Leeside Luas ‘a top priority’ for transport, says Cork Chamber

THE chief executive of Cork Chamber has described as “absolutely essential” the advancement of the proposed Cork Luas after it was revealed that the National Transport Authority (NTA) is currently only funded to bring the project to Emerging Preferred Route (EPR) stage.

Speaking at Cork Chamber’s Business Breakfast event yesterday, the CEO of the NTA, Anne Graham, said that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) — funded by and in collaboration with the NTA — is currently undertaking the “detailed alignment study” to determine the optimum layout for the scheme.

“That work is nearing completion, and it is expected that an emerging preferred option for Luas Cork will be published for public consultation this year,” she said.

“NTA and TII are in discussion with Cork City Council in relation to the city-centre element of the scheme, which is one of the more complex sections of the route.”

Timeline

Asked about the envisaged timeline for possible delivery of the project, Ms Graham said the NTA is currently only funded to bring the project to EPR stage.

“We don’t have the funding to bring it to more detailed design, to bring it to planning at this stage,” she said.

“Our strategy [the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy] sets it out as being delivered later in the strategy, so being a post-2030 delivery.

“That’s as much as we could say on the timeline at this stage.

“Decisions on funding are a Government decision really, and we respond accordingly in terms of our delivery timelines,” she added.

The EPR had been expected to be revealed before the end of 2022, however, this was delayed.

It was then expected to be published in July last year, but was further stalled to facilitate the additional work on the city centre section.

“It’s tricky to try and meet all the needs, particularly through the city centre in terms of ensuring connectivity with other modes, ensuring the least impact on the environment and also the least impact on other public transport services and active travel as well,” Ms Graham said at the Chamber event.

'Top priority'

Also speaking at the event, Cork Chamber’s chief executive Conor Healy said the Cork Luas project would be a “top priority” for the organisation when engaging with election candidates.

“This is a key issue for Cork,” he said. “We are in an election year, and from a Chamber point of view, this is going to be a top priority in terms of our engagement with the parties and candidates through the local election process, European election process and ultimately a general election.

“There will be review and updates of the National Development Plan, and it’s absolutely essential that the Cork light rail system gets advanced.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said: “The Cork Light Rail project seeks to provide a high-capacity, high-quality, east-west public transport corridor connecting Ballincollig in the west to Mahon Point in the east via the city centre, as identified in the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, to deliver an accessible, integrated transport network that enables the sustainable growth of the Cork Metropolitan Area, both now and for the decades to come.

“Final decisions on funding for large infrastructure projects, such as Cork Light Rail, are made as the project progresses through the planning and approval process to ensure value for money.”