Monday the Ranelagh station had yet to be finished, prompting fears that the launch would be put back.
It will be the first time in more than 45 years that a tram service will operate in the capital and it is estimated that weary suburban commuters will now be able to travel the Sandyford route into town in about 22 minutes, a trip that can take as much as an hour during rush hour.
South Dublin is plagued by serious traffic congestion. The Sandyford area in particular is host to thousands of motorists every morning and evening as the M50 motorway, which should bypass the south city residential region, has not been completed.
Originally scheduled for completion in October of last year, the Luas also comes in at well above its initial budget. When it’s finished it will be the most expensive urban rail system in Europe.
The Irish Times reported last November that the cost of the entire project had ballooned from original estimates of about