This European capital will soon have a completely driverless metro system

An efficient and easy-to-navigate transport system can transform a good city into a great one – and in what is an incredibly exciting development for visitors and locals, Dublin’s long-planned automated metro system is a step closer to creation. 

According to the Railway Gazette, Transport Infrastructure Ireland has launched the procurement process, meaning companies are now able to bid for the single largest contract within Dublin’s massive, €9.5 billion MetroLink project.

This portion has an estimated value of €7.3 billion, and covers a broad range of infrastructural and operational tasks – so much so, in fact, that it’s called the M500 Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain (DBFOM) contract. 

More specifically, the consortium selected as the winners of the contract will be responsible for the design, supply and maintenance of the trains and signalling systems. 

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It’ll also take on the line-wide trackwork, the overhead power systems, communications infrastructure and mechanical and electrical work like ventilation in the tunnels and what New Civil Engineer describes as ‘people movement systems’ (or escalators). Then there’s the station fit-outs across all 16 locations, as well as ‘urban realm enhancements’. Talk about a long to-do list, right?

The company selected to undertake DBFOM will not only be employed for the seven years of construction, but also the first 25 years of operation. More major engineering tasks, like the tunnelling itself, are excluded. 

It’s a big old project, isn’t it? Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said the launch of the procurement process is ‘a clear signal of our ambition to deliver world-class, sustainable transport infrastructure. 

What is Dublin’s MetroLink?

MetroLink is a long-planned automated metro system for the city of Dublin. Eventually, it will comprise an 18.8km high-capacity, high-frequency railway, with 16 different stations between Swords (in north Dublin) to Charlemont (in the south). 

Clearly, exciting times are ahead for the Irish capital, and while it’ll take at least seven years for the trains to launch, don’t let that stop you from paying Dublin a visit. 

🌃 Here is Time Out’s roundup of the best things to do and the best places to stay in Dublin. 

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