Fianna Fáil TD calls for planning to begin on Cork Luas expansion

A Cork TD has called for preparatory work to begin immediately on the next phase of the Cork Luas scheme, to plan ahead for a north-south route and a spur to serve the airport.

In April, the proposed “preferred” route for the first phase of the Cork Luas light rail scheme was met with disappointment in some quarters when it emerged that the plans did not include a north-south element.

The initial, preferred 18km west to east route runs from Ballincollig to Mahon Point, with 25 stops en route, including at MTU's Bishopstown campus, CUH, UCC, the city centre, Kent train station, the docklands, Blackrock, and Mahon.

Now, Séamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central, has called for work to begin now on the next phase of the Cork Luas.

“The preferred route for the Cork Luas is very welcome and in line with the Cork Metropolitan Area Transportation Strategy [CMATS] and I raised an issue recently with the transport minister that we need to start planning ahead for an expansion of the scheme,” Mr McGrath said.

“It takes a long time to even publish a preferred route, as we have seen with the initial proposals, we need to now start planning in terms of the next phase.

“Particularly as a Cork South Central rep, I want to see the Luas serving larger residential areas of the southside such as Douglas, Rochestown, Carrigaline, and also Cork Airport. I think if we’re to have real ambition for our airport, we need to provide a light rail service to it.” 

Mr McGrath said planning needed to begin now for that next phase.

“The last thing we need to do is wait for the current proposal to be built before we start looking at expansion,” he said.

In April, the city’s two Sinn Féin TDs, Cork South Central’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire and Cork North Central’s Thomas Gould, launched a petition calling for the Cork Luas to include a north-south route and an airport spur.