Luas Cork Line

The idea of building a Luas in Cork has existed since Dublin's Luas opened in 2004. A transportation investment plan for Cork, Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS), was published by the government in 2019 and it included a light rail line to be built by 2031. In 2020, a preferred route was expected to be announced by 2022, but in 2023 it was expected in 2024.

Update 01/09/2024: This scheme seems not to be a high priority and has been quiet for some time. The last update was from November 2023 and predicted that a preferred route would be announced in 2024, but so far this has not come to pass:

"In relation to the Cork Luas project specifically, the spokesperson said work on identifying a precise route 'is progressing well'.
The emerging preferred route (EPR) is expected to be published in the new year following previous delays to its publication."

Update 18/04/2025: There is a major update on the Cork Luas project, as a preferred route has been announced. The line will be 18 km long and run from Ballincollig to Mahon Point. A dedicated website for the scheme has been created. This includes a detailed stop-by-stop description of the route. The map of the route on this site has been updated.

A short version with maps showing all stops in a line and geographically is here on the Transport For Ireland website.

The section at Ballincollig will be a single track loop taking in the village main street before heading east though agricultural land and into Munster Technological University. Approaching the city centre, the route will go wire-free, with battery operated trams through the middle. There will be a major stop at Kent Station on the recently built Alfred Street serving heavy rail. Then a new public transport bridge will take the tram across the Lee to the south docks. Next it will serve the recently redeveloped Pairc Ui Chaoimh sports stadium. Instead of heading east along Blackrock Road and following the old rail alignment south - the old railway has become a popular greenway over the decades since its closure so cannot be reused - it takes some narrow tight streets south using Churchyard Lane and Skehard Road. The scheme ends at Mahon Point Shopping Centre.

As detailed on the dedicated site, it remains to be seen how some elements will go down - in particular Finn's Corner in the city centre will be a very tight bend, and the Venue Bar in Ballintemple at the corner of Blackrock Road and Churchyard Lane needs to be demolished to allow Luas vehicles to negotiate the bend. In particular it looks like there was not sufficient advance warning of the pub demolition as the owner was informed after the maps and plan were made public.

Update 06/12/2025: In the latest revision to the National Development Plan (NDP), these construction start dates were given:

Cork Luas: 2030+

Update 04/04/2026: Plans for a light rail system in Cork have prompted concern following rumours that route adjustments could affect residential areas and community facilities, particularly at CUH (Cork University Hospital). These are stemming from pushback against having the tram go through the very busy Wilton roundabout. The possibility of compulsory purchases involving homes and sports grounds has drawn criticism from local representatives, who have also highlighted a perceived lack of clear communication from project authorities. It is hard to see how rerouting is a viable option, considering it would invasively pass through housing estates and require several compulsory purchases and demolitions of properties, and is very circuitous. The most realistic option is to use Bishopstown Road and Wilton Road only.

Update 22/04/2026: An updated route for Cork Luas has been published, with more pessimistic coverage from the Irish Times. The line has been altered to better serve Cork University Hospital (CUH) by passing around 3 sides. It is true that it will bisect some sports facilities as it approaches, so it will be interesting to see exactly what is proposed here.
The routing will connect many of Cork city's largest trip generators in a single spine, joining Ballincollig through Munster Technological University, CUH and University College Cork, the city centre, Kent Station, the regenerating Docklands, Pairc Ui Chaoimh sports venue and out to Mahon Point shopping centre. This transport facility will be a public transport game changer for Cork, allowing many car-dependent areas to gain access to a high quality alternative for the first time.
For such a small city, with a population of 224,000 and around 300k in the region, the line will carry a surprisingly high 2,300 passengers per hour per direction. This compares to around 7-8k each for Dublin's two Luas lines. One surprise, however, is that the north-south routing at Maryville and Churchyard Lane is retained. The road is very narrow here and to get around the two 90-degree bends a pub will need to be demolished.
The update is now on the front page of the official Luas Cork website. There are visualisations of key areas along the 18.6 km route. The Mahon Point-City Centre expected journey time is 20 minutes and Ballincollig-City Centre is 35 mins. There will be a tram every 6 minutes and 27 stops. Under the "Emerging Preferred Route Consultation" section, reasoning for alterations they have made is given.

Wikipedia page on Cork Luas