Tender Issued For DART Charging Infrastructure In Wicklow Station

Rail traffic will be transformed with far greater connectivity between Dublin city centre and Wicklow town

Iarnród Éireann has today issued tender documents to appoint a Design & Build Contractor for charging infrastructure that will bring DART services to Wicklow town.

The successful contractor will design and build the charging system for the new Battery Electric DART+ fleet at Wicklow Station — a key step in the Wicklow Rail Capacity Enhancement Project.

The project, funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority, is set to transform rail connectivity between Dublin city centre and Wicklow town, delivering:

• One DART service per hour, in each direction, between Dublin and Wicklow

• New, accessible DART carriages serving Wicklow town

• Battery-operated DARTs, increasing both service frequency and capacity

How the battery charging will work

The new Battery Electric Multiple Units (BEMUs) will draw power from the existing overhead line as far as Greystones.

From there, the pantograph will be lowered and the trains will run on battery power for the final stretch into Wicklow, where they'll charge fully ahead of the return trip to Dublin.

The move follows on from similar charging infrastructure already built at Drogheda Station on the Northern Line, which is currently being tested with the new fleet ahead of the first DART+ services entering operation from 2027.

What's involved in the Wicklow works

The Design & Build contract for Wicklow Station will cover:

• A new substation to provide fast-charging capacity

• Overhead charging equipment on platforms 1 and 2 at Wicklow Station

• Supporting systems and engineering works

Timeline

Subject to planning permission and funding approval, construction is expected to get under way in 2027, with battery-electric DART services to Wicklow targeted to begin running from 2029.