Iarnród Éireann's plan to introduce battery and electric-operated trains for the greater Dublin region in place of its current diesel train stock is edging a step closer.
In total, Iarnród Éireann has ordered 37 new trains for the greater Dublin area, which will serve its DART+ expansion on lines to Maynooth, Drogheda and Hazelhatch over the next few years.The trains at the production depot in Katowice are powered by lithium batteries which travel up to 80km before needing to be recharged.
"We’re nearly at four years in the design process from the start of the concept and the beginning of the tender," said Mr Smyth. The lengthy process of Dublin’s long-awaited metro service offers a reminder that delivery timescales for public transport projects can get bogged down. So far, the Department of Transport has not set a date for the widescale electrification of all train lines in the country, though it is working on an all-island strategic plan to electrify much of the network.