Alstom has signed a new EUR 160 million contract with Ireland’s national rail operator, Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail), to supply 100 X’trapolis electric railcars for the DART rail network in the Dublin metropolitan area. The new order brings the total number of DART+ cars contracted by Alstom for Ireland to 285.
The contract is part of a larger EUR 173.9 million investment program and provides for the delivery of five-car electric multiple units (EMUs) that will completely replace the current DART fleet, which has been in service since 1984.
Total investment of approximately EUR 670 million
The new order is in addition to two other contracts previously awarded by Irish Rail for 90000 class trains, bringing the total investment in electric and battery trains for Ireland to approximately EUR670 million.
The 57 X’trapolis trains (each with five cars) will replace the current 8100 class multiple units, used mainly on the Greystones – Malahide and Howth coastal route.
The first 95 carriages ordered will enter service in the first half of 2027, mainly on the busy Dublin–Drogheda line, and the next 90 carriages will be introduced from 2028.
Electric and battery traction
All three orders are part of a framework agreement that allows for the purchase of up to 750 electric and battery-powered carriages over a period of ten years.
Of the first two batches, 155 of the 185 cars will be BEMU (battery-electric multiple unit) units, with recharging facilities provided by Alstom at Drogheda station.
The new order also includes maintenance services for up to 15 years, while previous orders provided for maintenance for 10 years.
Increased capacity and improved accessibility
The X’trapolis trains for DART+ are manufactured at Alstom’s plant in Chorzów, Poland, and will have a high capacity, with wide aisles between carriages, allowing free movement throughout the entire length of the train.
Two coupled units will form a 10-carriage train with a capacity of at least 1,100 passengers, which is the maximum configuration possible on the current infrastructure. The new trains will offer:
- improved accessibility;
- additional space for bicycles;
- sockets for electronic devices;
- CCTV and passenger information systems.
Part of the DART+ program
The DART+ program, which includes investments in rolling stock and infrastructure on the West, South West, Coastal North, and Coastal South corridors, will double rail capacity in the Dublin metropolitan area.
According to the Irish authorities, in 2025, more than 23 million passengers are expected to use the current DART network, a record level, with an additional 16 million passengers using suburban rail services around the capital.
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