Dublin’s long-planned MetroLink project has reached a key milestone, with two international consortiums formally preparing bids to build the multibillion-euro rail line. The news follows An Coimisiún Pleanála’s approval of the scheme earlier this year.
A transformative project
MetroLink will create a 19-kilometre mostly underground rail line linking Swords to Charlemont, with 16 stops including Dublin Airport, Ballymun, Glasnevin, Phibsborough and central Dublin. Trains will be driverless, offering rapid and reliable journeys:
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Swords to city centre in ~25 minutes
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Airport to city centre in ~20 minutes
The project is expected to cost over €10 billion, making it the largest transport investment in the history of the State.
Timeline and next steps
Construction is forecast to take eight years, but several hurdles remain:
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The project still requires final Cabinet approval.
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Possible legal challenges to the planning decision could delay the schedule.
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A new statutory delivery agency will be established to oversee the build, with greater flexibility in hiring to attract the necessary expertise.
Before work begins, the State will invite indicative tenders from bidders and prepare a final business case for Government review.
Cost risks and contingencies
Earlier estimates put the cost between €7.16 billion and €12.25 billion, with a midpoint of €9.5 billion. However, planners have also acknowledged the potential for overruns, with a worst-case figure of €23 billion to cover “unknown unknowns” such as geological surprises, legal disputes, or regulatory changes.
A project decades in the making
Plans for a Dublin metro stretch back to the early 2000s, when the scheme was first proposed as Metro North. After several revisions, delays, and political debates, the project is now closer than ever to becoming reality.
If delivered, MetroLink will mark a once-in-a-generation transformation of Dublin’s public transport network, reshaping how the capital moves for decades to come.
Source: The Irish Times, “Two consortiums will bid to build long-awaited MetroLink” (October 2, 2025)