IRELAND’s National Transport Authority (NTA) has published a contract notice seeking 60-80 second-hand DMUs for operation on the Irish Rail (IE) network. The transaction would take the form of either a lease with a minimum term of seven years or an outright purchase by the NTA, which is the Contracting Authority, or by IE. The trains will operate in three or four-car formations and must be available for delivery by February 28 2020.
The trains would need to be regauged to operate on Ireland’s 1600mm-gauge network before delivery. The restrictive Irish loading gauge means the trains are likely to come from Britain, where the procurement of new fleets is releasing relatively modern rolling stock.