In-depth: Alstom signs €95 million contracts with Iarnród Éireann to retrofit ETCS Level 1 onboard equipment on up to 176 vehicles

Alstom has signed contracts worth approximately €95 million with Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) to fit European Train Control System (ETCS) onboard equipment across Ireland’s existing national rail fleet.

The agreements cover the design, manufacture, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of ETCS Level 1 onboard equipment for up to 176 vehicles. They were signed in Dublin on 13 October by Andrew DeLeone, Europe Region President at Alstom, and Mary Considine, Chief Executive Officer at Iarnród Éireann.

Fleet retrofit central to Ireland’s Train Protection System programme

The award takes Ireland’s ETCS programme from a single certified train and an initial section of trackside equipment towards deployment across the wider fleet. The work forms a key element of the country’s Train Protection System (TPS) National Rollout Programme, under which ETCS will progressively be introduced as Ireland’s principal signalling technology.

ETCS is a train control standard based on in-cab equipment that can supervise train movements, including stopping the train.

“The contract with Alstom to retrofit our existing train fleet with a Class A European Train Control System – ETCS – Level 1 onboard solution is a major milestone in our Train Protection System Programme,” said Considine. She added that it was “a programme of work which will further strengthen safety on Ireland’s railways”.

“These contracts mark an important milestone in Ireland’s railway modernisation journey and reinforce Alstom’s long-term commitment to the Irish rail sector,” said DeLeone.

The contract with Alstom to retrofit our existing train fleet with a Class A European Train Control System – ETCS – Level 1 onboard solution is a major milestone in our Train Protection System Programme.”

Head of Series vehicles to precede fleet-wide fitment

The contracts cover up to seven fleet types: the 22000 Class InterCity Railcar (ICR), 29000 Class, DART 8500 Class, 2800 Class, 2600 Class and 201 Class, together with the Mark 4 Driving Van Trailer (DVT). They also include an option covering the 071 Class locomotives.

For each fleet type, Alstom will first develop a prototype ‘Head of Series’ vehicle. This allows the installation to be proven on one vehicle ahead of fleet-wide deployment, system integration, testing, safety assurance and the vehicle authorisation activities required before equipped trains can enter passenger service.

Because maintenance is included in the scope, Alstom’s role will extend beyond installation to supporting the equipment once it is in service. The onboard installation programme will be delivered from dedicated facilities in Dublin, supported by Alstom’s wider ETCS expertise.

DeLeone said the programme would also expand Alstom’s presence in the country: “As we continue to invest in Ireland, the programme will help grow our local footprint, creating highly skilled jobs, developing future talent and expanding opportunities for graduates and apprentices.”

Phased migration from ATP and CAWS to ETCS

Responding to questions from Global Railway Review, Irish Rail said its existing train protection systems include Automatic Train Protection (ATP) and the Continuous Automatic Warning System (CAWS).

ATP is deployed on approximately 5% of the network (99 track-km) and is confined to the DART electric multiple units (EMUs), which operate on the electrified route in the Dublin region between Greystones and Howth/Malahide. A further 42% of the network (approximately 900 track-km) is equipped with CAWS, which provides drivers with an in-cab indication of signal aspects. All Irish Rail trains other than the EMUs are equipped to work with CAWS.

Both ATP and CAWS are classified as Class B systems in EU interoperability terms, which distinguishes them from the Class A ETCS solution specified under the new contracts.

Irish Rail said the onboard and trackside migration plan has been phased “to maximise the earliest possible safety benefit on the single line unfitted parts of the network first”. The fleet types that operate over those single-line routes will also be the first to receive onboard equipment.

Fitment will begin with the 22000 Class ICR fleet, followed shortly after by the DART EMUs. The 29000 Class, locomotives, Mark 4 fleet and regional diesel multiple units (DMUs) will then follow in sequence.

The DART EMUs operate only on the section between Greystones and Howth/Malahide, which is already fitted with ETCS trackside equipment. As a result, their ATP will be removed and replaced with ETCS as part of the programme. All other fleets will retain CAWS alongside ETCS, which Irish Rail said “will ensure there is no restriction on those fleet types during the migration phase”.

“Once the complete network is fitted with ETCS, consideration will be given to the ATP and CAWS decommissioning,” Irish Rail added.

Building on earlier ETCS deployment in Ireland

The retrofit contracts follow Alstom’s previous ETCS work in Ireland. This included certification of ETCS Level 1 on vehicle No. 22001, the Head of Series for the 22000 Class fleet, and the delivery of approximately 120 kilometres of ETCS trackside infrastructure between Dundalk and Greystones.

According to Alstom, those projects established the foundations of Ireland’s ETCS programme and enabled early testing of the country’s next-generation DART+ fleet, which the company is currently manufacturing.

“Building on our successful delivery of Ireland’s first ETCS-equipped train and the initial ETCS trackside deployment, we are proud to continue working alongside Iarnród Éireann to deliver a safer, more reliable and more sustainable railway for passengers across the country,” DeLeone said.

The new contracts cover the existing fleet only. Alstom’s 90000 Class and 80000 Class X’trapolis DART+ trains are being delivered with the same ETCS technology integrated as standard under separate rolling stock contracts. Irish Rail confirmed the new fleet will commence operation in 2027 on the ETCS-fitted part of the network, with the 90000 Class set to replace the current DART 8100 Class fleet.

Trackside contract targeted for mid-2027

With the onboard retrofit now contracted, attention turns to the trackside element of the national rollout. Considine said Iarnród Éireann is “continuing to progress the tender process for the TPS Trackside National Rollout, with contract award targeted for mid-2027.”

Together, the onboard and trackside workstreams will move ETCS towards becoming the principal signalling technology on Ireland’s network. Onboard fitment will begin on the ICR fleet, and both the DART+ introduction and the trackside contract award are planned for 2027. The programme is now moving from initial deployment towards a network-wide rollout.