Dublin
Interurban, light rail, metro in planning

Interurban

The DART, as it's called by Dubliners, can also be considered commuter rail. As of this writing, it is the only urban rail system in Ireland. This 38 km, 24 station above ground line was inaugurated in 1984. Much of the route came from previous tramways and interurbans. Currently, much of the route is being upgraded, with rebuilt stations, track, and overhead wire. A five  station underground section is also planned for DART, coincidentally called DART Underground. However, Transport 21, an Irish pro-rail group, is skeptical.

DART Official Home Page


Light Rail

Dublin's light rail opened June 30, 2004. Called LUAS, meaning "speed" in the little people's language, it will have three starter segments, lines A, B and, surprisingly, C.

Thirteen of the 22 kilometer, 33 station route in the first phase will run on a dedicated route, segregated from road traffic. Another nine km will be street running, with the final southern section into Balally following the route of the former Harcourt Street-Bray railway line. Plans also exist for Line B (aka Luas 2) to be upgraded to light metro standards, with the section on St. Stephen's Green being moved underground.  Three additional lines are in the planning stages.

LUAS opened a 1.5 km extension in December 2009. It was the first extension since the 2004 opening. The 18 km Metro North light rail line is currently in the financing stages.


Adam Winstanley's Luas page
Dublin Light Rail System from Railway Technology
LUAS - Look Back in Horror from Platform 11, an Irish pro-rail organization
Dublin Underground - a private home page about LUAS. DART and the metro
LRTA LUAS and Metro information, updated November 2003
Insiders guide to hidden Dublin for Rail Enthusiasts
LUAS opens: Build it and they will come

Metro

Dublin's metro (Meitreo Átha Cliath), also a part of LUAS, is still under debate. The only thing known for certain is that there will be a metro. It's route, as well as the length and location of it's underground section, is yet to be determined. As of early 2004, the plan was as follows: The line would run at ground level from the airport to Ballymun. The tracks would then become elevated through Ballymun to Dublin City University (DCU) in Glasnevin. From there, the trains would plunge underneath the green to Mater hospital in Phibsboro, Connolly Station, under the River Liffey to St Stephen’s Green. Since then, especially due to the financial instability in the country's banks in the late 2000's, the fate of Dublin's first real metro is tenuous.

Dublin to build high speed airport metro
Dublin metro approved and expected to be operational in 2007

Dublin was also once home to an atmospheric railway.