The development of a new centre to control the movement of trains across the country will now cost up to €40 million more than anticipated originally.
In a report the State’s spending watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General, has forecast that the project could see a 27 per cent cost overrun. It says that Irish Rail has estimated that the “most likely” overall cost out-turn for the development of the new national train control centre was now about €188 million.
However, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has said that efforts are under way to deliver the project within a revised budget of €170 million. The project originally had an anticipated budget of €148 million when it was approved by the NTA in July 2019.
The comptroller’s report said the national train control centre would manage and regulate all rail movements on the national network. “The project includes the development of a new train management system, construction of a new train control centre at Heuston Station, and refurbishment of the existing central traffic control centre at Connolly Station,” it said.
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The comptroller said that in April this year the NTA had noted that additional funding would be required to support the completion of the planned new centre.
The comptroller’s comments on the new national train control centre are set out as part of the financial accounts for the NTA for 2023. In its accounts and annual report the NTA says that Irish Rail is responsible for the delivery of the project.
“In July 2019, the NTA approved the national train control centre project with a budget amounting to €148. At December 31st, 2023, €116.5 million had been spent on the project. In 2023 and 2024 the project experienced delays in relation to the development of the train management system component of the overall project.”
The NTA report says that the national train control centre project “is forecasted to be delayed by nine months to May 2026″. It says that Irish Rail “also determined that a significantly increased level of resourcing would be required within its team to support the completion of this project”.
“The estimated out-turn cost could increase from €148 million up to potentially €188 million, equating to a 27 per cent increase. However, the project delivery team are implementing cost mitigation measures with a view towards securing an out-turn cost within an envelope of €170 million.”
The NTA says that this would represent a 15 per cent increase.
Irish Rail said its project management team “continues to bring rigorous oversight to contractors, and is deploying appropriate project resources to support cost-mitigation measures with respect to the national train control centre, and is liaising with the NTA as approving authority to that end”.
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