AN ADDITIONAL 100 NEW carriages have been ordered for the DART rail service, which will entirely replace the original fleet which has been in operation since the service first opened 1984.

The Department of Transport said this was the third order of DART carriages in recent years, which brings to 285 the number of new carriages ordered, made up of 57 five-carriage trains.

The first order of 95 carriages are due to enter service on the line from Dublin to Drogheda, from the first half of 2027. The second order of carriages will come into use in 2028, the department said.

The order has been placed with global manufacturer Alstom by Iarnród Éireann,  through the National Transport Authority (NTA). 

In a statement, the department said it brings to about €670 million the total investment in new electric-powered trains. The latest order will replace carriages in Greystones to Malahide/Howth.

The investment is in order to increase capacity for the Greater Dublin Area rail network as part of the DART+ Programme, in response to record passenger demand.

“These new trains will increase the capacity and sustainability of rail services, and offer benefits to passengers including significant accessibility improvements; increased bicycle storage; device charging; and enhanced security through CCTV. This will help to transform public transport in the years ahead,” the department said.

According to the Department of Transport, at least 23 million passenger journeys will have been made on existing DART services from Greystones to Malahide/Howth in 2025, the highest number ever seen.