Investment in New Trains
In order to support the expansion in rail services planned under the National Development Plan 2021 to 2030, part of Project Ireland 2040, and to cater for growing demand, Iarnród Éireann is progressing two major fleet orders.
41 New Railcars
In October 2019, the Government approved an order for 41 new railcars. These are additional 22000-class railcar carriages bringing the overall size of this fleet to 275 railcars.
This represented an investment of €150 million.
The new railcars began entering service on the Commuter and Intercity network in February 2024, and all were in service by the end of 2024.
Up to 750 Electric / Battery-electric Hybrid Vehicles
In order to support the infrastructural capacity increases delivered by the DART+ Programme, additional rolling stock will be required.
Iarnród Éireann, supported by the NTA, awarded French supplier Alstom the contract to deliver the largest and most sustainable fleet in Irish public transport history in December 2021, for up to 750 electric / battery-electric powered vehicles over a 10-year timescale.
Two orders totalling 185 carriages have been placed to date, comprising six sets of five-carriage conventional electric trains and thirty-one sets of five-carriage battery-electric trains. While purely electrically powered trains are expected to make up the majority of the train orders, these orders will allow Iarnród Éireann to deliver frequency and capacity increases across the network while electrification is being progressed, both in the Greater Dublin Area and potentially in the Cork Commuter area.
As well as the capacity increases that will be delivered through the DART+ Programme and the new DART+ Fleet in the Greater Dublin Area, Intercity carriages currently in use on Commuter services will be cascaded upon arrival of the new electrically-powered trainsets to enhance and strengthen other rail services.
Subsequent orders are intended to be placed in line with the delivery of the DART+ Programme, and in line with requirements for replacement of the original DART fleet (dating from 1984) later in the decade.
Ultimately, the overall order will see the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) total rail fleet and up to 80 percent of all heavy rail journeys in Ireland, set for a potentially emissions-free future.
The DART+ Programme is a revolutionary €2 billion investment under Project Ireland 2040 set to double the capacity and treble the electrification of the Greater Dublin Area network, bringing DART travel with all its benefits to new and existing communities.
You can learn more about the overall DART+ Programme and the new DART+ Fleet on www.dartplus.ie.
New DART Fleet
Two orders have been placed with Alstom Transport for the new DART fleet to date:
- December 2021: 19 x 5 car trains. They will begin to enter passenger service from Q2 2027 onwards, a revised programme primarily due to a redesign required on battery packs.
- December 2022: 18 x 5 car trains. They will enter passenger service in 2028.
The main contract is for 10 years allowing up to 750 cars to be purchased on a call off basis.
- Toilets – there are no toilets fitted to these vehicles in line with existing DART fleet. Interiors are designed for passenger capacity
- Bike capacity – There are 4 bicycle spaces per train with 2 spaces in each front & end vehicle. Charging for e-bicycles is also provided
- Fuel type – The fleet is electrically powered from an overhead line. In addition 13 of the 19 trains also have battery storage enabling normal operation on lines beyond the overhead line system e.g. Dublin Connolly to Drogheda