One of the key lessons the past 12 months – and particularly the past few hours – has taught us about our creaking transport networks is that they are extremely vulnerable and already spread far too thin. The aftermath of Storm Chandra has shown us, once again, that in an era of increased extreme weather events, our infrastructure is not fit for purpose.
This vulnerability has manifested itself in many ways in cities and towns right across Ireland. Traffic on the N11 northbound in Wicklow and the M50 was disrupted by flooding. Tanker trucks and pumps had to be deployed to clear the water, and commuters were asked to delay travelling to the office or work from home. Irish Rail commuters suffered long delays too.
But even areas not directly affected by the devastating flooding that destroyed homes and livelihoods in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford – where the river Slaney burst its banks – or the flooding around the river Dodder in Dublin ground to a halt in the adverse weather.
And while this week’s weather has been severe – the flooding reached levels not seen for 20 years in Enniscorthy – heavy rainfall is not unprecedented. Our transport networks should be robust enough to cope.
READ MORE
The past year in Dublin has demonstrated that the networks we rely on for employment, education, family connection and vital services are vulnerable to the point of no longer being fit for purpose in a modern European capital.
Internationally, the cities ranked as the most vibrant and liveable overwhelmingly have reliable, robust and sustainable transport networks. For example, in 2025, the Economist’s Global Liveability Index named Copenhagen – not known for its dry and balmy climate either – the most liveable city in the world.
To compare Dublin with Copenhagen in terms of infrastructure delivery: when we first considered building Metro North more than 20 years ago, Copenhagen was also commencing an underground metro line. Copenhagen proceeded to construct its metro – with built-in climate adaptation measures, including elevated entrances, improved drainage, waterproofing – and is already extending it, whereas Dublin remains at square one. While a metro for our city has never been closer to realisation, the past year has shown how exposed the delivery timeline is to outside factors. This fragility in delivering essential public transport infrastructure must be addressed with urgency.
The impact of failing to deliver efficient transport networks is visible today. The busiest road in the country, the M50, is in a state of crisis that goes far beyond the flooding seen this week. The consequences are climate-related and economic, but the most significant is the human cost. The consequences include parents not seeing their children during daylight hours, as well as broader impacts on mental health, wellbeing and productivity.
Incidents on this motorway, such as collisions or adverse weather like that brought by Storm Chandra, greatly exacerbate congestion but they are not the root cause – they merely highlight the weaknesses in our networks. There doesn’t need to be flooding for the capital to grind to a halt – heavy rain is enough to cause widespread disruption. Should the passenger cap at Dublin Airport be lifted, the effect it could have on this already extremely congested motorway are concerning. While the M50 is the most prominent example, these patterns are replicated in towns and cities across the country, negatively impacting daily life.
Vulnerability is also evident in our public transport systems. Last year exposed the susceptibility of the Luas network to technical and infrastructural risks. The fire at George’s Dock Bridge in August resulted in several Red Line stops being out of action for months. We were fortunate the incident was not more serious regarding loss of life or infrastructure, and that its location near the terminus affected fewer passengers. However, in early December, an electrical fault on the Green Line suspended services for several days. Much credit is deserved to the teams that worked around the clock to remedy both infrastructure failures.
While such incidents occur in transport networks worldwide regardless of contingency planning, the true exposure lies in the lack of alternatives. With more than a million trips taken on the Luas each week, the network lacks the resilience to provide a viable backup. While it is not practical to maintain idle spare capacity for a million trips, the lack of capacity across the wider network ensures that any one incident becomes a crisis for the city, causing substantial economic impact.
Looking ahead, several factors pose serious concerns.
This week, Storm Chandra reminded us that climate change is increasing the frequency of adverse weather events, which have the potential to disrupt travel more often. Several such events over the last five years have shown how this will impact on our daily lives into the future.
However, the more pressing factor is that our public and private transport capacity is not increasing at the same rate as our population. This surge in demand without a corresponding increase in capacity results in the daily reality of congestion and overcrowding, even without exceptional events. This is eroding Ireland’s competitiveness and the quality of life for our citizens. Statistics show how far we lag behind our EU neighbours: Dublin is the 11th worst city in the world for congestion, and just 3 per cent of our railway network is electrified – the lowest in Europe. Increasing transport supply is not easily achieved in the short term.
Sustained, consistent investment and expedited infrastructure delivery are now required with the utmost urgency.
Brian Caulfield is professor in transportation at the Centre for Transport Research, Trinity College Dublin
