Confident smiles were much in evidence at the Department of Public Enterprise today as its advisory group reported the LUAS was still on schedule to be finished by next year.
The first test runs of the new trams should take place on track near the Red Cow depot within the next month, the report by the Light Rail Advisory and Action Group said.
But meeting the 2003 completion target depends on the success of key components including construction projects like the Taney Bridge in Dundrum and progress in other utility contracts, the report said.
Co-operation between relevant local authorities and agencies also required monitoring on a continuous basis, the report said.
As well as confirming the schedule was on track, the group reported the persistent scepticism of LUAS "was being surmounted".
