Freight rail in Ireland

So the N Wall development is a temporary arrangement?

No. They'll seek to make it permanent, with other additional plans for connecting the port to North Wall yard.

Is any company making / using modern road railer type systems, I doubt we have the clearances for shipping containers, but for bulk trailers for grain or flat beds for pallets of fert. - maybe ?

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail has today agreed a framework with UK-based supplier W.H Davis for freight wagons for the Iarnród Éireann network. An initial order for 150 wagons is to be placed to replace aging wagons, with scope under the framework for further wagons to expand rail freight services, subject to funding and relevant approvals.

The total value of the initial contract is in the region of €44million for the first 150 wagons of the order, which will soon go into production.

Iarnród Éireann’s current freight wagon fleet is approximately 50 years old and approaching the end of its operational life. As part of its ambitious freight strategy, the company aims to enhance sustainable transport by expanding rail freight capacity, supporting a more balanced and environmentally friendly freight network in line with national climate action targets. These wagons have the scope to provide capacity to accommodate growing demand in the coming years, subject to further orders.

The wagons will be manufactured at W.H Davis’ Nottinghamshire plant in the United Kingdom. Their estimated design weight is 17-20 tonnes, and their payload capacity will be in the region of 62-65 tonnes an increase of 33% on the current wagons in use.

The new wagons will see operational maximum speed increase from 80kmh to 110kmh. With a 10-year framework in place, it sets out the pathway for a significant increase in operation, raising traffic to over one hundred new freight services weekly should the full 400 wagons ultimately be ordered. The first of these 150 wagons is expected to be delivered in Summer 2026 and after a period of testing, commissioning and external safety validation, it is expected that the wagons will go into service during 2027.

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/news/freight-wagon-contract?fbclid=IwY2xjawKFeKdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMM0x1azFqaUlsQU1kUnhWAR7tEXfyF88e4Oz3Lj_4wdQkegV_E6d2xxfbUDZ-JjVTkOzhSo2ty7gTnvsZ9g_aem_vnQgDKpVNfUbJ4KErXThtg

This is good to see. What is the size of the current wagon fleet? Wondering if this fleet is meant to be a 1:1 replacement of the existing fleet or also allow for expanded services. Either way the 400 unit frame work is great and I think is a good sign for the future of rail freight plans, so here is to hoping it works out.

This also gives me high hopes that the order for new locomotives may be coming soon, although Im not expecting them until closer to 2030 when the 071s reach end-of-life.

Rail Freight 2040 and IE say otherwise.

The point of the new locos would primarily be to replace the aging 071 fleet by 2030. This may become less of a problem with a few of the 201s being freed from Enterprise services, however that is only going to free a handful of locomotives and may not be enough to sustain future plans let alone replace the 071s which are almost at end of life. But even then, by 2030 the 201s will be almost 40, still have a significant number required for Cork-Dublin services, and IE may not want to have them in service for 50 years like the 071s.

Also according to Rail Freight 2040, other than replacing the 071s, the primary goal for the new loco fleet is to be bi/tri-mode locos shifting away from diesel units, especially the 2-stroke units like the 071s and 201s.

I don't think we'll have the OHLE in place for a bi-mode loco by 2040.

It depends on the service. Anything operating under the GDA would benifit from it. In particular Tara mine services could be operating almost completely under OHLE power when the Navan extension is complete, and the current timeline for the Navan line puts its completion shortly after when the new locos would be introduced.

As for the rest of the network, yes it would likely be primarily operating under diesel power, but that is the point of the bi/tri-mode loco. Operate under electric power where possible and diesel otherwise.

Has the Foynes line been connected to the network in Colbert yet?

I had just been listing the currently active fleet as that would be what the order would need to replace to maintain the existing level of service if the entire fleet were to be replaced.

Most of the LP wagons have been retired (im assuming from old age and/or lack of service?), even though only 38 are currently in service (maybe 39 I missed on that is listed as "Operational as Shunting Vehicle") there are over 150 units listed. Additionally a handful of LXs appear to have been retired as well.

However if a number of the wagons are much younger like you say they may wait until a later order to start replacing them. The one though I did have however is if all the current wagons are limited to 80km/h, they may just consider replacing the entire fleet now to standardise the fleet as being capable of 110km/h.

I will be curious to see how they approach the capacity issue, that didn't even cross my mind. I don't really know enough about freight to say anything though. They probably have a plan, even if its not a particularly good one, I think we just need to see what they have ordered first.

Doyle Shipping Group don’t want to pay to transport the containers between the docks and the new terminal in North Wall. Gone to the minister at the moment.