Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has published an update to its M500 procurement package for Dublin’s MetroLink contract to award a public-private partnership with a consortium capable of designing, building, financing and operating the project’s rail system.

MetroLink will provide a high-speed, high-capacity, high-frequency, modern and efficient public transport service for passengers traveling along the Swords/Airport to City Centre corridor in Dublin, which will be capable of integration with other modes of public transport. The M500 Contract is an availability-based design, build, finance, operate, and maintain (DBFOM) contract to appoint a project company (M500 Contractor), which will carry out the design and construction, raise finance for such construction, and subsequently provide integrated operation and maintenance of the public passenger transport service. The M500 Contractor will be responsible for the design, manufacture, supply and installation of the metro rolling stock, signaling system (at Grade of Operation 4 - an automated railway), a railway depot and maintenance facility, metro control centre building(s) together with the installation of all line-wide trackwork, overhead contact system, power and communication systems, mechanical and electrical systems including tunnel and station ventilation, people movement systems and the fit out and finishes in sixteen stations plus urban realm works. The M500 Contractor will be required to procure financing in respect of the abovementioned works. Following completion of the works, the M500 Contractor will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the MetroLink system as a whole.

Following the initial registration of interest in the M500 Contract, TII is now inviting suppliers to express interest in participating in a market consultation on the draft features currently envisaged for the contract. The Information Document outlines the key contractual and commercial elements of the MetroLink Project, including details of the proposed availability-based DBFOM model that will define the M500 Contract. This document is confidential and contains preliminary draft proposals shared solely for consultation purposes. Interested organisations are encouraged to register their interest in this M500 Contract PIN. All Expressions of Interest and responses to the Market Sounding Questionnaires must be submitted through this PMC Workspace by 17:00 (BST) on Thursday, 23 October 2025. Submissions should include the firm’s nominated representative, along with their email address and contact number. This Periodic Indicative Notice (PIN) is open to SMEs as well as larger organisations, including those intending to participate as subcontractors or members of a consortium. The notice is issued solely for information and market consultation purposes and does not constitute a call for competition. Accordingly, no tender documents are available, and no competitive procurement process will arise directly from this PIN.