CIÉ is considered unlikely to be involved in the management of the initiative. The State transport group has already been ruled out in a competition to operate Luas. The results of that competition are expected soon.
A €2.5 billion (£2 billion) proposal to build a "metro" link between Dublin Airport and the city is to be put to the Cabinet on Wednesday and if endorsed by Ministers, the first phase of the system could be built by 2006.
The target is ambitious, however. With many road projects in the National Development Plan running over budget and behind schedule, the plan is likely to be scrutinised very carefully by the Department of Finance before it receives the go-ahead.
The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, is believed to be determined to secure her colleagues' backing for the proposal, which will involve the construction of a rail system that runs underground in the city centre.
A rail link with the airport is seen as crucial, as Dublin is one of only a few major capital cities without such a connection.
According to the Platform for Change document published last year by the Dublin Transportation Office (DTO), such a line would pass Finglas, Cabra and Broadstone in north Dublin on the route to the city centre from the airport. A branch line from Finglas to Blanchardstown would pass Corduff.
The proposed line will travel underground at the River Liffey in the city centre and link with the Luas system on the Harcourt Street line. It will also run underground between Finglas and Cabra and at the airport.
It is understood the Cabinet will be asked to sanction these elements of the plan at its first post-Christmas meeting. With the general election expected to be called in May, the Government runs the risk of leaving itself open to allegations of electioneering, but sources close to Ms O'Rourke argue that the Government cannot suspend long-term capital plans.
If accepted, the plan will be funded by the Government, but built and operated as a public-private partnership.
It is thought that 30 consortiums have expressed tentative interest in tendering for the construction contract, which is likely to be one of the largest ever offered by the State.
Given that significant and disruptive underground work is required, it is thought the first phase of the project could take two years or more to clear the planning process.
