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Alstom Expands DART+ Fleet With Additional Electric Train Order
A new contract increases the DART+ fleet to 285 electric carriages, supporting capacity growth, fleet renewal, and lower-emission commuter rail services across the Greater Dublin Area.
www.alstom.com
Alstom-built Iarnród Éireann 90000 Class X'trapolis trains will replace the current DART 8100 Class fleet (Credit – Department of Transport)
Additional rolling stock order
Alstom has signed a contract worth approximately €160 million to manufacture an additional 100 X’trapolis electric multiple unit (EMU) carriages for Iarnród Éireann. The order forms part of a wider €173.9 million investment in Ireland and increases the total number of DART+ carriages being supplied by Alstom to 285.
The new order consists of five-carriage X’trapolis trainsets for the Greater Dublin Area and will fully replace the original DART fleet that has been in service since the network opened in 1984.
Fleet renewal and programme scale
This contract follows two previous orders for Iarnród Éireann 90000 Class trains and brings total investment in new electric and battery-electric rolling stock for Ireland to approximately €670 million. Across the three orders, 57 five-carriage X’trapolis trainsets will be delivered.
The first order of 95 carriages is scheduled to enter service from the first half of 2027, primarily on the Dublin–Drogheda corridor. A second order of 90 carriages is planned for service entry from 2028. The latest order also includes associated maintenance services for a period of up to 15 years.
Electric and battery-electric operation
All three orders sit within a framework agreement providing for up to 750 electric and battery-electric carriages over a ten-year period. Of the first two orders, 155 out of 185 carriages will operate as battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs), with recharging facilities being installed at Drogheda station.
The new fleet replaces the 8100 Class trains currently operating on the coastal route from Greystones to Malahide and Howth, improving energy efficiency and operational reliability.
Capacity and passenger experience
The five-carriage X’trapolis trains are being manufactured at Alstom’s facility in Chorzów, Poland. Each unit is equivalent in length to the four-carriage trains currently in service but offers higher capacity through wide gangways and full-length inter-carriage circulation.
Two coupled five-carriage units will form a ten-carriage train, the longest configuration compatible with existing infrastructure, with capacity for at least 1,100 passengers. Design features include improved accessibility, increased bicycle storage, onboard power supply, and CCTV-based security systems.
Role within the DART+ programme
The expanded fleet supports the wider DART+ Programme, which combines new rolling stock with infrastructure upgrades under DART+ West, South West, Coastal North, and Coastal South. Together, these measures are intended to double rail capacity in the Greater Dublin Area.
By integrating electric and battery-electric trains with long-term maintenance support, the programme targets higher service reliability, increased passenger capacity, and reduced emissions across Ireland’s busiest commuter rail corridors.
www.alstom.com
Additional rolling stock order
Alstom has signed a contract worth approximately €160 million to manufacture an additional 100 X’trapolis electric multiple unit (EMU) carriages for Iarnród Éireann. The order forms part of a wider €173.9 million investment in Ireland and increases the total number of DART+ carriages being supplied by Alstom to 285.
The new order consists of five-carriage X’trapolis trainsets for the Greater Dublin Area and will fully replace the original DART fleet that has been in service since the network opened in 1984.
Fleet renewal and programme scale
This contract follows two previous orders for Iarnród Éireann 90000 Class trains and brings total investment in new electric and battery-electric rolling stock for Ireland to approximately €670 million. Across the three orders, 57 five-carriage X’trapolis trainsets will be delivered.
The first order of 95 carriages is scheduled to enter service from the first half of 2027, primarily on the Dublin–Drogheda corridor. A second order of 90 carriages is planned for service entry from 2028. The latest order also includes associated maintenance services for a period of up to 15 years.
Electric and battery-electric operation
All three orders sit within a framework agreement providing for up to 750 electric and battery-electric carriages over a ten-year period. Of the first two orders, 155 out of 185 carriages will operate as battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs), with recharging facilities being installed at Drogheda station.
The new fleet replaces the 8100 Class trains currently operating on the coastal route from Greystones to Malahide and Howth, improving energy efficiency and operational reliability.
Capacity and passenger experience
The five-carriage X’trapolis trains are being manufactured at Alstom’s facility in Chorzów, Poland. Each unit is equivalent in length to the four-carriage trains currently in service but offers higher capacity through wide gangways and full-length inter-carriage circulation.
Two coupled five-carriage units will form a ten-carriage train, the longest configuration compatible with existing infrastructure, with capacity for at least 1,100 passengers. Design features include improved accessibility, increased bicycle storage, onboard power supply, and CCTV-based security systems.
Role within the DART+ programme
The expanded fleet supports the wider DART+ Programme, which combines new rolling stock with infrastructure upgrades under DART+ West, South West, Coastal North, and Coastal South. Together, these measures are intended to double rail capacity in the Greater Dublin Area.
By integrating electric and battery-electric trains with long-term maintenance support, the programme targets higher service reliability, increased passenger capacity, and reduced emissions across Ireland’s busiest commuter rail corridors.
www.alstom.com
