Dublin-Rosslare train is only a surburban railcar.

Run_to_da_hills

As a trainspotter in the past I was very dissapointed to see the main Dublin to Rosslare train comprise as just a bland looking surburban "railcar". For those who can remember this once magnificent mainline rail service was pulled exclusivly by two back to back Class 121 Bo-Bo General Motors locomotives, Craven coaches, seperate guards van and canteen. Are bicycles permitted on these "railcars"? http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Irish%20Locos/121%20Class/slides/134+124%20passing%20Drumcondra%20Station_2.html

icdg

The Class 22000, already coming into use on the Sligo line, should next be making their way onto the Rosslare line so that should put the 2800s currently used off the line. These aren't really suited to long distance services. It could be worst. Unlike most DMUs used by Irish Rail the 2800s allow movement between different sets of multiple units working together (ie there is a door beside the driver's cabin that allows you to travel between sets). Why is this good/bad/indifferent? You can hunt down the trolley... And it could be even worse, you could be on a 2600, which I once had the "pleasure" of having to take all the way from Limerick to Dublin.

The carriages shown in your picture are Cravens (BR Mark I) which were used on the Maynooth line up until 2000 or so. These are now out of service and thank goodness, they are over 40 years old...

Ham'nd'egger

icdg wrote: »

The Class 22000, already coming into use on the Sligo line, should next be making their way onto the Rosslare line so that should put the 2800s currently used off the line. These aren't really suited to long distance services. It could be worst. Unlike most DMUs used by Irish Rail the 2800s allow movement between different sets of multiple units working together (ie there is a door beside the driver's cabin that allows you to travel between sets). Why is this good/bad/indifferent? You can hunt down the trolley... And it could be even worse, you could be on a 2600, which I once had the "pleasure" of having to take all the way from Limerick to Dublin.

The carriages shown in your picture are Cravens (BR Mark I) which were used on the Maynooth line up until 2000 or so. These are now out of service and thank goodness, they are over 40 years old...

The Cravens lasted till 2006 on some passenger runs, actually; a working life of almost 40 years! A robust and long lasting carriage, they are still to be seen on some RPSI specials.

KC61

icdg wrote: »

The Class 22000, already coming into use on the Sligo line, should next be making their way onto the Rosslare line so that should put the 2800s currently used off the line. These aren't really suited to long distance services. It could be worst. Unlike most DMUs used by Irish Rail the 2800s allow movement between different sets of multiple units working together (ie there is a door beside the driver's cabin that allows you to travel between sets). Why is this good/bad/indifferent? You can hunt down the trolley... And it could be even worse, you could be on a 2600, which I once had the "pleasure" of having to take all the way from Limerick to Dublin.

The carriages shown in your picture are Cravens (BR Mark I) which were used on the Maynooth line up until 2000 or so. These are now out of service and thank goodness, they are over 40 years old...

22000s should appear on the Rosslare line in April after it is resignalled, initially on the 0600 Gorey/Connolly, and on the 1640 Connolly/Gorey and 1923 return.

They are not expected to cover the main links until later in the year.

The current 2800 Class railcars do not carry cycles.

Run_to_da_hills

KC61 wrote: »

22000s should appear on the Rosslare line in April after it is resignalled, initially on the 0600 Gorey/Connolly, and on the 1640 Connolly/Gorey and 1923 return.

They are not expected to cover the main links until later in the year.

The current 2800 Class railcars do not carry cycles.

For those that are unfamiliar (like myself) with CIEs modern fleet! http://images.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/68/IE-22000.jpg/100px-IE-22000.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_(Irish_Rail)&h=75&w=100&sz=3&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=xU3_uECkDKF38M:&tbnh=62&tbnw=82&prev=/images%3Fq%3DDMU%2BIE-22000%2B%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN PS I like the face lift on the old 071 class, it dose look like a face!!:).

trellheim

Yes, like an elephant seeing a mouse, a 22k can't pass a semaphore, or so IE would have you believe.

KC61

trellheim wrote: »

Yes, like an elephant seeing a mouse, a 22k can't pass a semaphore, or so IE would have you believe.

The reason that 22000s won't be operating the route until the new timetable is that currently trains are integrated into commuter services to/from Drogheda and Maynooth.

IE wish to separate the Intercity and Commuter services.

Rashers72

KC61 wrote: »

The reason that 22000s won't be operating the route until the new timetable is that currently trains are integrated into commuter services to/from Drogheda and Maynooth.

IE wish to separate the Intercity and Commuter services.

I think I heard an Irish Rail spokesman say on the Right Hook on the night after the Skerries derailment (Friday), that it would be the end of 2008 before Rosslare would see the new railcars. Might have misheard him though. I think they've taken down all the 'new intercity trains due this autumn' (i.e. 2007) advertisements on the Rosslare line.

Zoney

icdg wrote: »

And it could be even worse, you could be on a 2600, which I once had the "pleasure" of having to take all the way from Limerick to Dublin.

I'm convinced the seats on those weren't designed for humans.

The 2600s were at one stage rostered on Limerick-Dublin 17:20 (or something like that) Sunday service.

Bleugh.

It was compounded by the stopping in the middle of nowhere in the dark just before Portarlington, waiting for a Galway train to get in front. Sitting there was like being in some kind of fluorescent-lit netherworld.

Run_to_da_hills

Zoney wrote: »

I'm convinced the seats on those weren't designed for humans.

The 2600s were at one stage rostered on Limerick-Dublin 17:20 (or something like that) Sunday service.

Bleugh.

It was compounded by the stopping in the middle of nowhere in the dark just before Portarlington, waiting for a Galway train to get in front. Sitting there was like being in some kind of fluorescent-lit netherworld.

Dose anyone remember the solid plastic seats fitted to the Park Royal DMUs that were converted to Push pulls in the years just before the Dart?. I travelled to school in these!l

Red Alert

I'd actually prefer a cravens to a 2600/2800 for any length of time.

Victor

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Dose anyone remember the solid plastic seats fitted to the Park Royal DMUs that were converted to Push pulls in the years just before the Dart?. I travelled to school in these!l

No.

corktina

small point...cravens are no relation to BR mk1's.....although they did sometimes work with steam heat vans which were BR mk1's originally. m(lovely pic btw

SeanW

Yes, you will have to wait until Irish Rail resignals the Rosslare line before you will get your new shiney trains, and also until next years schedule when they'll finally seperate your trains from Commuter trains that run to Maynooth and Drogheda etc.