Corrib Light Rail

Logo of the Corrib Light Rail.

Corrib Light Rail (Irish: Iarnród Éadrom na Gaillimhe) is the title of a proposal for a light-rail system for Galway City and County. The proposed light rail system takes into account existing urban and suburban structures and projected population densities. It requires 28 km (17 mi) of track and is expected to cost in the region of €25m per kilometer (€40m per mile, based on the cost of Dublin's Luas system). The actual design of the track would minimise disruptions to traffic during construction. The construction of the total track would therefore cost about €700m.

Corrib Light Rail would cater to different groups of transport users including commuters, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The system could also be used for freight transport.

Proposed route

The initial design would be for a two line system, one east-west from Oranmore to Knocknacarra and another north-south route from Ceannt Station to Moycullen. This route would allow for maximum connectivity with existing and future transport services, including the Western rail corridor and commuter rail links to Oranmore, Athenry and Tuam.

Likelihood of implementation

The Green Party were the first political party to propose this solution for Galway in the late nineties. In June 2006 Michael D. Higgins (a TD for Galway West, and member of the Labour Party) asked the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, for funding to carry out a feasibility study for the Corrib Light Rail. In response, the Minister stated that the Transport 21 plan did not envisage light rail plans for Galway City such as the Corrib Light Rail, but that it did aim to improve bus services in the city and to improve commuter services from Oranmore.

However, in January 2007, the Green Party promised that, if they get elected to the next Government, they would push for light rail systems to be built in both Galway and Cork, as well as having substantial extensions of the Luas in Dublin. The agreed Programme for Government 2007-2012 includes a commitment to light rail feasibility studies in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford (p. 15). However, the Green Party's proposal is not the same as the Corrib Light Rail, instead having just one line running from Barna to Oranmore, via Eyre Square, Galway Racecourse and Galway Airport. Map In 2007 a group of Galway citizens representing various political parties, agencies, NGOs, businesses and institutions got together to draw up concrete proposals for a 'Luas for Galway' (Gluas).

Furthermore, as part of their 2007 election manifesto (announced in April 2007), the Fianna Fáil party (currently the largest party in the Dáil and the Seanad) have announced they will conduct feasibility studies for bringing light rail systems to Ireland's 'provincial cities' - Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. This has further increased the possibility of light rail in Galway, as well as other Irish cities.

Both the Green Party and Fianna Fáil (and the Progressive Democrats) have entered into a coalition after the election, and as part of their 'programme for government', they will "conduct feasibility studies to be completed in two years into Luas-style light rail transit systems in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford," and act on the results of the studies.

Designer

The design has been put forward by Mr. Brian Guckian, an independent researcher who specialises in sustainable and integrated transport systems.

Images

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  The proposed route of the CLR.

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  A CLR tram crossing under Quincentennial Bridge.

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  A CLR tram crossing a new bridge over the Corrib.

References