Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan unveiled a life-size prototype of the new DART+ fleet of carriages at Inchicore Railway Works on Wednesday morning.
Developed by manufacturer Alstom, the brand-new carriages are currently in the final stages of the design process. Delivery is expected to commence in 2024 and then the carriages will enter service starting in 2025.
The new carriages were designed with the assistance of customers who would actively use them.
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They have been designed so that they prioritise "independent access" and will be fitted with low-height doorway thresholds equipped with an automatic retractable step on all carriages.
Furthermore, this feature will offer "the potential for unassisted level access from suitable platforms, aligned with platform enhancements."
The brand-new carriages will also provide improved dedicated wheelchair spaces and improved facilities for families and for cyclists.
Charging facilities will feature throughout the new fleet as well as an advanced CCTV system with cameras throughout every carriage.
Irish Rail explained that new DART+ trains will also have enhanced customer information such as large, high-resolution onboard displays that have the ability to provide real-time updates - such as information from other public transport systems in the Transport for Ireland network, and other features designed for the needs of sensory impaired customers
The displays include features such as indicators for customers on busier areas of the train and advance notice of which side to exit the train.
Some more features include "comfortable individual seating, reflecting longer distances over which the DART+ fleet will operate" and "an ergonomic design for drivers, with driver focus groups also being a key part of the design process."
Throughout the next decade, up to 750 carriages will be ordered and will be built at Alstom's factory near Katowice in Poland.
Minister Eamon Ryan added that the new fleet will facilitate DART trips to and from Drogheda from 2025 and then beyond to the rest of the planned network.
"It is great to see this preview of the new DART+ carriages today, which customers have helped design and which will be available in the coming years," he said.
"The DART+ Programme will transform our commuter system, vastly increasing the number of passengers who will have access to a quality and reliable rail network.
"This new fleet will facilitate DART trips to and from Drogheda from 2025 and then beyond that to the West and South West. With dedicated wheelchair, family and bicycle areas, the new fleet will ensure accessibility to a wide variety of passengers at different times of the day and week, providing comfort and independence for all users."
The new carriages were described as "transformative" by Chief Executive of the NTA, Anne Graham, who said: "The framework for up to 750 electric/battery electric carriages, including 185 electric/battery electric carriages for DART, is a key part of the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy which we published recently.
"These new carriages will be transformative, offering potential for independent access for all passengers, improved facilities for families and cyclists across the Dublin Metropolitan Area.
"The developments in the DART+ programme will see a significant increase in the number of passengers living close to a DART station giving more people the option to use our expanding sustainable public transport network.
"The use of the fleet prototype to facilitate early engagement on the design and key features of the new trains is welcomed, as it provides opportunities for members of the transport public to provide input into the design process by interacting with the key features of the new fleet."
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