Irish rail fleet and infrastructure plans

possibly for additional flexibility? 90 is a lot of units on top of the 95 already ordered. They don't need many extra to run a (say) hourly service to Wicklow and I can't see them going to Cork in the short term.

But if the intention was to replace life-expired existing DARTs, they wouldn't be stopgaps as their need for DART services will go on for decades. If they were DART replacements, they almost certainly would be EMUs.

My point is just that it doesn't make sense that these additional BEMUs are to replace existing DART carriages, as RUI suggested.

The rest of Ireland's intercity network will likely also be 25kv AC, the DART will be the outlier. The 25kv AC is the better technology and can cover longer distances with fewer substations at lower cost.

With quad tracking, the DART from Heuston to Hazelhatch won't be a problem, 2 sets of parallel voltage. Sligo and Ross are lines probably won't be electrified in our lifetime so DART to Maynooth and Greystones won't be a problem in terms of voltage.

The problem is the Belfast service from Drogheda southwards sharing track with DART. the thing is voltage isn't the only problem, there's no capacity for Belfast trains to share with DART. The only long term solution is a new line from Drogheda to Dublin, separate voltages and eliminate painfully slow trains behind stopping DART

The new Alfred St entrance, the arrival of luas and a new bridge could sort that. Heuston is a lot more remote from Dublin City Centre and relies heavily on luas and bus connections for commuter journeys

But extending DART to Wicklow, Sallins etc wouldn't involve replacing existing DART carriages as DART doesn't go to those places at present.

For official Ireland, it often seems as if the word "planning" means: Let's look at what they are doing in England/Britain/the UK and apply a cut-cost version here.

After 50 years membership of the EU and its predecessors, they still think the Britain has the best of everything, and have absolutely no idea of how things are done on the Continent.

Having 2 tracks to Hazlehatch at 1500v DC and 2 with 25Kv AC would be crazy. If the slow lines were the centre two, how do you switch across the Up Main25 Kv line to get access to the Park Tunnel. The only feasible solution is 1500v DC for all trains to Hazlehatch and 25Kv AC thereafter. For this, all long-distance electric trains will have to be dual voltage. But this is absolutely standard. Again, go look at routine European practice.

DART+SW shows 2 tracks with overhead power and 2 tracks without. Agree re dual voltage intercity trains, it's the most sensible option for interoperability. But it might be a little bit too logical if you catch my drift

There is a grá in Irish Rail for using commuter trains on Inter city routes and inter city trains on commuter routes. This is seen as sacrosanct and unchangeable. So a logical result is not to be expected.

Nah both Smyth, Meade and Mulldoon have made presenations to Engineers Ireland on the subject of the new DART fleet and the expansion plans and the current plans are to be the limits of the 1500DC with 25kAC voltage to be the future expansion with the eventual backfill of the DART network over time. All new units will be bi-voltage units.

As for the removal of the electricification of the Fast lines it makes no sense, especially with the phased swapping of the lines directions and usage that was proposed at the start or has that just been descoped and dropped?

According to Irish Rail, today’s 18 battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs) order will benefit Maynooth/M3 Parkway and Kildare line services, delivering more capacity for commuters in advance of electrification.

Quote from that article

Is the Maynooth Depot building overed by the Rail Order in terms of planning permission? Just wondering about the objections, delays etc which are liable to bugger up the whole project.

The 20-25mph speed limits between Heuston P10 and Glasnevin Junction are going to stay, even with DART+. Between Garda HQ and the Luas over pass, it's fairly straight, but trains will only go 40kmh towards Glasnevin and 32kmh towards the PPT.

The cycnic in me thinks this is Irish Rail strengthening the Case for Dart Underground by making the alternative painfully slow.

Its in the RO.

A temporary charging/toilet tank offload bodge job out on the sidings beyond Maynooth via normal planning could probably be done.

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxt6qTTgn9UpuRL8GWQ7I57PD_CzS9s_w7