Freight rail in Ireland

071s can handle air or vacuum braked rolling stock. It's only wagons or coaches which are one type of brake or the other. Formerly most drivers would have driven both air and vacuum braked trains regularly, but the vacuum-braked freight trains are now comparatively rare, so I guess they have to take a refresher course.

IRISH Rail (IÉ) has issued a request for tenders for an eight-year framework agreement worth an estimated €120m to supply up to 400 wagons, including a base order for 200 wagons.

The base order includes up to 30 ore wagons. Bidders must have experience of designing and supplying infrastructure, intermodal, and ore wagons for operation at up to 120km/h.

IÉ says it is considering operating new wagons at higher speeds, which will require modern safety features including a twin-pipe air braking system, disc brakes, and latch/buckeye couplers with integral buffing capability.

The contract can be extended by two years at IE’s discretion.

Tendering is being conducted in a two-stage process: a prequalification process to establish that manufacturers have relevant experience to meet IÉ’s requirements, followed by an invitation to tender to those companies that prequalify during the first stage.

https://www.railjournal.com/freight/irish-rail-opens-tender-for-up-to-400-new-wagons/

Saw some comments from XPO managment saying they are hoping to expand the XPO service this year. Nothing specific but assume its frequancy.

Hopefully it happens but I don't think the x2 weekly services currently are carrying anywhere new total capacity.

Looks like they will reopen the Rosslare to Waterford line.

The only thing that was keeping the rest of the freight operation afloat.

IE freight is finished if this goes.

but I suspect that would suit IE who really don't want to be at freight. They only want Dub-Cork and Dublin suburban network, and to hell with the rest if they had their way.

IE have wanted to get rid of freight for years, decades even. This just strengthens their business case to wind up that side of the business. They are probably salivating at the thoughts of scraping the 071s and freight 201s, to go the same way as the markiii3s

You say "reactions" but it's just one poster really.

Yes, who had multiple personality disorder on here years ago but who has stayed away for ages.

I don't think anyone ever suggested that the closure could last as little as 4 weeks, just that they'll be closing over the next 4 weeks. The actual closure will be months even in the best case scenario.

Not sure what you mean by the SIPTU talks being so important for the mine's future though. The closure is already assured, and it's the price of energy and zinc that will dictate when the mine will reopen.

https://www.businesspost.ie/article/dublin-port-and-irish-rail-in-stand-off-over-road-building-plans/

Behind a paywall.

Dublin Port and Irish Rail in stand-off over road-building plans

Train operator’s fears dismissed by engineers after claims new roads would block future freight access to docks

Irish Rail has clashed with Dublin Port over plans to build new roads to increase capacity which the rail operator claims would “permanently” cut off its access to the trading port.

The port operator lodged plans last year to construct several new roads and increase capacity for heavy goods vehicles to provide a more direct route in and out of Dublin Port.

Not true. A lot of clearance has been happening and some other civil engineering work as well.

This is typical.

We have the CEO of Dublin Port telling us about their vision of the Port having a sustainable future and then on the other hand, they won't work Irish rail about getting a Proper rail access into the port and are instead committing to HGV's

I think a huge part of the issue is the RO-RO nature of the bulk of the freight that comes into the country. Like I think RO-RO was nearly double that of LO-LO in 2022. There is rolling stock out there that can accommodate RO-RO trailers on freight trains.

I'd say its a lot more than "some"... And here in lies the dilema.

The height loading is restrictive. Given the issues and the work involved in fix them, its fairly obvious that it would be cheaper just to build new rail.

But no government is gonna go for that.