A LUAS tram set alight and severely damaged during the Dublin Riots of November 2023 will not be back in service until the beginning of next year.
That is according to new accounts for LUAS operator, Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd (TDLR) which show that pre-tax losses at the company reduced by 61% from €9m in 2022 to €3.53m in 2023.
The sharp decrease in losses followed revenues rising by 13% from €81.7m to €92.38m in 2023.
The directors state that losses reduced by 61% “mainly due to the improvement of the operational performance and exceptional energy index in December 2022”.
Concerning a tram damaged during the Dublin Riots, a note states that on November 23rd 2023, “a riot occurred in Dublin City Centre where tram #5037 was blocked by those involved”.
The note states that “the tram driver evacuated all passengers and secured the tram, so nobody was injured during the event. The tram was set alight during the riot resulting in severe damages. The tram is currently being repaired and is scheduled to be back in service at the beginning of 2026”.
Asked to quantify the costs of the damage a spokeswoman for Transdev Dublin Light Rail said today: “As this matter is currently before the courts, we are unable to comment further. The details are also commercially sensitive.”
Commenting on the performance of the business in 2025, the Transdev spokeswoman said: “Transdev Dublin Light Rail, the proud operator and maintainer of Luis, continues to deliver excellent services to Luas customers on a daily basis.
She said: “In 2025, we are seeing record levels of performance and passenger numbers, reflecting strong public confidence and the essential role Luas plays in Dublin’s transport network”.
A key trend last year which continues in 2025 for LUAS is a notable increase in weekend travel, driven by growing demand related to retail, events, and leisure.
In 2024, Luas recorded 54m passenger journeys, reflecting a strong and sustained recovery in ridership following the pandemic.
The 54m passengers in 2024 was a 12% increase on the 48.2m passengers in 2023.
The accounts also detail how another LUAS train remains out of service – six years after a road traffic accident (RTA) with a bus.
The note states that Tram #3003 suffered an RTA in March 2019 with a bus.
It adds that “the tram has been positively assessed to determine if it were repairable. The repairs are expected to commence at the beginning of 2024 and the tram is scheduled to be back in service in Q4 of 2025. The bus insurance recognised full liability of the repairs in relation of the accident”.
Last year, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) put an estimated value of €1.75bn on the new LUAS operation and maintenance contract.
A note attached to the Transdev accounts states that the current contract will expire at the end of November 2025.
The directors state that the timeline has been extended to August 2026 to facilitate the tender process for a new contract, incorporating operations and asset maintenance activities for the Luas light rail system.
Staff numbers in 2023 increased from 603 to 648 as staff costs increased from €33.66m to €37.16m.
In a post year event, the accounts state that “due to the unforeseen costs resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, an agreement was reached with TII in 2024 for the sole provision of relief to TDLR in relation to the deductions applied during the period from March 2020 to May 2021”.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
