Tender issued for works to bring DART services to Wicklow by 2029
Image credit: Matt Walsh
Plans to extend DART services to Wicklow Town have taken another significant step forward, with Iarnród Éireann issuing tender documents for the design and construction of new battery-train charging infrastructure at Wicklow Station.
The project will allow new battery-electric DART trains to operate between Dublin and Wicklow, extending DART services south of the existing electrified network at Greystones.
Subject to planning and funding approvals, construction of the new infrastructure is expected to begin in 2027, with battery-electric DART services to Wicklow due to start operating from 2029.
How the Wicklow DART service will work
Rather than extending continuous overhead electrification from Greystones to Wicklow, the planned service will use new battery-electric multiple units, known as BEMUs.
The trains will draw power from the existing overhead electrical system between Dublin and Greystones. After leaving Greystones, the train's pantograph — the equipment connecting it to the overhead wires — will be lowered and the train will continue to Wicklow using battery power.
On arrival at Wicklow Station, the batteries will be recharged before the train makes its return journey towards Dublin.
A similar charging system has already been developed at Drogheda Station on the Northern Line, where the infrastructure is currently being tested alongside the new DART+ fleet. The first of the new trains are expected to enter passenger service from 2027.
Hourly DART services planned for Wicklow
One of the biggest changes for passengers will be the frequency of the proposed service.
Iarnród Éireann says the Wicklow Rail Capacity Enhancement Project will provide one DART service per hour in each direction between Dublin and Wicklow, along with new accessible carriages and increased capacity.
This would represent a major improvement on current service levels. Wicklow is currently served by around six trains in each direction per day, with services largely clustered around peak periods. Iarnród Éireann's own assessment has noted that the existing timetable provides a basic peak-hour service but offers relatively few opportunities to travel during off-peak periods.
New charging equipment at Wicklow Station
The newly issued Design and Build tender covers the infrastructure needed to operate and recharge the battery-electric trains.
The work will include the installation of a new substation to provide fast charging, overhead charging equipment on platforms 1 and 2 at Wicklow Station, and associated systems and engineering works.
The charging infrastructure forms part of the wider Wicklow Rail Capacity Enhancement Project, which is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority and is intended to improve rail connectivity between Dublin City Centre and Wicklow Town.
The current procurement notice for the Wicklow Station battery charging project gives the contract an estimated value of €20 million excluding VAT.
The procurement documents also confirm that the preferred operating model for the project is one train per hour in each direction between Dublin and Wicklow.
Why battery trains are being used
Battery-electric trains allow DART services to operate beyond sections of railway equipped with overhead electrical wires.
In Wicklow's case, the trains will operate conventionally under the existing overhead wires as far as Greystones before switching to their onboard batteries for the remainder of the journey.
This means DART services can be extended from Greystones to Wicklow without continuous overhead electrification having to be installed along that section of the railway.
Battery operation is also being used for the extension of DART services north towards Drogheda, where the necessary charging infrastructure has already been installed.
Part of a major expansion of the DART fleet
The Wicklow plans come as Iarnród Éireann prepares to introduce a substantially expanded fleet of new DART trains.
A total of 285 new DART carriages have now been ordered from Alstom across three orders, representing 57 five-carriage trains.
The first order comprises 95 carriages, including 13 five-carriage battery-electric trains, and is expected to begin entering passenger service mainly on the Dublin-Drogheda route from the first half of 2027. A further 90 carriages are due to enter service from 2028, while another 100 conventional electric carriages are due from the beginning of 2029.
The new trains will also offer significant improvements in accessibility and passenger facilities. Two five-carriage sets can be coupled to form a ten-carriage train with capacity for at least 1,100 passengers.
For passengers in Wicklow, however, the key target is 2029.
If the necessary planning and funding approvals are secured and construction proceeds as expected, Wicklow Town is set to gain an hourly battery-electric DART connection with Dublin from that year.