The Luas Green Line in Dublin remains out of service on Thursday morning following a major power outage, but service may be returned later on Thursday evening.
Transdev spokesperson Dervla Brophy said that the Green Line may reopen this evening subject to safety approval.
“Service to Green Line could be returned later on tonight. However, that is with a caveat in that it is subject to safety approval and all the technicians’ results and analysis have to go in a particular way in order to be able to deliver that,” she told RTÉ Radio’s News at One.
It remains unclear as to what time the service will be fully restored.
“But we do want to reassure customers that we are working our way systematically through the Green Line and the substations, and we have identified issues, and we will also be updating the public through the Luas app, through social media travel channels, traffic and travel updates and the media.”
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In a statement, Luas customer service said engineers have identified that the fault lies within a “critical low-voltage safety system known as the 48-volt system”.
“This is not the overhead power system that powers the trams. Rather, it is part of the safety network that links substations to the central control room and allows power to be safely controlled and monitored across the line,” it said.
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“In simple terms, this safety system is designed to shut down power to the overhead lines in the event of an emergency. The system is currently detecting a fault condition and, for safety reasons, will not permit the power to be fully restored until that condition is resolved.
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“As a result, services on the Green Line remain suspended while repair work continues.”
Ms Brophy said 12 substations had been inspected, with faulty components identified, and the issue has been narrowed down to the area between Broombridge to O’Connell Street.
She extended apologies to customers and said that Luas tickets were valid on Dublin Bus. “We are doing our best to restore the service as soon as we possibly can.
“Technical issues do arise, and this is a very significant issue. To lose power on the Green Line in its entirety is very significant, and we are conscious it is impacting on customers and on the general public and their travel plans.
“But we are working our way through the system, and that is the best way to do it in a methodical manner, and because the system is a fail-safe system. It’s designed to fail in a safe mode, and that is the best way that the system can be designed. And it’s why we are working our way through it in a methodical manner so that we can restore the service as soon as possible.”
The problem emerged on Wednesday when services were also out of action for most of the day, causing disruption for thousands of commuters and other users.
The Green Line links Broombridge on Dublin’s northside to Brides Glen, near Cherrywood, in the south, crossing the city centre.
Luas Red Line services are running as normal.
