MetroLink to go to tender in major milestone for Ballymun and Glasnevin

I welcome Cabinet approval for MetroLink to move to the detailed tender stage, a significant milestone for communities across north Dublin, announced today.

The decision means market bids will now be sought for the construction and operation of MetroLink, with enabling works expected to begin from early next year.

MetroLink will comprise 19 kilometres of new railway, mostly underground, running from Estuary in Swords to Charlemont and serving areas including Ballymun and Glasnevin, as well as Dublin City University, Dublin Airport and Dublin city centre. It is designed to carry up to 20,000 passengers per direction per hour, with trains operating every three minutes at peak times when the system opens.

Ballymun and Glasnevin will be directly served by MetroLink, giving people a fast and reliable connection into the city centre, Dublin Airport and the wider public transport network. For people in Ballymun in particular, this is the kind of major public transport investment that we have needed for a long time. It will make a real difference to how people get to work, college, appointments and other parts of Dublin.

MetroLink will also connect with heavy rail, DART, Luas and bus services, meaning the benefits will extend well beyond the immediate route. This decision moves the project into the detailed tender stage, with enabling works due to begin from early next year. People have heard about MetroLink for many years, so the priority now has to be maintaining that momentum and getting work underway on the ground.

There is also a significant housing element to this project. It is estimated that MetroLink will support approximately 77,000 new homes along its route and, through its links with the wider transport network, up to 200,000 homes across the Greater Dublin Area. MetroLink has the potential to transform public transport across north Dublin and today’s approval brings that a significant step closer.