Transport is essential to enable people with disabilities to participate in normal activities of daily life, e.g., work, education, leisure and social activities. At Luas, our aim is to provide a friendly, efficient, comfortable and safe service to all our passengers.
Some of our passengers have disabilities, which are sometimes not visible; there can also be a wide range of differences between how individuals with a particular condition are affected, ranging from mild to severe difficulties. A person’s environment, which includes the supports they have and the physical or social barriers they face, influences the scale of the challenges they face in everyday life, therefore some passengers require our extra care and attention.
For information or requests, please contact our TFI Customer Service office on 0818 294 015 or email at access@luas.ie.
Our public office is located at the Red Cow Luas Depot, Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, D22 C5P3 and is fully accessible.
Details regarding Luas’s accessibility initiatives are outlined below.
Luas Accessibility Policy
When passengers with disabilities make a journey, they have the same expectations as other members of the public. In providing a public transport service, Luas takes into account the accessibility needs of all of our present and future passengers. There is no definitive list of conditions that constitute a disability.
Mobility needs range from the most obvious needs including those on crutches, wheelchair users, those with guide dogs, or those with buggies to those with physical impairments (for example passengers with arthritis, back, or limb pain). Mobility needs also extend to passengers travelling with children, shopping, or luggage that may require assistance.
An “invisible,” “non-visible,” “hidden,” “non-apparent,” or “unseen” disability is any physical, mental, or emotional impairment that is not immediately obvious to an onlooker. An invisible disability can include, but is not limited to: cognitive impairment and brain injury; the autism spectrum; chronic illnesses like multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, and fibromyalgia; anxiety, depression, PTSD, and many more.
Sensory needs include blindness, sight impairment, deafness, and those hard of hearing.
Learning difficulties can range from dyslexia and learning difficulties to a lack of formal education.
Compliant with current accessibility and environmental standards for transport systems, Luas’ aims are to:
- Provide you with a safe and comfortable tram journey.
- Consult with people with a special need, in an effort to meet their requirements and expectations as best we can.
- Make our Luas services as accessible as practically possible.
- Work with other outside agencies such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) to ensure that Luas platforms and trams are fully accessible.
- Review our services on a regular basis to see how best it can be improved.
- Provide disability awareness training as part of our passenger care training for all Luas staff.
- Upgrade our communication system and provide accessible information where required.
While it is not possible to anticipate every difficulty Luas passengers may have on their journey with us, we always try to anticipate problems and solve them wherever possible as they arise.
We encourage our staff to be flexible and professional in their approach to passenger concerns and needs, and make every effort to make our service as accessible as possible.
Travel Assistance
If you have decided to travel with Luas and know that you will require additional assistance, please let us know in advance of travel so that arrangements can be made to ensure a member of staff will be available to assist you. We can accompany you on your trip, help to familiarise you with the system, and give you advice on planning a journey using Luas.
Travel Assistance is free and can be requested during all Luas operating hours.
The more information we have about the assistance you require, the better we will be able to assist you. When contacting Luas to request Travel Assistance, please provide the following details:
- Date of travel
- Time of travel
- Departure stop
- Arrival stop
- Nature of disability
- Assistance required
- Whether you will be travelling alone or with a companion
- Whether assistance will be required at both the departure and arrival stops
- How staff will be able to identify you (a description of yourself)
- Any other details to assist Luas staff or which you wish to clarify
If you need to cancel a journey for which special arrangements have been made, please let us know so staff can be made available to assist others.
To arrange assistance please contact the TFI Customer Service office:
Phone: 0818 294 015
Email: access@luas.ie
Fare Compliance & the Free Travel
While on Luas infrastructure or on Luas trams, all passengers must have a valid ticket or pass. Travel on Luas is free for those in possession of a Public Services Free Travel Pass or pensioners’ Public Services Free Travel Pass. There is no restriction put on when a passenger can travel with these passes.
Luas Customer Agents (CA) and drivers have a duty to check that you’re using a valid pass and that you are the person who appears on the pass.
Be sure to validate your Free Travel Pass or purchase a Luas ticket prior to entering the Luas tram. There are two validators located on each end of the platform to validate your travel pass, and Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) are available on each platform, at every stop for ticket purchasing. If you do not have your free travel pass with you, you will need to purchase a Luas ticket or pay for your journey using a Leap Card. You must always ensure that you have your validated Free Travel Pass or Leap Card, or a valid ticket ready to be checked by a Customer Agent (CA) or authorised person at any time during your journey.
Getting On the Luas
Where possible, enter the Luas through the double doors as they are the closest entrance to the priority seating and designated wheelchair area. Please always let passengers get off the Luas before attempting to board.
If you require extra assistance while travelling with us or wish to request assistance in advance of travel, please call TFI Customer Service on 0818 294 015.
Getting Off Luas
Luas passengers should prepare themselves as the tram arrives at the stop. Passengers must be ready to exit the tram when it arrives. An announcement, along with the internal LED display, will indicate the next stop. Passengers should press the green flashing button on the door if they wish to exit the tram. We ask that passengers intending to board stand back and allow passengers to exit first.
If you require assistance please let us know in advance by calling 0818 294 015 or emailing info@luas.ie with the dates, times, and locations.
JAM Card
Luas is proud to join Transport for Ireland along with Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Ianród Éireann, and Local Link as a supporter of NOW Group’s JAM Card and App.
The JAM card can be used by people with learning or communication difficulties to ask others to give them “just a minute” extra to gather their thoughts. Whether it’s difficulties with speech or needing a little extra time to search for a Luas ticket or Leap Card, the JAM card or app is a discreet way of letting Luas staff know a little extra time is needed.
JAM Card was developed by participants at the NOW Group who identified that sometimes people with conditions such as autism need ‘just a minute’ in certain social situations. The JAM Card will assist customers using Luas and make their experience as stress-free as possible.
The card says ‘Just A Minute’ on one side, and when you order a JAM Card you choose which message you would like on the other side of your card:
- I have autism/Asperger’s,
- I have autism, or
- I have a condition or I have dementia/memory problems.
When travelling with Luas, you simply show this card to any member of Luas staff you want speak wit, or who speaks to you.Luas staff including Drivers and Customer Assurance Officers have undertaken JAM Card awareness training, which teaches them to recognise the distinctive card as well as provide them with the information they need to ensure the JAM card user feels welcome on board Luas. During training staff also gained valuable knowledge about different types of disabilities and learned how to engage with a customer who may have a communication barrier.JAM Cards are available for collection from the following transport hubs in Dublin:
- Connolly Station,
- Pearse Station,
- Heuston Station
You can also request one directly from NOW Group by visiting the JAM Card website and filling out the request form.You can find out more about the JAM Card at www.jamcard.org, and about the NOW Group at www.nowgroup.org.
Vision Impairment
All trams are fitted with a bell which can be rung to indicate the tram approaching and leaving a Luas platform. Requests for a bell to be rung with a certain indicator (ring bell 2 times upon arrival at Harcourt stop) can be made by request through the Emergency Help Point button. Emergency Help Points are located on the side of all Luas ticket vending machines at the end of the platform shelter ; in some cases this may be free-standing in the same location. You can also contact the TFICustomer Service Centre on 0818 294 015. If you can’t see the approaching tram’s external display (located on each end of the tram above the driver’s cab) showing the tram’s terminus location, please press the Emergency Help Point button. This will connect you to the Luas Central Control Room. You can ask where the tram at the stop is terminating, or for any other assistance you may need. You may also approach the driver’s cab from the outside once the tram has stopped.
There are automatic audio announcements on board providing the names of each stop together with other pre-recorded messages. The announcement made will indicate the name of the next stop upon departure from the previous stop and prior to arrival at the next stop. These announcements are made in English and in Irish. If in doubt while on board, there is an emergency passenger communications device on every tram located on the doorpost to the right hand side of each set of double doors. Press this button to speak with the driver to confirm your location.
When entering and exiting the tram, there is a buzzing warning tone to indicate that tram doors are closing. There is also an orange flashing light located above each door which will flash before the doors close. Do not attempt to exit or enter the tram once you have heard this noise as the doors may close on you. All doors on Luas trams are fitted with an Obstacle Detector System which will prevent you from becoming trapped in the doors. The tram cannot move if there is an obstruction in the doors.
Hearing Impairment
External displays show the terminal destination of the tram on the front, back, and sides of the vehicle. These are located above the driver’s cab at each end of the tram and just below the roof line along the sides of the tram. There are several doors along the side of the tram, each of which can be opened by pressing the green flashing button on the door. Each tram is fitted with onboard electronic displays in upper- and lower-case, high-contrast text. These displays indicate the current stop as the tram approaches a platform as well as the upcoming stop once the tram has departed. When boarding and exiting trams, an orange flashing LED light located above each door indicates to passengers that the doors are closing. Please do not attempt to board or exit the tram once this signal has activated as the doors may close on you.
All trams are fitted with an induction loop for passengers using hearing aids equipped with a T-switch. The middle third of each tram provides access to announcements made on board, either from the driver or through recorded messages announcing the next tram stop and final destination. In case of emergency, this means that hearing aid users receive advice and instructions from the driver at exactly the same time as other passengers.
Passengers Using Wheelchairs
For wheelchair users and those with reduced mobility, we have installed lifts, ramps, and improved car parking spaces where necessary.
All trams and platforms are fully wheelchair accessible. The platforms are raised 280 mm above the track and are accessible via short 5-6 m ramps located at one or both ends of the platform where necessary. Where required, a lift to provides access to the platform. On trams, there are two designated areas for wheelchair users, accessible via the 4 central sets of double tram doors. These areas are indicated by the double-sided wheelchair stickers on the windows above the fold-down seats and back rest area. Wheelchair users have priority over everyone else for use of this space as it is the only space in which they can travel safely.
When boarding the Luas, we recommend that users enter through the double doors. Once on board, wheelchair users should apply their brake, and secure themselves against the side grab rails, facing rearwards for maximum safety while traveling.
If you are unable to board a Luas tram or require assistance, please press the Emergency Help Point button located at the end of the shelter next to the ticket vending machine, which will connect you to the Central Control Room, who will provide emergency assistance where required. Alternatively, contact the TFI Customer Service office on 0818 294 015.
Mobility Scooters
Mobility scooters are allowed on board the Luas. When boarding the Luas, we recommend that users enter through the double doors. Once on board, scooter users should apply their brake, and secure themselves against the side grab rails, facing rearwards for maximum safety while travelling.
Passengers with Assistance Dogs
Luas welcomes assistance dogs on board. Assistance dog must wear the appropriate harness or jacket to indicate to the driver that it is an assistance dog. The assistance dog is the responsibility of its owner and must be kept under control at all time, whether on a harness, on a leash, or in a carrier. An assistance dog must not block the aisle or travel on a seat. Adequate space is provided for guide dogs underneath designated seats on Luas.
As long as there is space, there is no limit to the number of assistance dogs the Luas driver can allow on a tram.
Passengers with Child Buggies
There are two designated areas for child buggies, accessed via the four central sets of double tram doors. These areas are indicated by the double-sided wheelchair / buggy sticker on the windows above the fold-down seats and back rest area. Wheelchair users and buggies have priority over everyone else for use of this space, as it is the only place in which they can travel safely.
The floors of Luas trams are low-level so buggies can remain unfolded in the wheelchair space if it is free. Please make sure the buggy is safely positioned and the brake is on. Unfolded buggies cannot travel in the aisle. You should be able to board any Luas tram with a buggy. However, If the driver judges that it is too crowded for you to board safely, they may refuse travel. Buggies should never be placed directly behind the driver’s door as they can block access to the tram saloon from the driver’s cab in the event of an emergency.
If a wheelchair user wishes to board when there is an unfolded buggy in the wheelchair space, the driver or another member of Luas staff will ask the buggy owner to fold it and either put it in the luggage space or keep it by their side.
Travel Information
Clear, concise, accurate and timely information is crucial to passengers making journeys by public transport and helps build confidence in the Luas system. We provide Real Time Passenger Information on-platform. Passenger Information Display (PID) units at every Luas platform. This displays three lines of text informing passengers of the anticipated arrival times and destinations of the next three trams from the platform. The PID is also used to provide information about service disruptions or other information.
Real time information can also be obtained by visiting www.luas.ie, downloading the free Luas app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Stores, or by viewing Luas’ official X page, @LUAS. The Luas website allows for font enlargement and screen reading through Browse Aloud. A new version of the website was recently launched and is designed to deliver key information to passengers quickly and efficiently.
Luas Stops
Most Luas stops have two 40 meters long by 3meters wide platforms, one on each side of the track, except at Harcourt and Busáras, where the platforms lie between the tracks. On the section of the Green Line where travel is one-directional — the loop between Westmoreland, Parnell, and Trinity — there is only one platform. The platforms are raised 280 mm above the track and are accessed by short 5-6 m ramps located at one or both ends of the platform.
The following stops can be accessed by lift:
- Kilmacud has a lift serving each platform.
- Balally has a lift accessible from both platforms, located on the inbound side.
- Ranelagh has a lift accessible from both platforms, located on the outbound side.
- Charlemont has a lift accessible from both platforms, located on the inbound side.
- Connolly has one lift and an escalator adjacent to the Luas platforms, plus an internal lift inside the main station entrance.
- Dundrum lift accessible from both platforms, located on the inbound side.
- Phibsborough has 2 lifts accessible from both platforms, one located on the outbound side and the other on the inbound side.
All lifts have an intercom located at the Emergency Help Point allowing you to contact the Luas Central Control Room in the event of an emergency. All lifts are covered by CCTV cameras, both internally and externally.
Steel and glass shelters are located on most stop platforms with a few exceptions. These shelters house the Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) and Emergency Help Points, and provide seating forpassengers. Mounted on many Luas stop shelters is a notice board displaying a locale route map showing key local features, as well as and fares and travel information. These notice boards may also be free-standing in some locations.
Large signs at each stop display the name of the stop. These signs also have a coloured “flag” which helps identify which line the stop is on (Red or Green).
Please check the travel updates section of www.luas.ie and the Luas mobile app for up to date lift information.
Help Us Provide Transport for All
Please note that the space on the Luas denoted by the symbol displayed to the left is a designated space for wheelchair users and those travelling with buggies. Wheelchair users have priority in this area. Please move from this area when a wheelchair user needs the space.
If you notice a person with a vision impairment standing on the platform, please let them know the direction of the tram as it approaches. Offer your seat to passengers who are older, pregnant, or have mobility difficulties if they are standing.
Please help your fellow Luas users if they need assistance.
Parking Facilities
There are 7 Luas Park & Ride car parking facilities, all of which have conveniently located, designated Blue Badge spaces. Blue Badge spaces are located as close to the Luas platforms as possible.
Parking for Luas passengers with disabilities is free of charge in designated Blue Badge spaces. You mustvisibly display your Blue Badge and park in a designated Blue Badge parking space. These spots are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If, on arrival, there are no available Blue Badge parking spaces, parking in the other spaces is permitted, and is free of charge as long as your Blue Badge is displayed.
Making a Complaint
A person wishing to make a complaint in relation to a failure by Luas to comply with the Disability Act, 2005, may do so in writing to the TFI Customer Service Centre by sending an email to access@luas.ie or writing to:
TFI Customer Service
Luas Depot, Red Cow, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, D22 C5P3
Additionally, a complaint can be made to our TFI Customer Service Centre by calling 0818 294 015.
