Iarnród Éireann ordered more X’trapolises
posted on 23rd Dec 2025 11:46
As part of a wider investment of 173.9 million EUR in Ireland, Alstom has signed a deal worth 160 million EUR with Iarnród Éireann for a further X’trapolis EMUs for the Greater Dublin Area. The additional units will fully replace the original fleet in service since the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) network first opened in 1984.
This contract follows two previous orders in recent years for new Iarnród Éireann Class 90000s, and brings the total investment in new electric and battery-electric-trains for Ireland to approximately 670 million EUR. The new order will supersede the original Class 8100 stock used on the largely coastal line from Greystones to Malahide and Howth, increasing the number of Alstom cars ordered for DART+ to 57 five-car X’trapolises.
The first order was for 95 new cars (19 five-car units), which will enter service mainly on the busy line from Dublin to Drogheda from the first half of 2027. The second order of 90 cars (18 units) will enter service from 2028. It includes associated maintenance services over a period of 10 years. Alongside the new trains, the third order also includes associated maintenance services over a period of up to 15 years.
All three orders form part of a framework agreement which provides for up to 750 EMU and BEMU cars for Ireland over a ten-year period. Furthermore, 155 out of the 185 car from the first two orders will form BEMU services, with recharging facilities – also being provided by Alstom – available at Drogheda railway station.
The new order with Alstom has been placed by Iarnród Éireann through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and funded by the Department of Transport.
“This order of new DART carriages is the latest demonstration of the Government’s commitment to public transport and to rail in particular. It forms part of our NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for transport, which will see over €10 billion of investment in public transport infrastructure, in addition to €2 billion allocated to commence construction of MetroLink from the Infrastructure Climate and Nature Fund, over the period 2026 to 2030. The rollout of these carriages will help ensure that we continue to provide a sustainable and reliable DART service in the years ahead, as we work to expand the DART network under the DART+ Programme,” said Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Transport.
At least 23 million passenger journeys will have been made on existing DART services from Greystones to Malahide and Howth in 2025, the highest number ever seen. Across Dublin’s commuter services – Drogheda, Maynooth and M3 Parkway, Kildare and Wicklow – a further 16 million passenger journeys are forecast, also the highest ever. The full DART+ Programme, encompassing new fleet and infrastructure works under DART+ West, South West, Coastal North and Coastal South, will double the capacity of rail services in the Greater Dublin Area.
“This is a crucial order for the continued development of rail services in the Greater Dublin Area. The longevity of the original DART is a testament to our Iarnród Éireann colleagues, who have managed and maintained the fleet, and also to the durability of electricity-powered trains. This has created a service that is iconic to its customers and the communities it serves. These new modern fleets will deliver real improvements in customer experience for all DART users across the expanded network under the DART+ Programme, and include major accessibility benefits,” said Mary Considine, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann.
Currently being built at Alstom’s Chorzów works, the new fleet will consist of five-cars X’trapolis units (equivalent in length to the four-car sets in the current DART fleet), providing high capacity with wide gangways between carriages. This will allow customers to freely circulate throughout the full length of trains, creating a more open and spacious environment and enhancing security. Two five-car units coupled together will be the longest train size operable by the new fleet on current infrastructure, and will have capacity for at least 1,100 passengers.
