Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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82. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the contract for the new Enterprise fleet of trains will be awarded; when they are expected to be delivered; and when they are expected to be in service. [16185/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the cross-border Enterprise rail service between Dublin and Belfast is jointly operated by Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) and Translink Northern Ireland Railways. The existing Enterprise rail fleet will come to the end of its standard design life in 2027. The Enterprise Fleet Replacement Programme consists of the procurement and introduction of a new fleet and associated works.

The preliminary business case for the project secured Government consent at Approval Gate 1 of the Infrastructure Guidelines in March 2024. Ministerial approval was granted concurrent to this at Approval Gate 2 allowing the project to proceed to the procurement phase.

IÉ and Translink have successfully applied for funding of €165m for the project under the PEACEPLUS cross-border EU programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, a North South Implementation Body established under the Good Friday Agreement. The balance of funding for the project will be provided jointly through the Department of Transport and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland on a 50:50 basis.

The procurement process for this project is now well advanced, and Iarnród Éireann and Translink are developing the final business case. The contract for the manufacturing of the new Enterprise fleet is expected to be awarded this year, subject to final funding approval from the Northern Ireland Executive and from the Government of Ireland at Approval Gate 3 of the Infrastructure Guidelines.

The first of the new trains are expected to be delivered by 2029. They will need to undergo testing to ensure they meet the required safety and operational standards before they can be used by passengers. The new Enterprise fleet is expected to start to enter service in 2029.