Dublin's Luas system has carried over 50 million passengers since it came into service in June 2004, it was announced today.
Over 80,000 people travel on Luas every weekday which is 20 per cent more than this time last year.
The Luas at the terminus in Sandyford. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
It is expected that over 25 million passenger journeys will be made in 2006, which is up considerably on 2005.
The increase in numbers has been met by increasing the peak-time frequency on the Green Line from five to four minutes and by running a special shuttle service between Heuston and Connolly Stations.
It is planned to extend the length of all Red Line trams in 2007 from 30 metres to 40 metres. This will increase the capacity of the 26 Red Line trams by 40 per cent. Construction works to enable this change are underway at the Luas Red Cow Depot.
Under the Government's Transport21 plan, there are a number of extensions to the Luas system in the pipeline, including a new line from Lucan to the city centre, the linking of the existing two lines, an extension of the Tallaght line to Docklands with a spur to Citywest, and an extension of the Sandyford line to Cherrywood and Bray.