Light rail engineers chosen

A team of engineers is on track to examine the light rail route that is planned as part of the €3.5 billion ambitious transport strategy for Cork.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) recently announced that Jacobs Engineering Ireland has been awarded the contract to undertake a route options analysis and develop initial designs for the proposed Luas Light Rail Transit (LRT) from Ballincollig to Mahon Point.

This proposed scheme will serve a number of destinations including Ballincollig, the proposed Cork Science and Innovation Park, CIT, CUH, UCC, Cork city centre, Kent Station/Cork North Docklands, Cork South Docklands and Mahon.

The project is part of the €3.5 billion Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS), published by the NTA earlier this year.

News of the appointment was welcomed by Cork Chamber of Commerce with Thomas McHugh, Director of Public Affairs, predicting that light rail project would be transformative for Cork.

He added: “It will bring a new level of connectivity to the Cork metropolitan area, opening up fresh opportunities for how people live, work and play in the city.

“The appointment of Jacob’s Engineering for the early stages of the light rail project is an encouraging step towards seeing CMATS become a reality.

“Light rail is arguably the flagship of CMATS, however it is essential that progress is also made on quicker wins which will deliver more immediate term results in easing movement and helping to ensure Cork makes a sustainable recovery.”

The Green Party on Leeside also welcomed the announcement. Cllr Oliver Moran said: “This is the first step in the process and it is important to see it progress swiftly so that there's confidence and clarity in where the route will align. We will also need to safeguard the route for future development, probably first by initiating it as a dedicated high-frequency bus route.”