Irish rail fleet and infrastructure plans

Nice to have however not sure cost v benefit stacks up. Over complicating the spec.

Irish Rail inability to source key train-control system parts heightens ‘risk of disruption’

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2026/06/08/irish-rail-inability-to-source-key-train-control-system-parts-heightens-risk-of-disruption/

The Clas 345 inital order was over £1bn for 66 trains. That was topped up by 4 and then 10 as mentioned above.

The 345 are not a fair comparison for Belfast fleet.

It is for EMU version of DART.

The class 897 when ordered was around €50m per train, The cost is it's a CAF model which are terrible for Irish and UK railways. Then Stadler fleet will have a higher speed off wires so that adds costs amoung other things.

The Stadler order is expensive and spec was over complicted but anything is better than a CAF order.

NIR want to run battery at Grand Central to address some issues with some troublesome neighbours

I’m sure Stadler did the numbers on Cork as well, but that would need 25kV and diesel which the Enterprise spec can’t do, you can have diesel battery and 1500v or 25kV battery and 1500v

You are correct about AC/DC split into Heuston.

I am aware of local issues in Belfast but I am sure they could have a plug in facility power while stopped. Everyone knows the noise is not the real issue there.

Multiple NIR units make more noise than DD when stopped.

More going from 6 engines to relying on 2. It might still be a multiple unit but let’s see if they beat ICR reliability.

Anything I have read indicates AC.

I agree dual voltage will be required. Now if only you had those Battery DARTs operating to Hazelhatch and keep all Heuston side under AC. One reason why battery is good unlike using them because you have delayed investment on Connolly routes.

All the Dublin area DART+ stock would be 1500Vdc only (as at present). For long-distance Intercity (and freight) 25kv AC is the way to go, and it's the latter only which would need to be dual voltage.

The UK has high-speed bi mode EMUs (class 800) on the GWR and WCML. So you can go from Euston to Crewe at 25kv, and on to Holyhead using diesel. If this can be done in the UK, it should be doable in Ireland, with its slightly more generous loading gauge.

Sorry, but the units mentioned are electric-diesel bi-modes, and do not have the range-constaint of batteries. For example Crewe-Holyhead, and routes as far as Penzance, which can be hundreds of miles in diesel mode.

"Though having watched videos about the Class 80x, apparently passengers don’t like them, too noisy, etc." Yes, quite apart from the economic and environmental of EMUs, let's hope that passenger preferences will be a further argument for prioritising electrification.

According to this document NIR has already done a feasibility study and business case for electrifying Belfast–Louth.

Crew in Belfast are already deep in 25kV planning. Working out design requirements and regulations

North of Drogheda will be 25kV the exact cut over point will probably be a few km beyond Drogheda

Today is International Level Crossing Awareness Day, and the numbers this year really shocked me and show just how much the Sandymount LC closures are needed.

There have been 31 recorded misuse incidents this year, ALL have been on DART LCs. 4 at Sutton, 6 at Bray, 4 at Sydney Parade, 5 at Serpentine Ave, and 11 at Lansdowne Road.

I thought last year was bad where the Sandymount crossings accounted for about 1 in 6 incidents, however now they account for two-thirds of all incidents on the network! I am not sure what has caused such a large jump at these specific crossings this year (especially when the overall number is the same compared to last year) but there is no way IÉ, the NTA, and the DoT can look at these numbers and not decide these LCs need to removed as soon as possible. Assuming Bray LC is also removed with D+S that is almost 90% of incidents gone!

It is a bit worrying for the LCs that will remain post D+. The Howth LCs especially given their expected frequency, however I'm also concerned about the 2 possible from the Navan line and the Ennis Lane crossing. The same can be said for the 2 CCTV LCs that will remain in cork post-CACR.