Wicklow Town could be connected to the DART network by 2029, under plans to introduce hourly battery-electric DART services between Dublin and Wicklow.
The project has taken another step forward, with Iarnród Éireann issuing tender documents for the design and construction of new battery-train charging infrastructure at Wicklow Station.
Subject to planning and funding approvals, construction of the new infrastructure is expected to begin in 2027, with DART services to Wicklow planned to begin operating from 2029.
The new service would extend DART operations south of the existing electrified network, which currently ends at Greystones.
Rather than installing overhead electrical wires all the way from Greystones to Wicklow, the planned service will use battery-electric multiple units, known as BEMUs.
The trains will run under the existing overhead electrical system between Dublin and Greystones. Once they leave Greystones, the trains will lower their pantographs and switch to battery power for the journey to Wicklow.
When they arrive at Wicklow Station, the batteries will be recharged before the trains begin their return journey towards Dublin.
A similar system has already been developed at Drogheda Station, where charging infrastructure is being tested as part of the expansion of the DART fleet.
The proposed Wicklow service would provide one DART every hour in each direction between Dublin and Wicklow.
That would be a significant increase in the number of regular services available to passengers in Wicklow Town.
At present, Wicklow is served by around six trains in each direction per day, with services largely concentrated around peak travel times.
The Wicklow Rail Capacity Enhancement Project is also expected to provide new accessible carriages and increased capacity for passengers.
The new charging facilities at Wicklow Station will include a substation capable of providing fast charging, along with overhead charging equipment on platforms 1 and 2 and other associated engineering works.
The current procurement notice puts the estimated value of the charging infrastructure contract at €20 million, excluding VAT.
The project is being funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority and is designed to improve rail connectivity between Dublin City Centre and Wicklow Town.
The plans form part of a much wider expansion of the DART network and fleet.
Iarnród Éireann has ordered 285 new DART carriages from Alstom across three orders. The new fleet includes battery-electric trains that will allow services to operate beyond sections of railway equipped with overhead wires.
The first of the new trains are expected to begin entering passenger service from 2027, with further carriages arriving during 2028 and 2029.
For people living in Wicklow Town, however, the key date is 2029.
