Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority have announced that they are looking to bring in 600 electric and battery-electric powered carriages over the next 10 years.
Plans for the DART Expansion investment included ordering the 'largest and greenest fleet in Irish public transport history' and expressions of interest from global train manufacturers' are being sought.
The current DART fleet will be nearly 45 years old at the end of the current National Development Plan in 2027 and the statement adds that 'while electricity-powered trains are expected to make up the overwhelming majority of train orders, the tender process is also providing for a possible first tranche of battery-electric hybrid trains.'
The plans also include the electrification of lines to Maynooth, M3 Parkway, Hazelhatch and Drogheda, and key infrastructure works to allow more trains to operate in the Greater Dublin Area.
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