IRELAND: A consortium led by Plenary Group and including Webuild, Hitachi Rail and Keolis is putting together a bid for the M500 contract to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the planed MetroLink automated metro in Dublin. The consortium is joined by a design joint venture of Arup and Egis.
The 18·8 km mostly underground driverless line would run from Swords in the north to Charlemont in the south via the airport and the city centre, serving 16 stations. Construction is to be undertaken through two civil works contracts covering the northern and southern sections, along with the M500 contract covering the rolling stock, stations, railway systems, operations and maintenance.
The procurement process is being manged by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, with the preferred bidder for the M500 contract expected to be announced in 2026.
International experience
‘Plenary brings not only experience in funding and delivering major transport infrastructure, but also a long-term commitment to projects that deliver lasting value’, said its Executive Director, Ireland, Matthew Biviano on November 17. ‘We know how transformational MetroLink will be for Ireland and Dublin, and if successful in the tender, will be proud to play a central role in helping to realise this vision. This is about building a legacy, not just a rail line.’
Webuild would lead the design and delivery of the civil works, drawing on its experience in cities including Milano, København and Sydney. ‘Webuild’s global expertise in delivering complex underground metro systems in major cities uniquely positions us to take on the engineering challenges of this project’, said Giorgio Provvidenza, Business Development Manager for Ireland.
Hitachi Rail would provide the rolling stock, signalling and systems integration, based on its experience in cities including København, Milano and Honolulu.
Keolis would provide operations and maintenance. It currently manages eight driverless metros worldwide, including London’s Docklands Light Railway and the Dubai Metro.
A rival bid for the M500 contract was announced in September by consortium of FCC, Meridiam, John Laing, RATP Dev and Alstom.
