The National Transport Agency has reactivated the Galway Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy.
Work on this 20-year masterplan – known as GMATS – for the future of the city and its suburbs’ transport infrastructure was suspended last summer until a planning decision was made on the N6 Galway City Ringroad.
GMATS is a joint enterprise between the NTA and Galway’s two local authorities to replace the 2016 Galway Transport Strategy, which was last updated in 2024 to include a positive recommendation on the feasibility of light rail for the city.
Preferred routes for a tram have, however, not yet been locked in, although four potential pathways, ranging from 14km to 22km, have been identified by consulting engineers, based on a mostly coastal trunk line linking Knocknacarra through the city to Roscam, with potential initial extensions to Barna, Oranmore and Ballybrit.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien paused publication of a GMATS plan on the advice of the NTA last year because the ring road was still being considered by planners. An Coimisiún Pleanála granted permission for the controversial, €1 billion road in April, but this decision is currently facing four judicial reviews.
Following this planning decision, the NTA, working in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Northern and Western Regional Assembly and Galway’s city and county councils, has now recommenced redeveloping GMATS for publication in 2027.
This long-term, strategic planning framework will inform the development of active travel, bus services, rail, roads and demand management measures across the Galway Metropolitan Area, including the potential for light rail.
In a statement to the Advertiser, the Galway City Council said pending the outcome and adoption of the updated GMATS, it would support the inclusion of a research proposal on light rail in the city’s current Development Plan process, and in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES ).
“The 2024 NTA Light Rail Feasibility Report reviewed the general feasibility for light rail in the Galway Metropolitan Area, and potential indicative alignments, showing the corridors with the greatest potential for light rail in the GMA,” said city council chief executive Leonard Cleary. “The research identified an east-west corridor through the city, which [is] likely to have the strongest potential for light rail – with a series of different options which could cater for the future development of the city also considered.
“While these route options are preliminary, and would need to be explored further, they are insightful in terms of potential options to tackle congestion, and deliver sustainable development [across Galway] as part of a wider strategy encompassing active travel, public transport, roads and demand management measures.”
Mayor of the City of Galway, Helen Ogbu, welcomed the NTA’s renewed engagement on transport planning for Galway after years of criticism from councillors on the agency’s interaction with the local authority.
“Recent research by the NTA shows 67 per cent of people travelling into Galway city’s retail core arrived by bus, rail, walking or cycling,” she said. “This shows an appetite for an alternative to the car, and the potential for more active and sustainable travel, making Galway a more attractive place to live, work, study and invest,” she said.
“Light Rail may play a role in the sustainable transport mix for Galway City in future – and I welcome the NTA’s engagement and support to ensure the most appropriate solutions are progressed for our city.”
A draft GMATS strategy is expected to be published in coming months, followed by a public consultation before a final plan is confirmed in 2027.
