Enterprise replacement and Connolly station based trains generally.

PlatformNine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122847422#Comment_122847422

In that case, I just hope IE is on track to select a winner by the end of the year!

A1ACo

In anticipation of any announcement… and above discussions including under the 'Enterprise Refurb..' thread is there any preference on this forum just for very idle Christmas speculation, for the Enterprise new train's end cars nose design?

I'll throw in a yes overly long (!) list of obscure rail stock and design examples below for fun - and as a Christmas ID challenge!

This is also bearing in mind (a little bit) that 'higher speed' service - Higher-speed rail - Wikipedia lines such as for the Enterprise service, generally seem to inform the extent of 'streamlining' of design, as does loco' vs. MU/ semi-fixed MU choice.

So will the next Enterprise (Locos/ MU/ or mix) car nose ends design (i've made up descriptions) be:

Snub-nose - e.g. IE's Class 201 & Euro's SNCB Class 18/ Taurus/ Asiarunner & DSB EG Class/ Euro's Traxx P160/AC3/F140 MS3

Streamlined snub nose - e.g. I.E.'s Hyundai Rotem 22000 Class/ UR's HRCS2/ MR's KTM Class 91

Short profiled wedge - e.g. UK's Alstom Class 180 & JR's J-Trec AE Skyliner

Long flat wedge - e.g. IE's CAF Mk.4 & FIAT Alstom FS's Class ETR 460 & KRs EMD Class 7000

Short, or long bullet nose - e.g. JR's Hitachi 885 Series & KR's Class 130000 SRT, Siemens ICE TD

Long bullet/tapered wedge - e.g. UR's Afrosiyab/730 Class & ONCF's Al Boraque & CR200J & KR's KTX-EUM/UTY-EMU250 Class 150000/ 16000

Other misc nose design e.g.s - ABB Class MF/IC3/IR4 (EMU & DMU set sometimes run together like JP's Ki Ha 201 series - maybe something that could be done in Irish Rail service in the future?) /Class 494.1 TRD

& LG's ER20 CF & Skoda 109E & Siemen's Vectron Dual Mode & KR's ITX - Saemaeul & Brazil Supervia Serie 2005 & Skoda 109ev.

Also J-Trec have some cool and/ or odd designs - Series E657/ E259/E571/E5000(!)/ E7.

Personally, I like most of the above 'wedge' nose designs - and with bullet designs maybe a little overdone now in the UK at least (?) with all the Hitachi's units now about…

PlatformNine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122977401#Comment_122977401

Having looked around a bit to see what is available, I am have been really interested in the CAF Civity, more specifically the Class 397 and its tri-mode cousin Class 897. Generally I think its what the Enterprise needs: 200km/h capable, battery+diesel+OHLE power, same car length as 22Ks. The main thing that could be a problem is they haven't produced any in a gauge other than standard. However CAF being spanish I would hope they are able to produce broad gauge units.

In terms of looks I like its front, especially compared to some other similar designs like the 395s or 800s, I think the 397 just looks a bit more sleek. However what really like about its design, and maybe its just me, but I think the Enteprise colours would look really nice on the 397/897s.

A1ACo

Maybe Stadler could do a job-lot deal for new 755/756 Tri—modes for the Enterprise, and heavy refurbs (or Trade-ins?!) for the 201s nationally, similar to their RENFE Class 333 via their Stadler Valencia plant… Just a new year thought!

Stadler Rail Valencia SAU - Wikipedia

PlatformNine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123024872#Comment_123024872

The FLIRTs are another option I have been keeping my eye on, as like the Civity, it seems to match the tender and AISRR reccomendations for the fleet fairly well. I don't know if we would recieve 755/756s as I think they are FLIRT 160s which are only meant to be 160 km/h possible, and the 756s are supposedly even slower. However with the attention Stadler has been getting for their bi-mode and tri-mode sets, I could see IE wanting to work with Stadler to produce a FLIRT 200 bi-mode/tri-mode set based off of the Class 755/756s.

As for the 201s, I am not sure what IE plans. I would be surprised if IE plans to get a >50 year life span out of them like the 071s. What I think they might do is keep the 201s running smoothly until the Mk4s need a refurb, at which point instead of a refurb they order more Enterprise sets to replace the Mk4s and more 071 replacements (if I had to guess right now Class 93 or 99).

That is me assuming the Mk4s will need a refurd in around 10 years, but if they need them sooner than they might as well invest in the 201s and keep both around for a bit longer. Or if the Mk4s can last longer than that without a refurb then a heavy refurb on the 201s might be needed to keep them running anyways.

A1ACo

I'm guessing now that for outside considerations that the 'good news story' of the announcement won't happen until at least after early Feb…

I still wonder will it go to an Asian/ Asian-based company e.g. J-Trec (ex.Tokyu)/ Rotem or vice versa, or Hitachi etc., or… a European company such as Alstom, CAF, Siemens, Stadler etc.

Though the more recent months' railway media notes from Irish Rail I think, hinted that the diesel element was to have more primacy for now, and that the batteries were mostly only for in-station and arriving/ departing station operation (and that may impact on people's previous guesses/assumptions of train manufacturer and overall operation)?

Drifter100

It appears 2 sets on Enterprise stock are hors de combat at this stage. One set is broken up with some carriages missing at Adelaide and another inside the depot. Has anyone any news on this, both sets seem in a sorry state of repair.

1 set of 2 X 3 coach NIR set and a Class 22000 5 coach appear to be the substitutions at the min

A1ACo

Maybe it has something to do with below, mentioned under message 448 of the 'Enterprise Refurbishment comes closer' thread?

'Does this 'Refresh'(?) refurb tender (Refresh of Enterprise Train Fleet | BWL) have any relation to the replacement new train tender (Enterprise replacement and Connolly station based trains generally. - Page 2 — boards.ie - Now Ye're Talkin') in terms of any delays?…or can we surmise that this refresh would have happened anyway?

RE the above tender which appears to close this Jan. 2025: '…This work package will focus on the refurbishment of 4No. generator vans and 28No. coaches (4 of which are Catering Cars).'

A few more details here Refresh of Enterp... | Translink | £115,000 | Stage N/A | Date N/A - apologies if I missed chat about this elsewhere?'

A1ACo

On another read of the links, above is for a pre-potential tender discussion and market interest investigation…

PlatformNine

Its a few weeks old now, but I only just found it, but a little update on the Enterprise fleet replacement from Darragh O'Brien:

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2025-04-02/82/

Fleet procurement is well advanced and it sounds like we are reasonably close to the order being placed, so hopefully we are close to an announcement!

As of 3 weeks ago the final business case was being developed, which while I am not very familiar with the infrastructure guidelines, approval of the final business case I think is the last step before the order can be placed?

The most notable thing mentioned is that the sets will both arrive and enter service in 2029, which while I think arriving in (presumably early) 2029 would make sense if the order is only placed later this year, I would be skeptical of the units additionally being able to enter service the same year.