Alstom DART+ X’trapolis order expands Dublin fleet renewal

Alstom DART+ X’trapolis order has been expanded again with a €160 million contract for 100 additional energy-efficient carriages for Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) in the Greater Dublin Area, according to an Alstom press release.

The deal takes the number of DART+ cars being manufactured by Alstom to 285, which the company describes as the largest and most sustainable public transport fleet order in Irish history.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Those extra vehicles will be supplied as five-carriage electric multiple unit (EMU) trainsets and are intended to fully replace the original DART fleet that has been operating since the Dublin Area Rapid Transit network opened in 1984. The latest new DART carriages order will supersede the 8100 Class rolling stock used mainly on the largely coastal line from Greystones to Malahide and Howth. With the third purchase added, the DART+ Programme total stands at 57 five-carriage X’trapolis trains.

What the Alstom DART+ X’trapolis order includes?

Piers Wood, Managing Director Ireland at Alstom, called the contract “another exciting step” for Ireland’s ambitious DART+ Programme, retiring the 1984 fleet and introducing a modern and higher-capacity electric train across Greater Dublin. He said that, alongside the battery-electric multiple unit (BEMU) trains already on order, the new fleet is expected to improve reliability and lower emissions, while also upgrading accessibility and onboard information.

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Alstom said the agreement follows two previous orders for Iarnród Éireann’s 90000 Class trains. Taken together, the three purchases lift Ireland’s overall investment in new electric and battery-electric-powered trains to approximately €670 million. The first order covers 95 new DART carriages, expected to enter service mainly on the busy Dublin–Drogheda line from the first half of 2027. A second order of 90 DART carriages is due to enter service from 2028 and 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.

Framework agreement and battery-electric plans

All three orders sit within a framework agreement that provides for up to 750 electric and battery-electric carriages for Ireland over a ten-year period. Of the 185 carriages included in the first two orders, 155 are planned for battery-electric multiple unit (BEMU) services. Recharging facilities — also being provided by Alstom — are to be available at Drogheda railway station.

The latest order was placed by Iarnród Éireann through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and funded by the Department of Transport, as stated in an Irish Rail announcement. Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien linked the procurement to the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for transport, citing over €10 billion of investment in public transport infrastructure. He also referenced €2 billion allocated to commence construction of MetroLink from the Infrastructure Climate and Nature Fund, over the period 2026 to 2030, and said the rollout would support the delivery of a sustainable and reliable DART service as the network expands under the DART+ Programme.

Demand, capacity targets, and passenger experience

Passenger figures included with the announcement point to heavy demand on existing services. At least 23 million passenger journeys are expected to have been made on current DART services from Greystones to Malahide and Howth in 2025, the highest number ever recorded. Across Dublin’s wider commuter lines — Drogheda, Maynooth and M3 Parkway, Kildare and Wicklow — a further 16 million journeys are forecast, also a record. The full DART+ Programme, spanning new fleet and infrastructure works under DART+ West, South West, Coastal North and Coastal South, is intended to double rail capacity in the Greater Dublin Area.

Mary Considine, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, said the long life of the original DART fleet reflects both the work of colleagues who have maintained it and the durability of electricity-powered trains. She added that the incoming modern fleet is set to improve the customer experience across the expanded DART+ network, including major accessibility benefits. Anne Shaw, Chief Executive of the NTA, said replacing the original DART fleet should improve the efficiency of the service and increase reliability, accessibility and comfort for users.

Alstom said the new X’trapolis trains are designed to raise capacity and improve sustainability, with features including significant accessibility improvements, increased bicycle storage, device charging and enhanced security through CCTV. Context on the DART+ rolling stock based on the X’trapolis platform has also been covered by Railway Supply.

Manufacturing in Poland and X’trapolis train capacity

Production is taking place at Alstom’s Chorzów facility near Katowice in Poland. The fleet will be delivered as five-carriage X’trapolis train sets, equivalent in length to the four-carriage train sets in the current DART fleet, with wide gangways between carriages so passengers can move through the full length of the train. This is intended to create a more open and spacious environment and enhance security. Two five-carriage sets can be coupled into a ten-carriage X’trapolis train — the longest train size operable by the new fleet on current infrastructure — with capacity for at least 1,100 customers.

The X’trapolis trains for DART+ sit within Alstom’s Adessia commuter rail portfolio. The range also includes Adessia Stream B and Steam H trains for non-electrified lines, using battery energy supply and hydrogen power respectively for electrical traction.

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