Nearly 20,000 fines were paid by passengers caught evading fares on Dublin’s Luas tram network in 2025, despite record passenger numbers for the service.
A total of 55 million journeys were recorded across the Luas network during the year, marking its busiest period to date. However, the number of fines issued for fare evasion also rose significantly.
Transdev, the operator of the Luas, manages ticket enforcement in-house. Security staff, identifiable by their orange vests, issue standard fare notices to passengers found travelling without a valid ticket. Those who pay within 14 days are charged a reduced rate of €45, which increases to €100 after the deadline. Failure to pay can result in a court summons.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act by Transport Infrastructure Ireland show that 17,691 fines were issued in 2024, generating €825,475 in revenue. The average payment of approximately €46.70 suggests that most offenders paid within the reduced-rate period.
In 2025, the number of fines issued increased by 10.6 per cent to 19,574. The total value of these fines rose to €908,835, broadly in line with the increase in notices issued.
A spokeswoman for Transdev said the company is “proud of our strong fare compliance record, with 97 per cent of Luas passengers travelling with a valid ticket.” She added that “just 3 per cent of passengers evade fares,” describing this as “a testament to the dedication and diligence of Luas staff in maintaining high standards, as well as the responsible behaviour of passengers.”
With approximately 150,000 journeys made each day, the data suggest that thousands of passengers may be evading fares daily. On average, 54 people paid fines each day in 2025, though more may have been issued notices but had yet to pay.
Passengers issued with fines are entitled to appeal. In 2024, 1,062 appeals were successful, but this figure fell to 876 in 2025.
According to anonymised appeal documents, faulty tag-on devices at Luas stations were cited in several cases. Another common explanation was passengers forgetting to tag off during previous journeys, which affected the validity of their ticket when tagging on again.
