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Proposed light rail developments for Galway City

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Galway Light Rail
Overview
LocaleGalway City
Transit typeTram (or Light rail)
Number of linesNone (1 proposed)

Since the early 2000s, a number of proposals have been made by politicians and interest groups in Galway to introduce a light rail system in the city. No light rail proposal for the city has received any government support to date.[1]

Corrib Light Rail (2006)

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The Corrib Light Rail was the name given to a light rail proposal made in 2006.[2][3][4]

Gluas (2008)

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Gluas (the Irish word for "movement", and a pun on "Galway" + "Luas") was a proposed tram or light rail system for Galway city, similar to the Luas found in Dublin.[1] It had been proposed by a Galway-based lobby group.[1] There are three proposed routes for the Gluas:[5]

  • Line 1: Ballybrit -> Mervue -> Wellpark -> Eyre Square -> Nun's Island -> Newcastle -> Dangan -> Rahoon
  • Line 2: Eyre Square -> Newcastle -> Shantalla -> Taylors Hill -> Barna
  • Line 3: Murrouoh -> Renmore -> Wellpark -> Terryland -> Newcastle -> Shantalla -> Taylors Hill

A fourth line was proposed for the future, when the Gluas had been established:

  • Line 4: Eyre Square -> Claddagh -> Salthill -> Knocknacarra[6][5]

The original proposal of three lines would require the construction of 64 stations, with park and ride facilities at Knocknacarra and Dangan.[7]

At the time the project was proposed in June 2008, it was suggested that it would be completed within three years. In 2015, backers of the project once again appealed to the city council to consider funding the project.[8] Calls were renewed in 2017 at local and national levels.[9][1]

SUIG (2014)

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Sólás Uirbeach Iarnrod na Gaillimhe (or SUIG, meaning 'comfort urban rail of Galway') was a third and separate proposal made in 2014.[10]

Gluas (2021)

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In April 2021, the Gluas Group held a webinar in which Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan announced a feasibility study on Light Rail for 2022.[11]

In October 2024, a feasibility study commissioned by the National Transport Authority found that there was a case for constructing a fifteen-kilometre light rail line from Roscam to Knocknacarra via Eyre Square and University Hospital Galway. It set out options including conventional Light Railway Transit and Very Light Rail.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Siggins, Lorna (8 January 2018). "A Gluas for Galway? Light rail project campaign revived". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Draft rail strategy suggests need for Luas lines in regional cities". The Irish Times. 10 January 2006. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  3. ^ "In Short:'Luas' network plan for Galway". The Irish Times. 15 March 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Higgins calls for regional transport planning in Galway". The Irish Times. 22 May 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b Whelan, Caroline (6 August 2015). "Light rail group outline their unhappiness with bypass proposals". Galway Advertiser. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015.
  6. ^ "GLUAS – Light Rail for Galway". Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2018 – via Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ "Ambitious plan to give Galway its own 'Gluas' trams". Irish Independent. 5 June 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  8. ^ Bradley, Dara (7 August 2015). "Backers of GLUAS proposal ask Council to reconsider plan". Connacht Tribune. Archived from the original on 8 August 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  9. ^ Andrews, Kernan (23 November 2017). "Traffic congestion will worsen until city develops a light rail system, warns Connolly". Galway Advertiser. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  10. ^ McNamara, Denise (12 November 2014). "City light rail system could end the jams". Connacht Tribune. Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ "Galway Very Light Rail Webinar April 2021". Niall Ó Brolcháin, Gluas group. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ McGee, Harry. "Feasibility study identifies a case for light railway transit in Galway". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  13. ^ https://www.rte.ie/news/connacht/2024/1031/1478322-galway-luas/
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