Cork light rail progress welcomed ahead of consultation

Progress on a Cork light rail similar to the Luas has been welcomed by public representatives, who have been invited to the launch of a non-statutory public consultation on its emerging preferred route.

The launch will take place in the Millennium Hall, City Hall, on Monday April 14, and will be attended by the Lord Mayor Dan Boyle; Taoiseach Micheál Martin; and minister for transport Darragh O’Brien.

At the launch, representatives from Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the National Transport Authority will brief councillors and officials on the proposed route and answer any questions.

A consultation website will go live at 11 am on the morning of the launch, and submissions from all stakeholders and the public will be welcomed until Monday June 9 at 5:30 pm.

Several open days will be held around the city to enable as many people as possible to meet the TII project team, to learn about the emerging preferred route and to have their say.

Mr O'Brien said recently that the project is expected to cost between €2bn and €3bn. As of the end of June in 2024, €2,536,957 had been spent on the project.

The preferred route had been expected to be revealed before the end of 2022, and last summer then-minister for transport promised it was due “in the coming months”.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork South Central Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said that the Cork light rail is a crucial part of developing as a city and was needed for a 21st century public transport system.

He told The Echo: “This has been a priority of mine since I was elected, and I recall in 2017 when I raised with then-transport minister Shane Ross, he stated that there was 'no plans' for a Cork Light Rail. Thankfully, due to pressure, he moved this position to backing Light Rail in 2018.

“Progress since then has been too slow, and the strategy in the Cork Metropolitan Transport Strategy has too long a time frame, but it is a major step forward since then that we now have consultation in a real sense,” he said.

He called for the pace to escalate, and added “in my view it shouldn’t just be east to west, we need to consider north and south, why shouldn’t a route serve Carrigaline, Douglas and in to the northside?” 

Labour councillor and chair of the transport SPC Peter Horgan said: “It’s welcome that we finally have the consultation process beginning on a project that has always been spoken about but never realised.

“I would urge residents on the route, when announced, to engage proactively on this not just for their immediate area but the overall benefit this project can deliver for the city as a whole.”