Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has put an estimated value of €1.75 billion on the new LUAS operation and maintenance contract.
In new tender related documentation, TII states that it is anticipated that the Luas Operations and Maintenance Contract will commence operations in Quarter 2 or 3 of 2026 for a period of seven years with an option to extend by up to a further five to seven years.
Last year, LUAS carried 48.2 million passenger journeys and the tender related documentation states that "further expansion of the system is anticipated".
TII has issued the 'Information Memorandum and Pre-qualification Questionnaire' in order to pre-qualify candidates to be invited to tender for the operation and maintenance of LUAS.
Those seeking to pre-qualify, including consortia, to tender must have annual revenues in excess of €200 million averaged over the last three audited financial years.
The documentation states that following the qualification stage, TII intends to shortlist a minimum of three to a maximum of five candidates that will be invited to tender.
Currently, LUAS is operated by French firm, Transdev Dublin Light Rail Limited.
The tender documentation states that the Transdev contract is due to expire in November 2025 and National Transport Authority (NTA) and TII expect "to extend this contract to accommodate this reprocurement process".
Outlining an indicative timetable for the award of the tender, TII states that the deadline for pre-qualification submissions is July 31st next.
The submissions are to be evaluated between August and October and an invite to tender notice will be issued to the shortlisted candidates next January.
TII states that the deadline for tenders is June 2025 and the contract to be awarded in November 2025.
On the new LUAS contract, a spokeswoman for Transdev said last month: "Transdev looks forward to the launch of the tender process for the new Luas Contract and will assess the proposed new contract once published."
LUAS consists of two separate lines, the Red Line and the Green Line and the system comprises 42.5 kilometres of track and a fleet of 81 light rail vehicles.
The documentation states that Luas Finglas is the next planned extension of the Luas Green Line and will create a new public transport connection between the communities of Charlestown, Finglas Village, Finglas West, St. Helena’s, Tolka Valley and the city centre.
The proposed route is 3.9km in length and the expected opening date is between 2028 and 2032.
The most recent accounts for Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd show that it recorded revenues of €59.47 million in 2020 and recorded Covid-19 related pre-tax losses of €3.2 million.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
