Irish Rail Fires Firm Behind Abandoned €50 Million IT System

Monday, 7 September 2026 14:46

By Hannah Kelly

In May, Irish Rail decided a new €50 million IT system, which would control the movement of trains, was unlikely to be used

Irish Rail has parted company with the firm which had been developing its system to manage trains moving across the network.

According to The Irish Times, the national railway company fired Spanish IT multinational Indra Sistemas and is preparing a legal case for damages.

In May, it emerged Irish Rail had written down by €50 million the value of its investment in a new national train control centre, largely due to problems with the project.

Social Democrats TD for Kildare North, and the party's transport spokesperson, Aidan Farrelly has called for Irish Rail to outline what impact the sacking of Indra Sistemas will have on passenger safety and the future expansion of Ireland's railway network.

“But serious questions remain. What is the status of the existing railway control system? Is it 100 per cent functional, or more importantly, can it guarantee passenger safety? All the evidence suggests that it is no longer fit for purpose, as long-suffering commuters hit by regular delays can attest.

“What will this latest setback mean for the planned expansion of our rail network, including the DART+ project? And is there a renewed timeline for the expected delivery of a new TMS through a different contractor?

“The Minister for Transport has been missing in action throughout this debacle. He must now convene an urgent meeting between his department, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Irish Rail to map out a new way forward.”

In relation to the DART+ project, residents in Maynooth and Leixlip have today received letters of notice as the land acquisition process for DART+ West is commenced.