The National Transport Authority has ordered an independent review of the new €36 million IT system to manage train movements following significant delays and cost overruns.
The board of the State authority responsible for planning and developing public transport and infrastructure directed that the review be carried out.
The Irish Times reported on Wednesday that senior figures in Irish Rail, including its then chairman, cast doubt last February on whether the contractor involved, the Indra Group, could deliver the project in full. The concern was disclosed in official minutes of Irish Rail’s board.
The Department of Transport said on Friday that its Minister, Darragh O’Brien, had, on foot of delays with the project, met the NTA and Indra last August and again in January.
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O’Brien had “expressed his dissatisfaction at the rate of progress” and emphasised the importance of delivering the project, the department said.
Sinn Féin TD John Brady, chairman of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee, which has been examining spending on the train traffic management system (TMS), said the development of the project was “a slowly developing shambles”.
Brady said the TMS had an initial target cost of €19.5 million but that to date over €31.5 million has already been spent with the first phase of the system not even completed.
In a statement on Friday evening, the NTA said since last November it had introduced enhanced oversight while Irish Rail had strengthened the project management capability.
The NTA said the State-owned rail operator had, in conjunction with Indra “re‑phased the programme to ensure more efficient delivery and more manageable work packages”.
“This re‑phasing is designed to better support Indra’s delivery, reduce risk and ensure a robust integration with live rail operations.
“This approach is now yielding clearer outputs, with the first Indra-delivered work package completed and currently under testing by Irish Rail in advance of roll-out. Risks continue to be actively monitored, and, by agreement with the NTA board, a full independent review will be undertaken with regards to the delivery of the project and inform any future actions for this and other similar projects.”
Indra told The Irish Times on Tuesday that it was working in close partnership with Irish Rail and remained on target to meet agreed milestones.
At the Irish Rail board meeting in February, directors were told it would be January 2027 at the earliest and possibly summer next year before the first part of the train management system – covering the line to Rosslare – would be in place.
The minutes show the then Irish Rail chairman, Steve Murphy, and project director Jason Lacey told the board they had concerns about the ability of Indra group to deliver the remaining seven phases of the project.
The NTA also told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (Pac) in recent days that it was likely to cost more than the €36 million agreed in 2024 to deliver the full train management system.
Asked by The Irish Times whether the Irish Rail board had confidence in Indra to deliver the project in full, the company said the “board and management continue to work, with the NTA, to ensure a successful delivery of the TMS project by Indra”.
The TMS is essentially the software that integrates a range of complex railway systems, such as signalling and communications.
The TMS forms a key part of an overall new national train control centre which is being developed at Heuston Station at a cost of about €200 million.
Some members of the Pac also raised questions about the new €270 million contactless ticketing system for buses, trains and Luas million which is also being developed by Indra.
The NTA said the next generation ticketing project was progressing very well and the introduction of the system in Dublin was planned for summer 2028.
