Belfast to Dublin Enterprise train: EU body announces £141.9m contribution towards electric trains departing every hour

The announcement was made by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), a cross-border body in the UK and Republic of Ireland which coordinates projects funded by the EU.

The SEUPB said it was contributing £141.9m to cross-border rail services via its PEACEPLUS Programme, a funding partnership between the EU, London, Belfast and Dublin.

The total estimated cost of the Enterprise Fleet Replacement Programme is £247.6m with the remaining £105.7 coming from the Department for Infrastructure and the Irish Department of Transport.

The aim is to replace the existing Enterprise trains with brand new trains by the end of the decade.

The procurement process for the new trains is expected to be complete over the coming year, with a view to the new Enterprise trains operating from 2029. The new trains will be designed to run initially on electric and battery power on part of the Dublin to Belfast route and can be converted into fully electric operation in the future. The aim is a journey time of 1 hour 55 minutes between Dublin and Belfast.

Department For Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd said the news marks “an exciting time for rail travel”.

He added: “The new fleet will pave the way for the Enterprise service to become the first electrified inter-city service on the island which will support our decarbonisation commitments."

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, said he was “so pleased” by the news of the investment.

He added: "A key theme of PEACEPLUS is collaboration and partnership - through this programme I look forward to working with the Irish Government, Northern Ireland Executive and SEUPB to ensure that our shared ambitions for peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of Ireland are realised. The UK’s £730 million investment into PEACEPLUS was only the first step to building on these ambitions.”

Irish Department of Transport Minister Eamon Ryan TD added: “I welcome this significant investment in the Enterprise Fleet Replacement Programme. The flagship Enterprise service is a very visible and well-known symbol of North-South cooperation and this replacement programme is a key priority of both Governments.”