Irish Rail - 22000s in use from 19 December 2007

Victor

From the Indo - page 17 (tabloid)

Apparently they go public on Wednesday 19 December 2007. 1105 departure Connolly - Sligo.

IÉ spending €400m for rolling stocking on that line alone. :rolleyes:

loyatemu

I put "rolling stocking" into google and this is what came back - is this what you meant Victor?

Occidental

The carpets a huge improvement, but they'll have to make sure the bogs don't overflow. Not too sure about the wicker chairs.

paulm17781

breakingnews.ie wrote:

The first of a new fleet of luxury trains took to the tracks today.

The Sligo-Dublin route is hosting the new carriages, which will be rolled out across the rail network next year.

A total of 183 air-conditioned carriages have been bought at a cost of €400m.

Ahh ha ha ha. Luxury. Ah ha ha ha. :rolleyes:

WexCan

paulm17781 wrote: »

Ahh ha ha ha. Luxury. Ah ha ha ha. :rolleyes:

Was just thinking that

Air conditioning! Wow!

Victor

http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/news_centre/general_news.asp?action=view&news_id=314

General News

New Intercity railcar fleet enters service on Dublin-Sligo line by Corporate Communications

Christmas comes early for customers on the Dublin-Sligo line today (Wednesday 19th December 2007): the 11.05hrs Connolly-Sligo service will see the inaugural journey of the first train of a new 183 carriage, €400 million Intercity railcar fleet, set to transform quality, comfort and frequency right across the national rail network.

In-service trials have begun on the daily 11.05hrs Dublin-Sligo and 14.55hrs Sligo-Dublin, with more new trains to be brought in to service on the Sligo line in the New Year, resulting in an increase in services from 5 to 8 trains each way daily from 21st January 2008.

All routes will then benefit as the fleet is rolled out through 2008, including:

- Sligo/Dublin
- Rosslare/Dublin
- Waterford/Dublin
- Westport/Dublin
- Tralee/Dublin
- Tralee/Cork
- Galway/Dublin
- Limerick/Dublin
- Carlow, Athlone, Portlaoise commuter routes

The 183-carriage Intercity railcar order will see frequency improvements across all routes, when all trains are in service by the end of next year.

The fleet was ordered from Mitsui of Japan, in partnership with Rotem of the Republic of Korea (where the fleet was constructed) and Tokyu Car Corporation of Japan.

Together with a previous order of 67 carriages now operating hourly services on the Cork-Dublin route, the new fleet will transform Ireland’s Intercity rail fleet from the oldest in the European Union to the newest.

The Intercity railcar order is funded by the Irish Government under the Transport 21 investment programme and the European Regional Development Fund.

Features of new fleet

Benefits to customers will include:
- Significantly higher frequency and capacity on all InterCity routes
- Modern on-board comfort standards
- The replacement of outdated fleet across the network
- Improved accessibility for mobility-impaired customers
- Better reliability and performance, with integral engines in each carriage

Features of the Intercity railcar fleet will include:
- Automatic PA and information display systems
- Electronic seat reservation displays for web bookings
- Fully air-conditioned
- Internal CCTV system for improved security
- Sleek carriage design
- Advanced safety features throughout

In a new departure for Iarnród Éireann’s Intercity fleet, the new trains are railcars, with integral engines in each carriage – this delivers greater reliability and performance, as well as operational flexibility.

Trains are in 3-car and 6-car sets, with seating for 192 customers and 378 customers respectively.

Eco-friendly fleet

It has also been revealed that the new Intercity railcar fleet will be the greenest diesel train fleet in Europe.

The European Union are set to impose stringent new emission standards for rail vehicles, which are already the most environmentally sustainable form of travel.

Iarnród Éireann’s new fleet already meets the Stage 3B EU emission limits for nitrous oxides (2.0g/kWh), a limit which will not be enforced until 2012. They also meet the Stage 3A limit for soot particles, of 0.2g/kWh, which will be enforced from 2009.

Iarnród Éireann’s fleet transformation comes at a time of record demand for rail services, with 43.1 million journeys made on the country’s rail network last year, and a further record journey total set to be achieved in 2007.

The figures confirm Iarnród Éireann’s status as the fastest growing railway in the European Union.

CIÉ and Iarnród Éireann Chairman Dr John Lynch said “with this record order of new trains for our network, every single rail customer with Iarnród Éireann will be able to travel on modern, quality trains, designed with the latest customer needs in mind. The transformation of our rail service is extraordinary – we have totally rebuilt our network, we have dramatically expanded commuter capacity, and now we are completing the task of a total renewal of our Intercity fleet. With record demand, and the best performance levels ever achieved on our network, we will continue to grow with the investment support from the Irish Government under Transport 21, to allow our rail services play the strongest possible role in meeting the transport needs of our customers and our communities.”

Sligo route investment

The new fleet is the latest phase in the transformation of the Sligo-Dublin route.

Since 1999, over €150 million has been invested in Sligo services; including the total renewal of track along the route; resignalling, level crossings, platform lengthening and other safety investment. This also includes investment in the existing railcar fleet introduced in December 2005 on the route, which delivered an increase in services from three each way per day to five each way per day.

Together with the route’s best ever punctuality, consistently over 95%, these improvements have resulted in the Sligo-Dublin line being the national network’s fastest growing route, with more than 1.1 million passenger journeys in 2006 – a huge increase of over 17%, with a further 11% growth forecast for 2007.

With the new fleet, and increases in services from January, growth on the Sligo-Dublin line is set to continue into the future.

DWCommuter

That press release is almost identical to the one issued when the new Cork train was launched.

IE are good recyclers, I'll give them that.:rolleyes:

SeanW

paulm17781 wrote: »

Ahh ha ha ha. Luxury. Ah ha ha ha. :rolleyes:

Compared to the ****e (29000s) they're replacing, luxury is an appropriate term.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1219/rail.html

First new trains on Dublin-Sligo route
Wednesday, 19 December 2007 20:06
The first trains from a new €400m Iarnród Éireann intercity rail fleet are being introduced on the Dublin to Sligo route today.

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey will be at Dublin's Connolly station for the service's inaugural journey.

Services on the route will be expanded to eight trains each way on weekdays from 21 January, including an early bird service at 5.45am.

AdvertisementThe rest of the 183 new carriages are to be introduced on other routes in 2008.

enterprise

Photos of the launch are now available at http://thewanderersirishrailphotos.fotopic.net/c1426315.html

They look a damm fine train.

WexCan

They do look quite nice indeed, wonder how long the interiors will last.

TommyShannon

WexCan wrote: »

They do look quite nice indeed, wonder how long the interiors will last.

If IÉ treat them the way they treat MK2s and MK3s then I give them 10 to 15 years max, shame to see fine 30 year old stock hitting the scrap heap instead of a refurbishment shed. I was on the 22000 today between Maynooth and Connolly and even though I think they're a fine train, they were no better then the 30 year old refurbished stock running on lines from London to Cardiff.

Tiesto

looks pretty tacky to me..
especially when put up against this :
http://www.hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com/galerie/de/de_ice3_rottendorf01_gr.jpg

Still though, happy to have the new train of course

jetsonx

Ireland must really p*ss off the doyens of the EU - all those infrastructure
grants from Europe and we go off an buy the trains in Japan!

TommyShannon

jetsonx wrote: »

Ireland must really p*ss off the doyens of the EU - all those infrastructure
grants from Europe and we go off an buy the trains in Japan!

Well CAF and Alstom in Spain gave IÉ nothing but ****e, so they went to Korea.

DWCommuter

Anyone notice how events like this really brings out the trainspotters in denial. Here and the RUI board are just full of it. I havent read one post that reflects what a normal passenger thinks of these trains. Its all the same old clap trap. But I do like this comparison;

I was on the 22000 today between Maynooth and Connolly and even though I think they're a fine train, they were no better then the 30 year old refurbished stock running on lines from London to Cardiff.

TommyShannon

Some of my best work went into that last post:D!!

DWCommuter

You nailed it man, you nailed it.

There are better railways operating with refurbed trains than the one we operate in this country.

IE remind me of the kid who got brand new toys and then tore them asunder in a forthnight. History tells the truth. But trainspotters deserve a day out.:eek:

yayamark

But will they reduce times at all?

SeanW

The Mk2ds and 29ks are limited to 75MPH (120kph), these babies are apparently rated for 100 MPH (approx ~160kph), so in theory it may be possible to speed things up but whether or not any of the line itself can be rated for 160 is another story.

TommyShannon wrote:

Well CAF and Alstom in Spain gave IÉ nothing but ****e, so they went to Korea.

what he said.

KC61

The new trains have cut 5 minutes off the journey times between Dublin and Sligo as per the new timetable from January 21 due to the faster acceleration. However, this is eaten up by having an extra crossing point en route.

In layman's terms this means the following. The Dublin/Sligo route is single track from Maynooth to Sligo. There are 9 passing loops at Enfield, Killucan, Mullingar, Edgeworthstown, Longford, Dromod, Carrick-on-Shannon, Boyle and Sligo. Each Dublin/Sligo service will typically pass 3 trains in the opposite direction en route at Maynooth, Edgeworthstown and Boyle. Each of these crossings has to have extra time built into the schedule to cope with any crew changes and the possibility of one train being late. Consequently any improvement in running time due to the performance of the trains between those locations is negated by the fact that the passing loops cannot be moved. Short of doubling the track on large sections of the route there is very little else that can be done. The Sligo line is also constrained by the fact that it is quite twisty at the northern end and this restricts the top speed that trains may operate at.

The Kerry route could see some further improvements as for most trains there is only one crossing point en route from Mallow to Tralee (Rathmore), but on each of the other single track routes (Galway / Mayo / Waterford / Rosslare) a more intensive service means more crossings en route which means that improvements in journey times are constrained.

KC61

To describe the improvements that passengers will notice in the new trains:

• Doors are at the end of each coach with a proper vestibule reducing the blast of cold air coming into the existing railcars.
• Seats are laid out in sets of 4 facing one another around a very large table
• One row of airline style seating at each end of the coach with foldaway tables
• All seats properly aligned with windows - everyone has a good view!
• Two power sockets at every row of seats enabling everyone on board to use a laptop if they so wish. No wifi yet - but IÉ are aiming at the next generation of this.
• Lighting onboard is identical to that on the new coaches on the Dublin/Cork route
• One disabled toilet per train; One toilet per coach
• Good legroom at each seat
• Luggage racks at the end of each coach
• Far quieter noise levels than the existing railcars in the IÉ fleet
• Air conditioning on board
• Computerised Seat Reservations with proper displays
• CCTV fitted thoughout the train

carmanach

This is an impressive list of features. Does anyone know whether the new trains will carry bicycles? I know that the old trains on the Sligo line could not, but on some of the other lines to be "upgraded", the existing trains have guards vans that carry bikes. From the pictures of this new train I don't see any room for them but I hope I'm wrong.

Victor

1 bike per 3-car set. 2 bikes per 6-car set.

Poxyshamrock

Limerick's trains enter service tomorrow! 14:15 to Heuston

Boardsbud

Just lookin for clarification on this. Are the trains running 3 car or 6 car in service and if the later; is that made up with 2 x 3 car trains joined together, meaning passengers can't in theory walk the full length of the train ?

John R

Boardsbud wrote: »

Just lookin for clarification on this. Are the trains running 3 car or 6 car in service and if the later; is that made up with 2 x 3 car trains joined together, meaning passengers can't in theory walk the full length of the train ?

Currently the inital trains are running as 6-car but that is more than likely just as breakdown insurance for the first few weeks until the full revised timetable is in operation.

In normal service they will be a mix of 3 and 6 car on the Sligo line depending on the demand of particular services. They can be run as 9 car if there is demand but that is problematic with safety regulations and short platforms.

there are no corridor connections between sets so passengers and staff cannot access a second set except at stations. If there is a trolley on one set only queue bunches of passengers running between sets at intermediate stations as is regular in other countries with similar operations.

KC61

In all probability the operational pattern for the Sligo route in 2008 will be as follows from January 21:

From Dublin:
3 Car - 0705; 0905; 1105; 1305; 1505
6 Car (Formed of 2 x 3 Car) - 1605; 1705; 1905

From Sligo:
3 Car - 1100; 1300; 1500; 1700; 1900
6 Car (Formed of 2 x 3 Car) - 0545; 0700; 0900

However, this may change!!!!

In the longer term one full six car unit may be allocated to the Sligo route - these are not being delivered until later this year, which would free up two 3 car units.

The 3 car units do not have a gangway connection and as such passengers can only switch coaches at a station.

Zoney

John R wrote: »

They can be run as 9 car if there is demand but that is problematic with safety regulations and short platforms.

I find it amusing that's considered an issue considering at least one of the main platforms in Limerick still isn't long enough to accommodate normal intercity trains, despite it regularly servicing them.

People are usually told to move down to the end of the train if the PA is working.

John R

This one comes under the heading of "Be careful what you link to"

Tiesto wrote: »

looks pretty tacky to me..
especially when put up against this :
http://www.hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com/galerie/de/de_ice3_rottendorf01_gr.jpg

when I clicked that... I got this...
http://www.hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com/entgleist_tgv.htm

Victor

Its a 404 error - file not found.

The translation is

Ooops, you have derailed

To get back on the rails

www.hochgeschwindigkeitszuege.com