IÉ 90000 Class


The Iarnród Éireann 90000 Class is a type of electric multiple unit which will be deployed on the DART network in Dublin, Ireland. In December 2021 Iarnród Éireann chose Alstom as supplier of up to 750 carriages, in five- or ten-carriage trains, and made an initial order of 19 five-carriage trains, 13 of which will be battery electric multiple units. A second order was placed in December 2022 for 18 five-car BEMUs. A third order of 20 units was made in December 2025.

Background

Iarnród Éireann were in talks with the NTA by 2017 about acquiring a new fleet of bi-mode DART trains to replace the current fleet. Plans to order new DART trains had previously been announced in 2008, but had been cancelled as a result of the Great Recession. A tender for the 600 new DART carriages was published in March 2019, attracting bids from Bombardier Transportation, Siemens Mobility and Stadler Rail.
The class is part of the DART+ project, which will expand DART services to lines which are currently served by diesel multiple units such as the 29000 class and 22000 class. The BEMUs will be used for services on the non-electrified lines to Maynooth, Hazelhatch and Drogheda. The class is being constructed by Alstom at their facility in Katowice, Poland. The first unit arrived in Ireland in late 2024 and the first trains were expected to enter service in 2026.
The first unit, 90001, started testing between Inchicore and in February 2025.
In October 2025, it was revealed that the class would not enter service until "the second quarter of 2027" due to battery issues.

Design

The five-car articulated trains are long, the same as the current four-car 8500 Class trains, and have a capacity of 551 passengers, including 204 seats. The maximum speed is. To improve accessibility the trains will have lower floors for level access from platforms and a sliding ramp at each door.
The BEMUs will be fitted with lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 840kWh and an expected range of even at the end of the operational life of the batteries. The trains will not charge from the existing overhead lines, but will need special charging points, the first of which will be at Drogheda.
The 5-car BEMU sets will be classified as the 90000 Class, while the purely EMU sets will be classed as the 80000 Class.