RC121 NovDec 2025 - Magazine - Page 14
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
DUBLIN, IRELAND
METROLINK
14—RENEW CANADA – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
ENGLAND, U.K.
EAST WEST RAIL
EAST WEST RAIL is a transformative project from Network Rail,
connecting Oxford and Cambridge in the U.K. It will support
economic growth and improve connectivity across central,
southern and western England. As a member of the East
West Rail Alliance, AtkinsRéalis is playing a central role
in its delivery, with 2,000 of its employees involved in the
£1.2+ billion first connection stage.
The project has required extensive infrastructure development: including upgrading existing tracks and building
new stations. AtkinsRéalis’ work included multi-disciplinary
design; developing feasibility studies and business cases;
project management and controls; commercial and risk
management; project delivery leadership; environment and
consenting; and signalling, telecommunications and power
installation. Overall, the project has been completed on time
and under budget.
Digital rehearsals of staging works provided precise planning for railway closures, minimising disruption. A notable
example was the Bletchley flyover reconstruction. Modern
methods of construction helped to save up to £70m by reducing the need to close the railway, and sped up project delivery
by six months.
East West Rail has laid 70-kilometres of new track to date.
It has also achieved an 11 per cent biodiversity net gain—the
highest result for a major U.K. infrastructure project to date.
This was accomplished by embedding ecological considerations from the outset, which resulted in the retention of significant areas of vegetation among other initiatives. The East
West Rail Alliance includes Network Rail, AtkinsRéalis, Laing
O’Rourke and VolkerRail. Connection stages two and three are
in planning.
DUBLIN METROLINK , ATKINSRÉALIS
WITH HOW BUILT UP our major cities already are, it’s hard to imagine that a single project
could still have a transformative impact. However, that is exactly what is happening with
the development of the Metrolink in Dublin, Ireland.
The country’s first-of-its-kind public transportation system is a 19-kilometre, high-frequency and high-capacity, fully-automated metro rail line that bridges the gap between
communities and provides unparalleled access to key resources and attractions. Sixteen
new stations will be created, running from Swords north of the city to Charlemont in the
south of the city.
For the first time in Ireland, this system will primarily operate sub-surface, will create
a fully-integrated transit system in the Irish capital. The new line will connect with Dublin
Airport, Irish Rail, DART, Dublin Bus and Luas services, creating a seamless, low emission
network for residents and visitors to have unprecedented access to the city and beyond.
The network will al,so connect with notable municipal landmarks and resources, including
the Mater Hospital, Ballymun, Dublin City University (DCU), the Rotunda Hospital, and Trinity
College Dublin (TCD).
The new system will dramatically increase the overall capacity of Dublin’s transit network. Metrolink will run at a frequency of three minutes in each direction, and will have the
ability to carry up to 20,000 passengers in each direction each hour, 19 hours a day. By
2060, the trip frequency could increase to as little as 90/100 seconds each way.
The stations are being designed as low-rise buildings, blending seamlessly into the
surrounding urban landscape. Where possible, natural light will shine down through the
structures to track level.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland appointed a multidisciplinary client partner team for
Dublin’s MetroLink programme. The partnership is made up of Turner & Townsend, WSP
(supported by O’Connor Sutton Cronin), Mace and PwC. In collaboration with the partners of the multidisciplinary team, the business will provide programme management
office (PMO) services, overseeing all elements of procurement, design, engineering, safety, information management and sustainability.
The project is set to be completed in the md-to-late 2030s.
