KeolisAmey takes over Luas light rail operations and maintenance in Ireland, contract worth approximately €1.3 billion

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 1, KeolisAmey Luas officially took over the operation and maintenance of Dublin's Luas light rail network, beginning to deliver services on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA). The new-generation Luas operations and maintenance contract was signed on March 12, with a value of approximately €1.3 billion, an initial term of seven years, and an option for extension of up to six years.

KeolisAmey is a joint venture formed by Keolis and Amey, with shareholdings of 65% and 35% respectively. The contract covers Luas tram services and network management, encompassing vehicles, stations, depots, ticketing and fare collection, and other infrastructure. Prior to the contract commencement, KeolisAmey had carried out several months of handover preparations with employees, TII, NTA, and the previous operator; TII had previously estimated that the vast majority of existing Luas staff would transfer to the new operator under business transfer regulations. Contract documents published by Keolis indicate that the Luas network has approximately 680 employees.

This takeover concludes the previous contract cycle under which Transdev was responsible for Luas operations and maintenance. The previous operations and maintenance contract was awarded in 2019 and terminated upon the entry into force of the new contract. Transdev had been involved in Luas operations for more than 20 years, and KeolisAmey has now taken over the complete operating system of the existing Red and Green lines.

The Luas Red Line is currently 21 km long with 32 stops, and the Green Line is 22 km long with 35 stops, giving a total network length of 43 km with 67 stops, a fleet of 81 light rail vehicles, and 7 Park & Ride facilities. In 2025, Luas ridership exceeded 55 million passenger journeys, up from approximately 52 million in 2024; the national Transport for Ireland public transport system recorded approximately 363.5 million journeys in 2025.

The new contract arrangements include an initial deep clean of all 67 Luas stops, the introduction of operations and maintenance processes adopted by existing KeolisAmey light rail networks, and the deployment of remote monitoring solutions for light rail vehicles and infrastructure to identify equipment faults. KeolisAmey also plans to implement a series of network facility improvements during the early phase of the contract.

The contract also defines the next phase of service milestones. TII and NTA require the implementation of an enhanced timetable from 2027, with increased peak-hour tram services. Meanwhile, TII remains responsible for Luas infrastructure and vehicle assets, as well as for managing the operations and maintenance contract; the existing network comprises two lines, three depots, 67 stops, and 81 light rail vehicles.