Latest news with #DART+
Irish Independent
15 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
DART expansion plan gets boost after High Court hears objections withdrawn
Two separate judicial reviews were originally scheduled for hearing in the High Court this week relating to the DART+ West element of the plan. The court heard that the cases, taken by two businesses in the west of Dublin city, had been withdrawn. The move means that the project, which last July was granted a Railway Order, the equivalent of planning permission for rail developments, is now free to proceed – pending Government funding. Preliminary works are expected to begin next year with contracts for the more major construction projects to be awarded by the end of 2026. DART+ West will expand the high-frequency electric train service from Dublin city to Maynooth in Co Kildare and the M3 Parkway park and ride station in Bennetstown, Co Meath. It is one of four elements of the DART+ project which would collectively triple the length of the existing service from 50km to 150km and double hourly passenger numbers from 26,000 in each direction to 52,000. DART+ West is expected to see some of the biggest increases in passenger numbers with a doubling of train services along the Maynooth line. For that to happen will require works that include provision of a new station at Spencer Dock in the city centre and developments at Connolly Station, including a new entrance at Preston Street. One other part of the project, DART+ South West, was granted a Railway Order last November. It will extend the service from Heuston Station to Hazelhatch in Co Kildare and from Heuston to the city centre via the Phoenix Park tunnel.. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more An application for a Railway Order for DART+ Coastal North, which would extend services from Dublin to Drogheda, is awaiting a decision from An Bord Pleanála. DART+ Coastal South would see increased frequency on the existing Greystones to city centre route and an application is expected to be made for it shortly. The overall project also involves the provision of 185 new rail carriages, currently on order, with the option to order 750 in total if all aspects proceed. The first ten carriages have arrived and are due to be put into service next year. Early cost estimates for the complete project were put at around €3 billion several years ago but it is expected that figure will rise. The Government has only approved funding up to contract award stage and will have to make a decision at that point whether to back the project's further progress. The judicial review proceedings against DART+ West were taken by businesses on the Navan Road in Dublin, near Ashtown railway station. A sitting of the High Court heard the cases had been struck out after an agreement had been reached that was satisfactory to all sides. A spokesperson for Irish Rail said the terms of the agreement were confidential.
RTÉ News
20-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Atm and Alstom join forces to bid for Luas maintenance contact
France's Alstom and Italy's Atm Group (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi) have announced a strategic joint venture to bid for the upcoming renewal of the Luas Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract in Dublin. The companies said their proposal would be built on "pillars of operational excellence, customer satisfaction, sustainability and innovative technology integration". The partnership brings together two of Europe's biggest transport providers. Atm Group has been operating public transport networks in Milan in Italy, since 1931, in Copenhagen in Denmark, since 2008, and in Thessaloniki in Greece, since 2023. Recently, the company expanded its presence to Paris, France, where it was awarded the management of 18 key bus lines in the Croix du Sud area. It transports about 3 million passengers daily and has 11,000 employees. Alstom has been working in Ireland for over 20 years and manufactured the entire fleet in service with Dublin Luas. It also currently producing battery electric trains for Dublin's DART+ network. The company is present in 63 countries, employs over 86,000 people, and is at the forefront of low-carbon mobility. Its portfolio spans high-speed trains, metros, monorails, trams, signalling, infrastructure, and integrated digital systems. Paolo Marchetti, Business Development Director, Atm Group, said that combining the strengths of Alstom and Atm will bring together a powerful blend of technical expertise and operational excellence. "Leveraging Atm's century-long experience managing Europe's largest tram network in Milan - comprising 15 lines and three Light Rails over 157 km and serving more than 300,000 passengers daily - our joint venture is committed to delivering innovative and user-friendly transit solutions to support the future of Luas operations in Dublin," he said. Piers Wood, Managing Director for Ireland, Alstom, said the companies' shared commitment to reliability, sustainability and innovation is at the core of its joint venture. "We look forward to bringing our knowledge and our proven expertise in light rail systems to support the long-term success of Dublin's Luas network," he added Luas carried an estimated 54 million passengers in 2024, representing an increase of over 12% on the 2023 figure of 48.2 million. It started running in 2004.
