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ALSTOM News
First train from Alstom’s new X’trapolis fleet for Dublin unveiled
Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) has unveiled the first five-carriage Alstom-built X’trapolis train for Ireland’s new DART+ fleet at Inchicore Works in Dublin.
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The train is the first of 185 carriages already on order from Alstom, and entering service from 2026 onwards. The trains were purchased in two orders as part of a framework agreement which provides for up to 750 electric and battery-electric carriages over a ten-year period.
The fleet orders, funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) under Project Ireland 2040, are part of the wider DART+ Programme. This involves a series of infrastructure projects which, together with train orders from Alstom, will double the capacity and treble the electrification of the Greater Dublin Area’s rail network. The first trains will operate on the Drogheda to Dublin Commuter route, with recharging facilities – also being provided by Alstom – at Drogheda railway station.
The arrival of the new fleet, manufactured at Alstom’s Chorzów facility near Katowice in Poland, marks a significant milestone in Irish Rail’s journey to become the backbone of the sustainable transport network in Ireland.
Largest order in Irish history
The carriages are the first part of the largest and most sustainable public transport fleet order in Irish history and, once operational, will further improve network accessibility and customer experience by offering:
- Independent access with low-floor height doorway being equipped with an automatic retractable step, offering the potential for unassisted level access from suitable platforms, aligned with platform enhancements.
- Wide gangways between carriages creating an open and spacious environment.
- Improved facilities for wheelchair users, families and cyclists, with dedicated wheelchair and family spaces.
- Transformed customer information systems on-board including large, high-resolution onboard displays with real-time updates, door illumination and additional features designed for the needs of sensory impaired customers including inductive hearing loops.
- An advanced on-board CCTV system with cameras throughout every carriage, to enhance safety and security for customers and employees.
As the first train in a brand new fleet on the Irish Rail network, the carriages will now begin a rigorous regulatory approval, and testing and commissioning process, at Inchicore Works and on the Greater Dublin Area rail network, before entering service in 2026.
Each ten-carriage train, made up of two of these five car train sets joined, will be the longest train size operable by the new fleet on current infrastructure, and will have capacity for at least 1,100 customers.
More carriages will arrive steadily over the coming months, with each set undergoing the testing and commissioning process.
The DART+ fleet
The new DART+ fleet will be able to deliver off-wire operation through the incorporation of battery-electric technology, enabling new services and new capacity to be provided in the Greater Dublin Area in advance of electrification. Energy stored in the battery system will be replenished via fast charging stations at chosen terminus locations and by recovering braking energy while the new battery-electric trainsets are on the move. This will enable, for example, the new battery-electric fleet to deliver Dublin to Drogheda return services, made possible by Alstom’s fast charging infrastructure at Drogheda railway station.
“The DART+ Programme represents a transformative investment in the Greater Dublin Area’s rail network. With the unveiling of the first five-carriage train in the new DART+ fleet today, we are taking a significant step towards a more sustainable, accessible and comfortable public transport for our passengers. I look forward to seeing the fleet rolled out across the network, further transforming public transport services for communities in the region,” said Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority.
The initial 185-carriage orders will benefit a number of routes:
Each ten-carriage train, made up of two of these five car train sets joined, will be the longest train size operable by the new fleet on current infrastructure, and will have capacity for at least 1,100 customers.
More carriages will arrive steadily over the coming months, with each set undergoing the testing and commissioning process.
The DART+ fleet
The new DART+ fleet will be able to deliver off-wire operation through the incorporation of battery-electric technology, enabling new services and new capacity to be provided in the Greater Dublin Area in advance of electrification. Energy stored in the battery system will be replenished via fast charging stations at chosen terminus locations and by recovering braking energy while the new battery-electric trainsets are on the move. This will enable, for example, the new battery-electric fleet to deliver Dublin to Drogheda return services, made possible by Alstom’s fast charging infrastructure at Drogheda railway station.
“The DART+ Programme represents a transformative investment in the Greater Dublin Area’s rail network. With the unveiling of the first five-carriage train in the new DART+ fleet today, we are taking a significant step towards a more sustainable, accessible and comfortable public transport for our passengers. I look forward to seeing the fleet rolled out across the network, further transforming public transport services for communities in the region,” said Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority.
The initial 185-carriage orders will benefit a number of routes:
- Sixty-five new battery-electric carriages will be deployed first on Drogheda to Dublin Northern Commuter services.
- New electric carriages will be deployed on existing Malahide/Howth to Bray/Greystones DART services, allowing all services to be operated at maximum length.
- The further 90 battery-electric carriages ordered in December 2022 will facilitate the overall DART+ network, with potential to use them on other parts of the rail network in advance of wider electrification, subject to available funding for necessary infrastructure.
- Introduction of the new fleet will also free up existing carriages to increase capacity on other Commuter and Intercity services.
In addition to the fleet, Alstom will provide a technical support and spares supply agreement (TSSSA) for the first 15 years of the fleet’s operation, and supply three train simulators to aid driver training.
