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Charlemont

CHARLEMONT LUAS TRAM STOP AND BRIDGE ACROSS THE GRAND CANAL AND NEARBY

by

11 FEBRUARY 2024

At the tram stop there is a memorial plaque indicating that the bridge across the canal was dedicated to Professor Simon H Perry.

Professor Simon Herbert Perry, who died on March 15th aged 61, was professor of civil engineering, head of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering and a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin (TCD). He was also dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Systems Sciences at TCD from 1990-1996.

One of his particular interests was his crusade for light rail transit (LRT) in Dublin.

Charlemont is a stop on the Luas light-rail tram system in Dublin, Ireland. It opened in 2004 as a stop on the Green Line from St Stephen’s Green to Sandyford. It provides access to the Portobello area.

The platforms of Charlemont are located on a steel and concrete beam bridge which crosses the Grand Canal. The waiting shelters are located directly above the canal itself. The advantage of this layout is that the stop can be accessed from either side of the canal: on the south side, a staircase and lift lead from the Grand Parade to the northbound platform. On the north side, staircases lead from each of the platforms to Charlemont Place, but this end does not have step free access. Since the Luas does not have ticket barriers, the bridge can also be used by pedestrians to cross the canal. The bridge has been dedicated to Professor Simon H. Perry, a civil engineer who lead the campaign for a light railway in Dublin. The arrangement of a station on a bridge over water has since been implemented on a much larger scale at London Blackfriars station.

To the south of Charlemont, trams continue south on a viaduct built for the Harcourt Street railway line which ran along this alignment from 1854 to 1958. To the north, trams cross Charlemont Place and descend a ramp, continuing through the city centre on the streets. Trams generally run every 5–10 minutes. Northbound trams terminate at Parnell or continue to Broombridge. Southbound trams terminate at Sandyford or continue to Brides Glen.