The long-anticipated Luas Green Line extension to Finglas has officially received a railway order from An Coimisiún Pleanála, marking the final step in the planning process for the 4km light rail expansion.
The new line will extend from Broombridge to Charlestown via Finglas, a development that Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe described as “transformative” for the community.
“This is a big day for our community,” said Deputy McAuliffe. “A project which the local community has been campaigning for now has full planning permission.”
He noted that “this summer, I met with NTA, TII, and Minister O’Brien to ensure they knew how important this project is and to ensure funding was ready and in place if permission was granted.” McAuliffe added that “last week, I again met An Taoiseach to ensure funding was ready, and I will be keeping the pressure on to ensure there are no delays ahead.”
Reflecting on the project’s progress, he said, “When we started holding local meetings in 2018 calling on the NTA to extend the line from Broombridge, I think many of us thought it would not be achieved.”
The extension will include four new stops — St Helena’s, Finglas Village, St Margaret’s Road, and Charlestown — serving an estimated 56,000 people. A 350-space park-and-ride facility will be built at St Margaret’s Road, near the M50–M2 interchange, along with enhanced walking and cycling routes.
According to the Department of Transport, the new service will cut peak-time journeys between Charlestown and the city centre by up to 15 minutes, with a full trip to Trinity College taking roughly 30 minutes.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, who confirmed Cabinet approval for the project in October 2024, said it was part of the Government’s broader commitment to expand sustainable transport and reduce emissions.
“We can look forward to the Luas extending to Finglas along a green track line that will open up lands for more transport-orientated housing development, which we really need,” Minister Ryan said at the time.
He added that “the Luas Finglas project will bring reliable, high-frequency and sustainable transport to well-established and new communities.”
Both the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have welcomed the planning approval as a major milestone in Dublin’s transport network expansion.
Deputy McAuliffe emphasised that securing funding is now the next priority. “In the National Development Plan, this technically remains a post-2027 project, but I expect the Government to approve bringing it forward,” he said.
He described the scheme as “a short route and an extension of an existing line, a very deliverable, shovel-ready infrastructure project that can transform north Dublin.”
“With no significant issues outlined in the decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála, I now hope that we can finally get ready for the next stage of this project, which will hopefully see the line up and running within the next few years,” he added.
Currently, Dublin North West is one of the few constituencies in Ireland without a rail or light rail service, relying solely on buses. If the project proceeds swiftly, Luas Finglas could be operational by 2031, pending funding approval and construction timelines.
The estimated cost of the extension now stands at around €600 million, within the initial projected range of €300–€600 million.
