Stadler has secured a £548m/€698m contract to build eight new FLIRT Intercity trains for Ireland’s railway company, Iarnród Éireann (IÉ), and Translink NI Railways (NIR) to operate services between Dublin and Belfast.

The contract includes 15 years of maintenance, with the trains scheduled to enter service from 2030@Introduction of the new trains will allow operation of an extra service in each direction daily, reducing the journey time between Dublin and Belfast to under two hours.

With a seating capacity of 407, the trains are completely barrier-free with step-free access at all exterior passenger doors, reserved seats for people with reduced mobility, and wheelchair-accessible toilets. On-board features include spacious seating areas, Wi-Fi, and improved catering.

The trains will be tri-mode and can operate on diesel, electric, and battery power. Northern Ireland lines are non-electrified, and in the Belfast area, the trains will operate from battery power until the diesel engine takes over to the city of Drogheda in the Republic of Ireland. From there into Dublin, the trains are electrically powered from overhead lines, with the changeover between the different drive types being completely seamless and unnoticeable to passengers.

Funding for the new trains and associated infrastructure is being provided jointly by the Northern Ireland Executive, Department for Infrastructure and the Government of Ireland, Department of Transport, supported with €165m through PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Ralf Warwel, Sales Director United Kingdom and Ireland of Stadler, commented that the new FLIRT trains stand for high levels of comfort and maximum flexibility in cross-border operations, and are perfect for the specific requirements of the Enterprise line.

In the last few months, Stalder has secured orders for FLIRT trains from Arriva Nederland for five four-car trains for service in the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe, and from Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

“Today is about turning long-term ambition into delivery. We would like to thank our funders for this investment, which will transform the Enterprise experience, delivering a modern, high-quality journey that puts accessibility, comfort, and passengers, at the heart of this vital cross-border service. We look forward to working closely with Stadler to deliver this transformative project.”

Chris Conway, Group Chief Executive of Translink

“Iarnród Éireann and Translink are excited to be working with Stadler to be delivering a new chapter for Enterprise. We welcome Stadler Supported by our funders, the new Stadler Enterprise fleet will allow ourselves and Translink to deliver a true flagship service for current and future customers, a seamless cross 2 / 3 border operation delivering the highest standards of customer service, and a new era in accessibility and sustainability for the Dublin / Belfast rail line.”

Mary Considine, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann