Supporters of a light rail and tram system to help solve Galway’s traffic problems will make the case for GLUAS at a meeting in City Hall next week.

Key members of the GLUAS group will meet management and elected members of Galway City Council to outline the current position of proposals for a light rail in the city, which it said could carry 13 million passengers annually.

Chair of GLUAS, businessman Brendan Holland, as well as Brendan Mulligan, a chartered engineer, and Robert Canavan, project engineer and researcher, are among the delegation meeting with Councillors and officials.

The GLUAS group will outline the results of the National Transport Authority and Atkins Réalis Ltd feasibility study of light rail for Galway which concluded there was a “strong axis of east-west travel demand with the potential to shift to public transport”.

It found there were no ‘critical technical constraints’ to the future development of a light rail corridor through the city and it would link with medical, educational, industrial, commercial and leisure clusters.

It said the initial focus should be on a west-east corridor from Knocknacarra to Roscam, with potential for an onward connection to Parkmore industrial estate and the proposed new village of Ardaun. Park and Ride sites have been identified west of Cappagh Road and north of Roscam.

The availability of light rail and policies to support the Climate Action Plan would result in a 35.7% reduction in car journeys, with car mode share in the Galway Metropolitan Area decreasing from 60% in 2023 to 38% in 2043, the report said.

Public transport mode share in the area is forecast to increase from 7% in 2023 to 39% in 2043.

Light rail has potential to achieve almost 44,000 daily boardings in Galway, which equates to roughly 13 million annual passengers.

The projected costs of the capital project are from €1.24 billion to €1.34 billion, although the latter figure, according to GLUAS, would make it the most expensive tramline in the world.

That works out at between €83m-€91m per kilometre but GLUAS said it was aware of tramlines in 12 European countries with capital costs of between €18m to €43m per kilometre.

Operating costs are estimated to be about €20m and revenue, according to GLUAS, would be close to €20m with 13 million passengers per year.

With light rail, the group argues, services will not be interfered with like heavier rail, and there is no need for major digging and disruption.

“The installation is much easier and quicker, and finally, the time involved in providing the service is much shorter,” said Brendan Holland.

The group will remind councillors and officials that Galway is the second most congested city in Ireland after Dublin; the 9th most congested in Europe; and 56th most congested out of 836 world cities, according to various recent studies.

“No one can argue that Galway needs something transformational. We now have the opportunity for our city to lead the way in Ireland, to work for the common good, to recognise and fight Climate Change. Future generations will thank us,” added Mr Holland.

GLUAS is a group of dedicated volunteers who have been advocating for twenty years for light rail in Galway.

Among its members are specialist engineers, academics with interests in urban planning and sociology, architects, businesspeople, communications experts, and other professional and civic leaders.

They have been supported by politicians, including Galway West TD Catherine Connolly (Ind) who collected 27,000 signatures of people supporting light rail.

The proposal also had the support of medics, 300 of whom signed a petition last December.

Pictured: Chair of GLUAS, businessman Brendan Holland, will be part of the delegation.