Is it possible to charter an Irish Rail train & driver or even just a carriage?

dynamick

just asking

flyingsnail

yes, the RPSI also do steam and diesel charters. Booking a carriage would probably fall under group travel.

Losty Dublin

They do hire out trains for private excursions, yes. You'd need to do it in advance to work out train paths, rosters and to ensure that a train is available at the times that you need it for. You can reserve seats for large groups as well on scheduled trains but you'd be best to call them or a ticket office up about it.

Run_to_da_hills

Downpartick do train hiring / foot plate courses and at least you are not in anyone's way.

http://www.downrail.co.uk/hire.htm

highlydebased

You can indeed reserve an entire carraige on a regular service - I've done it

Judgement Day

I was involved in chartering trains from CIE long, long ago - the first being the "Coastline Crawler" C-class farewell tour in 198(?) and the last that I took an interest in was the "Cavan Coup" NIR Railbus RB3 tour from Belfast to Kingscourt in July 1990. I lost interest after that as there was nowehere else to go. I don't recommend train hire these days as you can't even hang out the windows anymore and besides where can you go.
Link here http://irishrailwaynews.multiply.com/photos/album/23/Navan_amp_Kingscourt_Branch# to some photos on IRN of the NIR railbus tour and "The Relief of Navan" tour - another of my pets.

BostonB

I worked for a company that hired a train once for a company bash.

mikemac

Definitely possible, been on one and organized this years ago

I can't find the link but a few years back I saw pics of a swanky Irish Rail carriage. A bar, lovely carpet, nice seats and you could hire it.
Seems their main customers were rugby teams and supporters between Cork and Dublin.

Run_to_da_hills

mikemac wrote: »

Definitely possible, been on one and organized this years ago

I can't find the link but a few years back I saw pics of a swanky Irish Rail carriage. A bar, lovely carpet, nice seats and you could hire it.
Seems their main customers were rugby teams and supporters between Cork and Dublin.

That carriage hasn't been about for years, The last time I saw it was when it was a part of the furniture at Westland Row.

IngazZagni

A rugby club I support sometimes booked an entire train to bring the supporters out to certain places. It picked us up at Lansdowne Road station. However it hasn't been done in about 3 years now as coaches are much cheaper and almost if not more quick with the new motorways. I remember having great fun on those train journeys and not having to worry about being too loud haha.

Same applies/applied to individual carriages but I wouldn't be up to date on that now.

Run_to_da_hills

Iarnrod Eireann should keep a few MK3 sets for match charter, in that way they wouldn't have to worry too much about getting them trashed.

Niles

mikemac wrote: »

Definitely possible, been on one and organized this years ago

I can't find the link but a few years back I saw pics of a swanky Irish Rail carriage. A bar, lovely carpet, nice seats and you could hire it.
Seems their main customers were rugby teams and supporters between Cork and Dublin.

The Executive Train probably. There were two mkIII carriages specially fitted out to this spec, for years they wore a maroon variant of the orange IÉ livery. I believe it was used for the odd Wedding special or two. I don't think it's available anymore, with the mkIIIs withdrawn. I believe this was used by the President a few times (higher speed allowance for a mkIII than the Presidential mkII).

Didn't a couple hire an ICR more recently for a wedding, I think, down Kerry direction?

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

That carriage hasn't been about for years, The last time I saw it was when it was a part of the furniture at Westland Row.

State Saloon No.351 is available for hire, can be added to a regular RPSI excursion or as part of a private charter. It was on display in the Dutch Railway Museum in Holland last year, it has been out and about a bit on RPSI excursions and charters, last time was on a Mullingar trip for a Heritage Railway Association visit back in 2009.

Ste.phen

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Iarnrod Eireann should keep a few MK3 sets for match charter, in that way they wouldn't have to worry too much about getting them trashed.

And if they get trashed, they won't need to worry too much about anyone wanting to book them afterwards