IRELAND: The Department of Transport has confirmed funding for national railway Iarnród Éireann to place a firm order for a further 100 Alstom electric multiple-unit cars for the greater Dublin area’s DART suburban network.
They are to be used on the coastal line from Greystones to Malahide and Howth, enabling the full replacement of the original fleet in used since DART services were launched in 1984.
The €173·9m order announced on December 22 is the third to be placed under a December 2021 framework agreement with Alstom. It takes the total order to 57-five-car electric and battery-electric trainsets worth €670m.
The 95 cars from the first firm order are now expected to enter service mainly on the line from Dublin to Drogheda from the first half of 2027. The second batch of 90 cars is to enter service from 2028.
The EMUs will increase the capacity and sustainability of rail services, with benefits to passengers including greater accessibility, increased bicycle storage, device charging and CCTV for security.
‘This order of new DART carriages is the latest demonstration of the government’s commitment to public transport and to rail in particular’, said Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien.
Chief Executive of the National Transport Authority, Anne Shaw, said ‘DART has been transformational in changing travel behaviours and is now relied upon for travel by tens of thousands of people every day. These new trains will ensure DART continues to deliver sustainable transport along the corridor, improving the efficiency of the service and improving the reliability, accessibility and comfort of DART users.’
