The Green Line () is one of the two lines of Dublin's Luas light rail system. It mostly follows the route of the old Harcourt Street railway line, which was reserved for possible re-use when it closed in 1958. The Green Line allows for passengers to transfer at O’Connell - GPO and Marlborough to Luas Red Line services and also allows commuters to use Broombridge as an interchange station to reach outer suburbs such as Castleknock and Ongar as well as Iarnród Éireann services.
The Green Line from St Stephen's Green to Sandyford launched on 30 June 2004. An extension to the Bride's Glen stop at Cherrywood was opened on 16 October 2010.
As of 2018, the Green line is operating at near maximum capacity during the morning and evening rush hours, and it experiences mass overcrowding and congestion at these times. To assist in alleviating this congestion, seven new longer trams came into service in 2018, with a further eight entering service in 2020. Platforms between St Stephen's Green and Sandyford have been lengthened to accommodate the new trams.
Course of the line The section south of St Stephen's Green makes significant re-use of the old Harcourt Street railway line while the northbound route of the newer Cross City section mainly re-uses the old Midland Great Western Railway line after skirting the former site of Broadstone railway works and station.
Southern section
Between Harcourt Street and Charlemont, the Green Line takes a large loop east around buildings which did not exist between 1859 and 1959. As such, there is no train bridge on Adelaide Road for the current line, as there had been for the Harcourt Street Line, but rather the current line travels on Adelaide Road to Charlemont.
The line then follows the old alignment of the Harcourt Street line from Charlemont station as far as Blackthorn Avenue where the line runs slightly south of the old line before reaching the current Sandyford stop (known as "Stillorgan" on the Harcourt Street line). After Sandyford the line detours over the Leopardstown Road/Brewery Road junction so as to run west around the Leopardstown Racecourse before rejoining the original alignment just north of Carrickmines. The Harcourt Street line had run around the eastern edge of the racecourse, via Silverpark. Remnants of the old Foxrock Station are visible at the back of The Hedgerows in Foxrock. The route deviation was seemingly intended to serve the new properties that would have been built during the "Celtic Tiger" boom, before the extension was open.
After this detour around Leopardstown Racecourse, the current line runs roughly along the original alignment with some minor detours, particularly prevalent at Laughanstown. The line terminates a few yards south of the Harcour Street line alignment in the developing area of Cherrywood.
There are some other cosmetic differences between the Harcourt Street Line and the current Green Line, such as the positioning of the Ranelagh stop. The location of Ranelagh on the former line was at the current Beechwood stop. The old Ranelagh stop, named Rathmines and Ranelagh, was the last stop on the old line before the train reached the city.
Luas Cross City Luas Cross City (), formerly called Luas BXD, is an extension to the Green Line which runs from St. Stephen's Green to Broombridge railway station.
Construction of Luas Cross City began in June 2013 and it opened on 9 December 2017. The Rosie Hackett Bridge carrying the new line over the river Liffey was opened on 20 May 2014.
The new section begins at the former city centre terminus, St. Stephen's Green, crosses the Red Line near the Abbey stop, and continues northwards, terminating at Broombridge station. There it connects passengers using Iarnród Éireann InterCity services to Sligo (as of 26 August 2024) and commuter services to Maynooth and M3 Parkway.
Stops
ImageNameName in IrishZoneLocationTransportinterchangeServesBroombridgeDroichead BroomeGreen 1 Broombridge railway station Broombridge Dublin Bus routes
Go Ahead Ireland routes CabraTolka Valley ParkDublin Industrial EstateCabraCabrachGreen 1Connaught Street / Fassaugh Road CabraMount Bernard ParkNational Botanic GardensGlasnevin CemeteryPhibsboroughBaile PhibGreen 1North Circular Road / Cabra Road PhibsboroughDalymount ParkSt Peter's Church, PhibsboroughGrangegormanGráinseach GhormáinGreen 1 Grangegorman Drumcondra (walk ) dublinbikes Mater Misericordiae University HospitalTechnological University DublinPhoenix Care CentreBroadstone — UniversityAn Chloch Leathan — OllscoilGreen 1 / Central Western Way Drumcondra (walk ) Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes StoneybatterKing's Inns14 Henrietta StreetBlessington Street Park Technological University DublinDominickDoiminicCentral Dominick Street Lower Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes Cineworld DublinIlac Centre14 Henrietta StreetDIT Bolton StreetRotunda HospitalParnell Central Parnell Street East (Southbound only) Many bus routes on Parnell Street / Parnell Square dublinbikes Gate TheatreJames Joyce CentreHugh Lane GalleryDublin Writers MuseumMountjoy SquareMarlboroughMaoilbhrídeCentral Marlborough Street South (Southbound only) Luas Red Line Abbey Street (walk ) Dublin Connolly (walk ) Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes Department of EducationSt Mary's CathedralTrinityAn TrionóidCentral College Street (Southbound only) Tara Street (walk ) Many bus routes on College Green dublinbikes College Green, Dame StreetTrinity CollegeParliament HouseOlympia TheatreO'Connell UpperÓ Conaill UachtarachCentral O'Connell Street North (Northbound only) Many bus routes on O'Connell Street dublinbikes O'Connell StreetSavoy Cinema O'Connell - GPOÓ Conaill - AOPCentral O'Connell Street South (Northbound only) Luas Red Line Abbey Street (walk )Many bus routes on O'Connell Street dublinbikes O'Connell Street, Henry StreetThe SpireGeneral Post OfficeWestmorelandCentral Westmoreland Street (Northbound only) Tara Street (walk 450 m / mile) Dublin Bus routes The National Wax Museum Plus Trinity CollegeParliament HouseOlympia TheatreDawsonDásainCentralDawson Street Dublin Pearse (walk 1 km / mile) Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes Dawson Street Grafton Street Kildare StreetLeinster HouseSt. Ann's Church, Dawson StreetKerlin GalleryMansion House Leinster House National Museum of Ireland – ArchaeologyNational Library of Ireland
Trinity College DublinSt. Stephen's GreenFaiche StiabhnaCentral St. Stephen's Green West Tara Street (walk 1.3 km / mile) Dublin Pearse (walk 1.6 km / 1 mile) Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes St. Stephen's Green Grafton StreetGaiety TheatreRoyal College of Surgeons of IrelandDublin Castle and Chester Beatty LibraryHarcourtSráid FhearchairCentral Harcourt Street Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes National Concert HallIveagh GardensSynge Street CBSCharlemontCentral / Green 2 Grand Parade Dublin Bus routes dublinbikes PortobelloCathal Brugha BarracksGrand CanalRanelaghRaghnallachGreen 2 Ranelagh Dublin Bus routes Ranelagh RathminesLeinster Cricket ClubFitzwilliam Lawn Tennis ClubBeechwoodCoill na FeáGreen 2 Dunville Avenue / Beechwood Road Dublin Bus routes RathminesSandford Park SchoolCowperGreen 2 Cowper Road Dublin Bus routesDartry Gonzaga CollegeMilltownBaile an MhuilinnGreen 2 Richmond Avenue South Go-Ahead Ireland routes Milltown Golf ClubAlexandra CollegeTrinity HallWindy ArbourNa GlasáinGreen 2 Churchtown Road Lower / St. Columbanus' Road Dublin Bus routes Windy Arbour, Churchtown, ClonskeaghUniversity College Dublin (Belfield campus; walk )Islamic Cultural Centre of IrelandDe La Salle College ChurchtownCentral Mental HospitalDundrumDún DromaGreen 2/3 Dundrum / Taney Road Dublin Bus routes Go-Ahead Ireland routes Dublin Coach routesDundrumDundrum Town Centre (main entrance)BalallyBaile AmhlaoibhGreen 3 Drummartin Dublin Bus routesLuas Park + Ride BalallyGoatstownDundrum Town Centre (Dundrum South)Wesley CollegeMount Anville Secondary SchoolAirfield EstateKilmacudCill MochudaGreen 3 Benildus Avenue / Drummartin Link Road Dublin Bus routes KilmacudSt Benildus CollegeStillorganStigh LorganGreen 3 Blackthorn Avenue Dublin Bus routesLuas Park + Ride StillorganSandyford (west side)Beacon HospitalRCSI Institute of LeadershipSt. Raphaela's SchoolSandyfordÁth an GhainimhGreen 3/4 Blackthorn Avenue Dublin Bus routes Go-Ahead Ireland routesLuas Park + Ride SandyfordStillorgan (east side)Sandyford Business DistrictCentral ParkAn Pháirc LáirGreen 4 South County Business Park Aircoach routes Leopardstown Park HospitalLeopardstown RacecourseFoxrockKilmacud Crokes GAANord Anglia International School Dublin South County Business ParkGlencairnGleann an ChairnGreen 4 Murphystown Road Dublin Bus routes Go-Ahead Ireland routes Glencairn HouseThe GallopsAn EachraisGreen 4 Murphystown Way Go-Ahead Ireland routes StepasideLeopardstownKilgobbin CastleLeopardstown ValleyGleann Baile na LobhairGreen 4 Ballyogan Road Go-Ahead Ireland routes Leopardstown shopping centreBallyoganBallyogan WoodCoill Bhaile Uí ÓgáinGreen 4 Ballyogan Vale Go-Ahead Ireland routes BallyoganCarrickmines ParkStepaside Golf CourseCarrickminesCarraig MhaighinGreen 5 Glenamuck Road North Go-Ahead Ireland routesLuas Park + Ride CarrickminesCabinteelyFoxrockCornelscourtCarrickmines ParkCarrickmines Golf ClubCarrickmines Croquet and Lawn Tennis ClubLaughanstownBaile an LachnáinGreen 5 Laughanstown (Lehaunstown) CabinteelyTully ChurchBrennanstown Portal TombCherrywoodCoill na SílíníGreen 5 Grand Parade CherrywoodCherrywood Business ParkBrides GlenGleann BhrídeGreen 5 Cherrywood Business Park Dublin Bus routes Go-Ahead Ireland routes CherrywoodLoughlinstownSt. Columcille's Hospital
Bridges The line re-uses some existing bridges and viaducts and has had new bridges specially constructed. The new build William Dargan Bridge at Dundrum crosses the Slang River. The River Liffey is crossed by the new Rosie Hackett Bridge southbound and the existing O'Connell Bridge northbound. The River Dodder is crossed by the Nine Arches Bridge originally constructed for the Harcourt Street railway line in 1854.
Depots The Green line initially was provisioned with a works depot just past the Sandyford terminus and opposite the old Stillorgan railway station building. The depot could stable 32 trams. When the Green line was extended to Broombridge a further depot was constructed over part of the old Liffey Junction site. It was named Hamilton Depot in honour of William Rowan Hamilton who developed the quaternion mathematical number system. The primary control facility for the Luas system for such functions as power and signalling lies at the Red line Luas depot at Red Cow. Following a storm damage incident in October 2017 at Red Cow it was found the depots at Broombridge and Sandyford were not able to take over the function and the whole Luas system was suspended for two days.
Planned developments Partial upgrade to metro standard
Initial proposal The section of the Luas Green Line between Charlemont and Sandyford was built with the eventual intention that it be upgraded to carry metro services. This was first outlined by the Dublin Transportation Office (now part of the National Transport Authority) in its "Platform for Change" report published in November 2001, which proposed the section would be upgraded and included in a metro line between Dublin Airport and Sandyford. The metro project was eventually launched as Metro North with an altered route from Swords to St. Stephens Green. No further plans for an upgrade of the Luas line were made before Metro North was shelved by transport minister Leo Varadkar, then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, in November 2011.