French company
Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has announced that it has been awarded a contract to provide a charging facility for Irish Rail’s new Battery Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) trains that will operate between Drogheda, Dublin City Centre and beyond.
The fast-charging infrastructure on two platforms and one siding at Drogheda will be installed by the end of 2024 to enable new battery-electric DART+ trains that will enter service in 2025, to operate to and from Drogheda in advance of planned electrification of the line, and to be recharged during service turnaround at Drogheda.
Piers Wood, managing director of Alstom in Ireland, said: “Alstom is pleased to partner with Irish Rail in delivering the new ‘state of the art’ BEMU’s charging facility. Projects such as this will deliver social and economic benefits to Irish Rail passengers and Alstom is proud to be playing a part in the first project of its kind in Ireland and the UK.”
Jim Made, CEO of Irish Rail (IE), said: “This investment will allow us to accelerate the benefits of DART+ to customers on the Drogheda commuter route, with a brand-new fleet and extra capacity to be provided in just two years’ time.”
The infrastructure will include a medium voltage connection to ESB (the electricity network operator) and a traction substation converting electricity to the voltage suitable for charging the trains. It will be equipped with an energy storage element which enables integration with the ESB network and enhances availability of the charging system. The substation will provide a controlled current to trains stabled on the platforms in Drogheda Station, for re-charging their on-board batteries through an overhead rigid catenary system and the pantographs.
Alstom has won a 10-year framework agreement with Irish Rail for up to 750 new X’trapolis commuter rail cars for Ireland’s DART network, with firm orders for 37 five-car X’trapolis trains including a 15-year support services contract — 31 of the trains ordered are battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs), while six are electric multiple units. The new trains will deliver more capacity and decarbonisation benefits to the local community of Greater Dublin.
DART+ is the transformative programme that will ensure train travel is at the heart of Ireland’s sustainable transport network. Funded under the National Development Plan by the National Transport Authority, DART+ is an investment that will double the capacity, and Alstom treble the electrification of the Greater Dublin Area network, facilitating sustainable mobility and development to enhance quality of life in the capital and its surrounding counties.