Much of the 18.8km route of the driverless metro system will be underground. The line will connect major transport hubs and key destinations in the Greater Dublin Area and provide a direct rail connection between Dublin city centre and the airport for the first time.
FCC will lead the civil engineering aspects while Alstom will contribute its experience in metro systems and railway technology. RATP Dev will provide operational and maintenance expertise. Meridiam, a developer, investor and asset manager of urban rail projects, will work alongside John Laing on the financial and long-term investment capabilities.
The consortium is now preparing the pre-qualification and bidding phases. The group says its composition ensures a strong combination of metro leadership, technical capability, project management experience, operational excellence and financial strength, essential for delivering a programme of MetroLink’s scale and complexity.
Piers Wood, Alstrom’s Ireland managing director, said the company was proud to partner with the other companies.
“Our consortium represents an ideal mix of technical expertise, operation know-how and financial strength, ensuring a world-class metro system that will benefit the Greater Dublin area for generations to come,” he said.
FCC Concesiones managing director Ramón Gómez FCC was excited about the consortium and participating in “this key infrastructure project” for Ireland.
John Laing CEO Andrew Trustcott described MetroLink as “a nationally significant investment in Ireland’s future”.
“Ensuring this vital project is delivered with long-term value for the public, by partners with proven expertise, is key to our consortium,” he said.
