DUBLIN, Ireland: The multi-million euro rail project will "hit the ground running" this year, the chief of MetroLink has told public representatives in a letter late last week.

Programme director Seán Sweeney said he was "committed" to delivering lasting benefits for "communities, passengers, and the wider economy" with the project.

Set to be the largest infrastructure project in the State, the project has faced years of delay due to court action. Dartmouth Square residents who had earlier forced a judicial review of the transport project have now agreed to an offer from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to buy their homes.

Sweeney explained that with the legal issues now "resolved", focus turns to progressing "enabling works and advancing procurement, with contract notices for the main civil works packages to be issued" in the first quarter of this year.

MetroLink is a 19-kilometer mostly underground rail line for Dublin, stretching from Swords to Ranelagh. Stops include Swords, Dublin Airport, Ballymun, Glasnevin, O'Connell Street, St Stephen's Green, and concluding at Charlemont Luas.

A trip from the city centre to the airport will take 20 minutes, and the service is expected to be operational by the mid-2030s.

The project was first proposed over 25 years ago and is expected to cost more than 10 billion euros.

An Coimisiún Pleanála last October had approved TII's application to build the line from Swords, in north Dublin, to Charlemont, close to Ranelagh in south Dublin.

Sweeney said, "I can assure you that we will hit the ground running. As you know, just before Christmas, we received the very welcome news that the residents of Dartmouth Square West had decided to withdraw their judicial review following a period of constructive mediation.

"As MetroLink programme director, I greatly welcome this withdrawal of legal proceedings, which now provides greater clarity for us and for the market at a crucial juncture in the development of this critical piece of infrastructure."

Sweeney said the rail project now has a "clear planning decision," giving the certainty needed to move ahead with the next steps.

The government has set aside funding for the project and is creating a special body to manage construction. The first steps in the procurement process will begin next year, in 2027.

Sweeney said the National Transport Authority welcomed the withdrawal of the legal cases, saying it allows MetroLink to move forward with confidence.

The decision was also welcomed by Lorcan O'Connor, CEO of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, who said he met with residents and appreciated their constructive approach, which helped reach agreements that suit everyone.

Sweeney said MetroLink is a once-in-a-generation investment in Ireland's public transport system and that he will keep public representatives informed as work on the project moves ahead quickly this year.