Ireland’s first metro project moves a step closer

An illustration of the Swords station, part of the proposed Dublin MetroLink. Image: TII

A team led by Turner & Townsend and including WSP, O’Connor Sutton Cronin, Mace and PwC will be responsible for the design, procurement and construction phases of MetroLink, which is reportedly valued at around €9.5 billion. Turner & Townsend has been advising TII on financial aspects of the initiative for the past five years.

The project includes the construction of 18.8km of track and 16 stations, stretching from Swords in the north of the city to Charlemont in the south.

With the potential to carry up to 50 million passengers annually, the network will also connect existing air, rail and Bus services across the Greater Dublin Area.

TII said the initiative aligns with Ireland’s ambitions for a low-emissions transport infrastructure. The construction of the metro is also expected to create up to 8,000 jobs.

‘Great step forward’

Gary Easton, Turner & Townsend’s Europe infrastructure lead, said, “The appointment of this team is a great step forward in delivering this essential infrastructure program for the city and its people.”

Aidan Foley, MetroLink project director at TII, said, “We believe the terms of engagement through the NEC4 professional services contract represents a real opportunity to work collaboratively and productively towards achieving our shared project goals.”

When the Irish government gave the MetroLink project the green light in July 2022, the country’s Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan, said it was a “once-in-a-generation project that is going to massively transform the public transport system in our capital city,” said Minister Ryan.

He added that MetroLink would provide over a billion carbon-neutral, fully electrified passenger trips by 2050.