Green Line (Luas)

Luas Green Line
Dublin bound LUAS after passing over the R118 north of Cherrywood
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Transport Infrastructure Ireland
Locale	Ireland
Termini	Broombridge Sandyford Bride's Glen
Stations	24
Service
Type	Light rail
Operator(s)	Transdev
Depot(s)	Broombridge-Hamilton Sandyford
History
Opened	30 June 2004
Technical
Line length	12-mile (19 km)
Number of tracks	Double track
Character	Primary
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC Overhead catenary
Route map Dublin–Sligo line westbound Broombridge Dublin–Sligo line eastbound Hamilton Depot Cabra Phibsborough Grangegorman Broadstone – University Dominick Parnell O'Connell Upper O'Connell - GPO Marlborough Red Line - Abbey Street O'Connell Bridge │ River Liffey │ Rosie Hackett Bridge Westmoreland Trinity Dawson St Stephen's Green Harcourt Grand Canal Charlemont Ranelagh Beechwood Cowper Milltown Nine Arches Bridge over River Dodder Windy Arbour William Dargan Bridge Dundrum Balally Kilmacud Stillorgan Sandyford Depot Central Park M50 Glencairn The Gallops Leopardstown Valley Ballyogan Wood M50 Racecourse (unused) Carrickmines Brennanstown (unused) Laughanstown Cherrywood Wyattville Link Road Brides Glen

The Green Line (Template:Lang-ga) is one of the two lines of Dublin's Luas light rail system. The Green Line was formerly entirely in the south side of Dublin city. It mostly follows the route of the old Harcourt Street railway line, which was reserved for possible re-use when it closed in 1958. The Green Line allows for passenger transfers at O’ Connell GPO and Marlborough to Luas Red Line services and also allows commuters to use Broombridge as an interchange station to reach outer suburbs such as Castleknock and Ongar.

The Green Line from St Stephen's Green to Sandyford launched on 30 June 2004. An extension to Cherrywood (Brides Glen Station) was opened on 16 October 2010.

As of 2018, the Green line is operating at near maximum capacity during the morning and evening rush hours, and it experiences mass overcrowding and congestion at these times. To assist in alleviating this congestion, seven new longer trams entered service in 2018. Platforms between St Stephen's Green and Sandyford have been lengthened to accommodate the new trams.

The course of the line

The section of the South St Stephen's Green makes significant re-use of the old Harcourt Street railway line while the northbound route of the newer Cross City section mainly re-uses the old Midland Great Western Railway line after skirting the former site of Broadstone railway works and station.

Southern section

Between Harcourt Street and Charlemont, the Green Line takes a large loop east around buildings which did not exist between 1859 and 1959. As such, there is no train bridge on Adelaide Road for the current line, as there had been for the Harcourt Street Line.

The line then follows the old alignment of the Harcourt Street line from Charlemont station as far as the current Sandyford stop (known as "Stillorgan" on the Harcourt Street line). After Sandyford the line detours over the Leopardstown Road/Brewery Road junction so as to run west around the Leopardstown Racecourse before rejoining the original alignment just north of Carrickmines. The Harcourt Street line had run around the eastern edge of the racecourse, via Silverpark. Remnants of the old Foxrock Station are visible at the back of The Hedgerows in Foxrock. The route deviation was seemingly intended to serve the new properties that would have been built during the "Celtic Tiger" boom, before the Extension was open.

After this detour around Leopardstown Racecourse, the current line runs roughly along the original alignment with some minor detours, particularly prevalent at Laughanstown.

The Carrickmines/Bride's Glen section had also intended to have terminated into what should have a "Celtic Boom" town centre, similar to the Tallaght area Stops, until the Line B2 extension to Bray was built. This is why, as of 2018, this end of the Green Line seemingly goes to the middle of nowhere, through fields, as nearly all the property that was intended to be serviced by the line, was never built, as of 2018. This is also why there were unused "Ghost" Stops built, to serve these unbuilt areas.

There are some other cosmetic differences between the Harcourt Street Line and the current Green Line, such as the positioning of the Ranelagh stop. The location of Ranelagh on the former line was at the current Beechwood stop. The old Ranelagh stop was the last stop on the old line before the train reached the city.

Luas Cross City

Luas Cross City (Template:Lang-ga), formerly called Luas BXD, is an extension to the Green Line which runs from St. Stephen's Green to Broombridge railway station.

Construction of Luas Cross City began in June 2013 and it opened on 9 December 2017. The Rosie Hackett Bridge carrying the new line over the river Liffey was opened on 20 May 2014.

The new section begins at the former city centre terminus, St. Stephen's Green, crosses the Red Line near the Abbey stop, and continues northwards, terminating at Broombridge station. There it connects passengers using Iarnród Éireann commuter services to Maynooth railway station and M3 Parkway railway station.

Stops

Image	Name Name in Irish	Zone	Location	Transport interchange	Serves
	Broombridge Droichead Broome	Green 1	Broombridge railway station 53.372684°N 6.298975°W / 53.372684; -6.298975	Broombridge	Tolka Valley Park
	Cabra Cabrach	Green 1	Connaught Street / Fassaugh Road 53.364200°N 6.281745°W / 53.364200; -6.281745		Cabra Mount Bernard Park National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin Cemetery
	Phibsborough Baile Phib	Green 1	North Circular Road / Cabra Road 53.360235°N 6.279945°W / 53.360235; -6.279945		Phibsborough Dalymount Park St Peter's Church, Phibsborough
	Grangegorman Gráinseach Ghormáin	Green 1	Grangegorman 53.357700°N 6.277520°W / 53.357700; -6.277520	Drumcondra (walk 1.6 km / 1 mile)	Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
	Broadstone — DIT An Chloch Leathan — ITBhÁC	Green 1 / Central	Western Way 53.354517°N 6.272976°W / 53.354517; -6.272976	Drumcondra (walk 1.6 km / 1 mile)	King's Inns 14 Henrietta Street Blessington Street Park
	Dominick Doiminic	Central	Dominick Street Lower 53.351386°N 6.265649°W / 53.351386; -6.265649		Cineworld Dublin DIT Bolton Street Rotunda Hospital
	Parnell	Central	Parnell Street East 53.352993°N 6.260424°W / 53.352993; -6.260424 (Southbound only)		Gate Theatre James Joyce Centre Hugh Lane Gallery Dublin Writers Museum Mountjoy Square
	Marlborough Maoilbhríde	Central	Marlborough Street South 53.349843°N 6.258149°W / 53.349843; -6.258149 (Southbound only)	Luas Red Line Abbey Street (walk 100 m / 110 yds)	Department of Education and Skills St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
	Trinity An Trionóid	Central	College Street 53.345455°N 6.258085°E / 53.345455; 6.258085 (Southbound only)		College Green, Dame Street Trinity College Parliament House Olympia Theatre
	O'Connell Upper Ó Conaill Uachtarach	Central	O'Connell Street North 53.351572°N 6.261067°W / 53.351572; -6.261067 (Northbound only)	Many bus routes on O'Connell Street	O'Connell Street Savoy Cinema
	O'Connell, GPO Ó Conaill, AOP	Central	O'Connell Street South 53.349625°N 6.260295°W / 53.349625; -6.260295 (Northbound only)	Luas Red Line Abbey Street (walk 140 m / 150 yds) Many bus routes on O'Connell Street	O'Connell Street, Henry Street The Spire General Post Office
	Westmoreland	Central	Westmoreland Street 53.346070°N 6.259072°E / 53.346070; 6.259072 (Northbound only)	Tara Street (walk 450 m / ¼ mile)	The National Wax Museum Plus
	Dawson Dásain	Central	Dawson Street 53.341516°N 6.258192°W / 53.341516; -6.258192	Dublin Pearse (walk 1 km / ⅔ mile)	Dawson Street, Grafton Street St. Ann's Church, Dawson Street Kerlin Gallery Mansion House
	St. Stephen's Green Faiche Stiabhna	Central	St. Stephen's Green West 53.339179°N 6.261350°W / 53.339179; -6.261350	St. Stephen's Green	Tara Street (walk 1.3 km / ¾ mile) Dublin Pearse (walk 1.6 km / 1 mile) Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes St. Stephen's Green, Grafton Street, Kildare Street Trinity College, Dublin Leinster House National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology National Library of Ireland Gaiety Theatre Bank of Ireland, College Green Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland Dublin Castle and Chester Beatty Library
	Harcourt Sráid Fhearchair	Central	Harcourt Street 53.333644°N 6.262734°W / 53.333644; -6.262734	Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes	National Concert Hall Iveagh Gardens Synge Street CBS
	Charlemont	Central / Green 2	Grand Parade 53.330610°N 6.258630°W / 53.330610; -6.258630	Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes	Portobello Cathal Brugha Barracks Grand Canal
	Ranelagh Raghnallach	Green 2	Ranelagh 53.326127°N 6.256212°W / 53.326127; -6.256212	Dublin Bus routes	Ranelagh, Rathgar Leinster Cricket Club Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
	Beechwood Coill na Feá	Green 2	Dunville Avenue / Beechwood Road 53.320924°N 6.254658°W / 53.320924; -6.254658	Dublin Bus routes	Rathmines Sandford Park School
	Cowper	Green 2	Cowper Road 53.320924°N 6.254658°W / 53.320924; -6.254658	Dublin Bus routes	Gonzaga College
	Milltown Baile an Mhuilinn	Green 2	Richmond Avenue South 53.309654°N 6.251807°W / 53.309654; -6.251807	Dublin Bus routes	Milltown Golf Club Alexandra College Trinity Hall
	Windy Arbour Na Glasáin	Green 2	Churchtown Road Lower / St. Columbanus' Road 53.301759°N 6.250675°W / 53.301759; -6.250675	Dublin Bus routes	Windy Arbour, Churchtown, Clonskeagh University College Dublin (Belfield campus; walk 1.7 km / 1 mile) Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland De La Salle College Churchtown Central Mental Hospital
	Dundrum Dún Droma	Green 2/3	Dundrum / Taney Road 53.292424°N 6.245123°W / 53.292424; -6.245123	Dublin Bus routes	Dundrum Dundrum Town Centre
	Balally Baile Amhlaoibh	Green 3	Drummartin 53.286030°N 6.236712°W / 53.286030; -6.236712	Dublin Bus routes Luas Park + Ride	Goatstown Dundrum Town Centre Wesley College Mount Anville Secondary School
	Kilmacud Cill Mochuda	Green 3	Benildus Avenue/Drummartin Link Road 53.282948°N 6.224090°W / 53.282948; -6.224090	Dublin Bus routes	Kilmacud St Benildus College
	Stillorgan Stigh Lorgan	Green 3	Blackthorn Avenue 53.277643°N 6.204595°W / 53.277643; -6.204595	Dublin Bus routes Luas Park + Ride	Stillorgan Beacon Hospital
	Sandyford Áth an Ghainimh	Green 3/4	Blackthorn Avenue 53.277618°N 6.204634°W / 53.277618; -6.204634	Dublin Bus routes Luas Park + Ride	Sandyford
	Central Park An Pháirc Láir	Green 4	Sandyford Industrial Estate 53.270099°N 6.203786°W / 53.270099; -6.203786	Dublin Bus routes	Leopardstown Park Hospital Leopardstown Racecourse Kilmacud Crokes GAA
	Glencairn Gleann an Chairn	Green 4	Murphystown Road 53.266281°N 6.209923°W / 53.266281; -6.209923	Dublin Bus routes	Glencairn House
	The Gallops An Eachrais	Green 4	Murphystown Way 53.261157°N 6.205870°W / 53.261157; -6.205870	Dublin Bus routes	Stepaside
	Leopardstown Valley Gleann Baile na Lobhair	Green 4	Mayor Street Upper 53.258316°N 6.198373°W / 53.258316; -6.198373	Dublin Bus routes	Leopardstown shopping centre
	Ballyogan Wood Coill Bhaile Uí Ógáin	Green 4	Ballyogan Vale 53.255078°N 6.184431°W / 53.255078; -6.184431	Dublin Bus routes	Ballyogan The Park Carrickmines Stepaside Golf Course
	Carrickmines Carraig Mhaighin	Green 5	Glenamuck Road North 53.254350°N 6.171621°W / 53.254350; -6.171621	Dublin Bus routes Luas Park + Ride	Carrickmines, Cabinteely, Foxrock Carrickmines Golf Club
	Laughanstown Baile an Locháin	Green 5	Laughanstown (Lehaunstown) 53.250636°N 6.154953°W / 53.250636; -6.154953	Dublin Bus routes	Cabinteely
	Cherrywood Coill na Sílíní	Green 5	Cherrywood Park / Valley Drive 53.245382°N 6.145839°W / 53.245382; -6.145839	Dublin Bus routes	Cherrywood, Cherrywood Business Park
	Brides Glen Gleann Bhríde	Green 5	Cherrywood 53.241870°N 6.142782°W / 53.241870; -6.142782	Dublin Bus routes	St. Columcille's Hospital

Bridges

The line re-uses some existing bridges and viaducts and has had new bridges specially constructed. The new build William Dargan Bridge at Dundrum crosses the Slang River. The River Liffey is crossed crossed by the new Rosie Hackett Bridge southbound and the existing O'Connell Bridge northbound. The River Dodder is crossed by the Nine Arches Bridge originally constructed for the Harcourt Street railway line in 1854.

Depots

The Green line initially was provisioned with a works depot just past the Sandyford terminus and opposite the old Stillorgan Railway station building. The depot could stable 32 trams. When the Green line was extended to Broombridge a further depot was constructed over part of the old Liffey Junction site. It was named Hamilton Depot in honour of William Rowan Hamilton who developed the quaternion mathematical number system. The primary control facility for the LUAS system for such functions as power and signally lies at the Red line LUAS depot at Red Cow. Following a storm damage incident in October 2017 at Red Cow it was found the depots at Broombridge and Sandyford were not able to take over the function and the whole LUAS system was suspended for to days.

Proposed developments

Some versions of plans for the Dublin Metro, known as MetroLink, proposed that the Luas Green Line would be replaced by metro services. This proposal was, as of 2018, a revised and combined version of the 2011 plans for "Metro North", and included an upgrade of a section of Luas Green Line tramline, to Metro standards. If completed as planned, Metro trains would replace Luas trams between Charlemont and Sandyford. If built as per these plans, Metrolink would enter a tunnel at Charlemont, and continue under Dublin City Centre to Dublin Airport and the Northside of Dublin. Unlike Luas, it would not run on the street.

This version of the plan was controversial, both due to some residents feeling that the closing of road crossings would "cut their community in two". Also some are not happy with having to change between a Luas and a Metro, on the longer journey, and have also raised the issue that the carriages may be full. In February 2019 it was suggested that the plans would change - at least partly in response to concerns raised during the consultative process.

B2

Luas Line B2
Proposed
to Charlestown Brides Glen Brides Glen Viaduct Stonebridge Crinken Old Connaught Thornhill Fassaroe Corke Abbey Ravenswell Bray

The line is planned on being extended to Fassaroe and Bray.

Gallery

• 
  Dominick station construction site on Luas Cross City line, taken in Dominick Street Lower
• 
  The Nine Arches Bridge over the River Dodder at Milltown
• 
  View of driving cab of Green Line LUAS
• 
  Trams pass near Cherrywood in 2010

See also

• Luas
• Red Line

External links

• LUAS Cross City Project Website
• Green Line stops on LUAS website