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MetroLink goes to tender, with work on site from 2027

The Government has moved MetroLink to the detailed tender stage. Enabling works start on site in early 2027, with tunnelling from 2028.

2 min read

O'Connell Street in Dublin, with Luas tracks down the middle, a green Dublin Bus and a yellow bus, and a Luas tram in the distance.
O'Connell Street, where MetroLink will have a station under the Luas. Photo: MOs810, CC BY 4.0, resized and cropped.

Dublin’s MetroLink went to tender this autumn. Here’s where it stands, and what’s still undecided.

MetroLink is a 19 km metro, mostly underground, from Estuary (north of Swords) through Dublin Airport and the city centre to Charlemont, with 16 stations. The National Transport Authority (NTA) puts the end-to-end journey at about 25 minutes, with a train every 3 minutes at peak when it opens, and up to every 90 seconds as demand grows.

MetroLink line map: 16 stations from Estuary to Charlemont: Estuary (Park and Ride), Seatown, Swords Central, Fosterstown, Dublin Airport, Dardistown (future), Northwood, Ballymun, Collins Avenue, Griffith Park, Glasnevin (Irish Rail), Mater, O'Connell Street (Luas Green and Red), Tara Street (DART), St Stephen's Green (Luas Green) and Charlemont (Luas Green). MetroLink line map: 16 stations from Estuary to Charlemont: Estuary (Park and Ride), Seatown, Swords Central, Fosterstown, Dublin Airport, Dardistown (future), Northwood, Ballymun, Collins Avenue, Griffith Park, Glasnevin (Irish Rail), Mater, O'Connell Street (Luas Green and Red), Tara Street (DART), St Stephen's Green (Luas Green) and Charlemont (Luas Green).
MetroLink's 16 stations, and where you can change to Irish Rail, the DART or the Luas.

What’s happened

  • Planning: An Coimisiún Pleanála granted the planning permission, a railway order, in October 2025. It became fully enforceable in January 2026, once a judicial review was withdrawn, and buying the land and property along the route began after that.
  • 16 September 2026: the Government approved moving MetroLink to the detailed tender stage, where, in the NTA’s words, “market bids will be sought and partners selected to build and operate MetroLink”.

What’s being tendered

  • M401 and M402: the tunnels and stations, south and north.
  • M500: “a single Service Delivery Partner for the construction and operation of MetroLink systems”.
  • Smaller tenders now: site clearance, moving utilities and archaeology go out from late 2026 into 2027.

Cost: the business case puts it at €14.44 to €17.49 billion, with a central estimate of €15.75 billion (including contingency and inflation, excluding VAT). A firm price is expected in the second half of 2027, once the bids have been weighed, and then it goes back to the Government for a final decision.

When

When What’s due
Late 2026 into 2027 Tenders for enabling works, with contracts awarded in 2027
Early 2027 Significant enabling works start on site
From Q1 2027 Main construction and systems tenders issue
Second half of 2027 Firm cost, then a final Government decision
2028 Tunnelling and station construction begin
Opening No date given yet

Going to tender is a big step, but as Construction Business put it, it “is not the same as awarding the main construction contracts or opening the railway to passengers”. The prices and the construction timetable are still to be settled.

You can see the planned line and its 16 stations in MyTrain now: switch to myFutureRoutes at the top of the app.

Sources: NTA, Government approves MetroLink to proceed to detailed tender stage (16 September 2026); Construction Business, MetroLink moves to detailed tendering (16 October 2026); MetroLink news (TII).

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