MetroLink Project director Sean Sweeney says the final cost for the Dublin rail link is going to increase far beyond the most recent estimates.
The most up-to-date comprehensive cost assessment was conducted in 2021, suggesting a price range of €7bn to €12bn.
Various factors have contributed to cost escalations, including the impact of COVID-19 and the ongoing war, which have influenced construction prices.
Officials are currently working on recalibrating expenses and have engaged an international firm for an independent evaluation to compare costs with metro projects globally.
Construction is set to begin next year, with expectations for completion around the mid-2030s, as they address recent feedback and adjustments to the designs.
Sean Sweeney shared “the ‘benefits are off the scale’ for the project, but we do not know the final price. The most recent detailed cost estimate was done in 2021. We’ve had significant construction escalation since then, we’ve had a war, we’ve had COVID. The number is going to shift. We are recosting the designs we have now.”
