CONSTRUCTION OF THE MetroLink underground rail project in Dublin may begin as late as 2028, the National Transport Authority will tell the Oireachtas committee on transport today.

The government is expected to include the MetroLink in its National Development Plan (NDP), which is being revised at the moment by Minister for Public Expenditure and NDP Delivery Jack Chambers. 

The committee will be told that tendering for the construction work may commence next year, as long as An Bord Pleanála approves the project and there are no delays caused by judicial reviews.

Once the tendering process is complete, construction would commence 18 months later, the NTA will tell the committee. 

The project’s director Sean Sweeney said last week that he expects some public opposition to the route and the disruption that construction will cause to traffic. 

He said that in the age of social media, “two people can run a campaign” against something. 

Sweeney also noted that there were riots in the streets of Amsterdam before the metro was opened there, only for it to be broadly welcomed within days of coming online. 

Overall though, Sweeney said he has never worked on a project with such potential benefit to the public. 

“The benefits are off the scale in my view,” he said.

As for the cost of the massive infrastructure project, Sweeney said it is being “recalibrated” following delays in the planning process. 

In 2021, the Metrolink was estimated to cost between €7 billion and €12 billion. 

“The number is going to change,” said Sweeney.