Irish Government clears MetroLink for detailed tender stage

The Irish Government has given the go-ahead for Dublin’s €15.75bn MetroLink project to move into detailed tendering, clearing the way for bids for the major tunnelling and civil works packages. Cabinet approval announced on 16 September allows Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to progress procurement and select contractors to build and operate the 18.8km metro between Swords and Charlemont. Significant enabling works are expected to start on site from early 2027, ahead of the main tunnelling and underground station construction programme. The main civil engineering works are being procured through two major design-and-build packages, M401 and M402, for which TII began the prequalification process in February. The southern M401 package, running from Charlemont to Northwood, includes the principal city-centre bored tunnels together with tunnel portals, evacuation/intervention and ventilation shafts and ten underground station structures, some extending to around 35m below ground. The northern M402 package covers Northwood to Estuary and includes the bored tunnel beneath Dublin Airport, associated portals and shafts, as well as surface, retained-cut and cut-and-cover sections north of the airport. Under the Railway Order scheme, MetroLink includes approximately 9.4km of bored tunnel between Charlemont and Northwood and a further 2.3km bored section beneath Dublin Airport. The remainder of the alignment includes surface, retained-cut and cut-and-cover construction. TII’s procurement strategy allows contractors to seek prequalification for either or both M401 and M402, although a bidder can ultimately be awarded only one of the two packages. Three applicants are expected to be shortlisted for each contract, subject to sufficient qualifying bids. The M401 tender is scheduled to be launched first, followed by M402 several months later. A separate M500 design, build, finance, operate and maintain contract covers rolling stock, signalling, trackwork, power and communications, tunnel and station ventilation, station fit-out, the depot and operation and maintenance of the completed system. Procurement of each of the M400 packages and M500 contract is expected to take between 18 and 24 months. The Government decision follows a joint Department of Transport and National Transport Authority review of MetroLink’s Detailed Business Case. The latest estimated project cost, including contingency and inflation but excluding VAT, is €14.44bn–€17.49bn, with a central estimate of €15.75bn. Final cost ranges will become clearer following receipt of market bids. Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien described the approval as an important step forward for the project. MetroLink will provide 16 stations and a mostly underground automated railway connecting Swords, Dublin Airport and the city centre with Charlemont. Trains are planned to operate every three minutes at peak periods on opening, with capacity for up to 20,000 passengers/hour/direction. In addition to the main works procurement, TII is progressing a programme of enabling and advance works intended to clear utilities, archaeology, heritage constraints and existing structures ahead of the tunnelling and station contracts. The M120 heavy civils enabling framework includes construction of the Dublin Airport station box and tunnel portals. The Government said enabling works will begin from early next year, followed by heavy tunnelling and station construction. Comments: