Government approves Dublin MetroLink business plan to enter tender stage

The government has approved the Dublin MetroLink business plan, allowing the project to proceed to the detailed tender stage.

The decision enables Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to begin procuring specialised services for tunnelling, station development, and system operations. TII Chief Executive Officer Lorcan O’Connor stated that the approval of the updated business case allows the agency to seek the necessary experts to deliver the line, which is designed to connect Dublin Airport to Tara Street in under 20 minutes.

The project's estimated cost now ranges from €14.44 billion to €17.49 billion, with a central estimate of €15.75 billion. This represents an increase from 2022, when the estimated cost was approximately €9.5 billion. While there is no specific figure for how much the cost increases for each year of delay, Mr O'Connor emphasised the long-term investment yield, noting that the business case projects a benefit return of between €1.10 and €1.80 for every euro spent.

The MetroLink infrastructure project is expected to be completed between 2036 and 2038.