GLUAS touted as gridlock fix to avoid €25billion climate fine – ‘You'd get a lot of light rail for that’
The Holy Trinity of solutions to Galway’s gridlocked transport system, the GLUAS, the Ring Road and an efficient BusConnects network, must be delivered without delay, according to experts and Labour Party representatives who met a public meeting this week.
Councillor Helen Ogbu, joined by party colleague Kildare South TD Mark Wall and GLUAS campaigner Brendan Holland, hosted a public meeting at the Connacht Hotel on Monday, March 2, named ‘End the Gridlock,’ aimed at discussing available solutions to Galway’s growing traffic condition.
Mr Holland delivered an impassioned address, noting they were standing “on the shoulder of giant visionaries” who had long advocated for light rail in Galway (GLUAS). He said proposals for such a system date back as far as the 1960s, when early concerns emerged about growing traffic pressures as the city prospers.
However, if the light rail has been a feature of Galway dinner-table discussions for decades, what still holds it back, and why is delivery now considered urgent?
Deputy Wall said Government “politics and ego” had prevented Galway from advancing long-needed infrastructure.
“The government lack ambition. When you have a pot like we have at the moment, and we're one of the richest countries in the world, we should be concentrated on where we need to put that money,” he said.
He argued that it is the local representatives showing the ambition required to push projects forward.
However, during the meeting, which drew a crowd of around 35 people, some attendees criticised Galway City Council’s handling of the long-running debate.
GLUAS committee member and engineer Brendan Mulligan referred to a commitment made in May 2025 by Minister of State at the Transport Department, TD Sean Canney, who pledged support for the project “if Galway City Council issued a formal expression of support”.
According to Mr Mulligan, councillors voiced support during private CPG meetings, but “balked” when it came to putting that stance on the official public record.
“There's a certain fear here among the councillors that if they're seen to support light rail it might damage the possibility of getting the ring road,” he said.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Galway city Labour councillor Niall McNelis rejected suggestions of timidity.
He said: “The GLUAS is an objective of our development plan. We were told to leave it in development - to get the bus connects over the line first and then we can go back. It's very hard to change horse in the middle of a race.
“Our priority is bus connects and the active travel plan, and then GLUAS can come in the future. We've given a commitment that we will work with that.”
Cllr McNelis said that with limited funding available for a city the size of Galway, the council must prioritise one major project at a time.
But national projections suggest that inaction will prove costly. A Cost of Congestion report, referenced in a recent letter to the Transport Minister from Climate Change Advisory Council chair Marie C. Donnelly, highlights the financial consequences of failing to address Galway’s traffic problems.
In correspondence shared on LinkedIn, Ms Donnelly outlined the climate and economic impacts of worsening congestion. The report showed the Galway Metropolitan Area incurred congestion costs of €35.3 million in 2022, a figure expected to rise to €106.9 million by 2040.
Her letter urged “immediate action” from Government, including funding commitments in Budget 2027 and an expedited rollout of the proposed Cappagh Park park-and-ride facility.
“Our cities are choking with congestion; our transport emissions are not reducing fast enough to meet our legally binding targets and the people of Ireland are growing increasingly frustrated with the ever-growing congestion and inadequate public transport options available to them,” Ms Donnelly wrote.
GLUAS advocate Mr Holland noted that failing to meet 2030 climate targets could leave the State liable for up to €25 billion in fines.
“You'd get a lot of light rail for that, so you would,” he said.
Cllr Ogbu said she intends to honour her commitment to progress transport solutions, beginning with BusConnects, followed by the development of light rail.
“Galway’s gridlock crisis did not happen overnight. The packed public meeting in the Connaught Hotel proved that people understand the scale of the challenge. But this crisis will not be solved by delay or drift. People are demanding change. We need bold decisions and sustained investment,” she said.
A National Transport Authority feasibility study completed in October 2024 found a strong case for a light rail line from Knocknacarra to Roscam, with potential later expansion from Parkmore to Ardaun. The report identified no technical obstacles to route development.
Under the proposal, the GLUAS would operate across 14 kilometres of the city, with eight-minute intervals and capacity for 13 million passengers annually. Engineers estimated a construction cost of roughly €100 million per kilometre.
Mr Mulligan said much of the construction could be carried out at night and in short phases to minimise disruption. However, he acknowledged that inconvenience would be inevitable.
“You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs,” he said.
The next step is the preparation of a preferred emerging route study, a process Cllr Ogbu said must begin “without delay”. Once completed, she believes a clear pathway toward planning permission will follow.