An artist impression of the Metro going over the M50

Metro project future may lie in extending line from Charlemont

Ellen Gough September 3, 2025 9:51 am

Dublin’s long-planned metro project may be extended into the southwest of the city, according to the Department of Transport.

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said that an independent feasibility study will be commissioned to look at continuing the MetroLink into south-west Dublin from its southernmost terminus at Charlemont.

The government is currently seeking planning permission for a 19km metro line from Swords into Dublin city centre.

The driverless automated system would link Dublin Airport, Irish Rail, DART, Dublin Bus and Luas services and create a fully integrated public transport network for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).

With trains set to run every three minutes during peak periods the system is projected to carry up to 20,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

In reply to a parliamentary question from Ciaran Ahern, Labour TD for Dublin South West, Minister O’Brien said that the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042 carried out feasibility studies for “for a metro to Knocklyon and a metro to Sandyford”.

“While the Strategy states that the south west Dublin area is best served by bus rapid transit (such as BusConnects) and light rail (such as Luas) for the foreseeable future, it notes that the MetroLink terminus at Charlemont can facilitate any potential future metro extension to serve the south west or south east of the Dublin area should sufficient demand develop,” the minister said.

Work is set to begin on the first of the BusConnects projects – from Liffey Valley into the city – in September.

Minister O’Brien also said that the National Transport Authority are set to review and update the Transport Strategy next year and that a “southwestern extension of MetroLink may be examined as part of or related to this update”.

“The Programme for Government commits to commissioning an independent feasibility study continuing MetroLink from the city to South West Dublin,” he added.