Irish rail fleet and infrastructure plans

In terms of capital projects on the national rail network, is this the current status?

Greater Dublin Area (GDA)

new DART fleet: framework order signed for 750 vehicles in Dec 2021, of which 185 ordered so far

DART+ west: design done, RO submitted to ABP in July 2022, permission rec'd from ABP in July 2024

DART+ southwest: designed, RO submitted to ABP in March 2023

DART+ north: designed, RO submitted to ABP in July 2024

DART+ south: design and public consultation in 2024

Am I missing anything in Dublin?

Cork city area

Three projects are actually under construction? Thanks to EU funds.

(1) extra platform(s) at Kent station = construction underway

(2) 10km double-tracking from Glouthaune to Midleton: RO granted by ABP in Nov 2023 - has construction started?

(3) re-signalling to ECTS = construction is underway since Jan 2024

Cork area: new stations, electrification = all at early design stage

Around Limerick

Line to Foynes - re-construction is well underway

LJ to Limerick re-doubling: I'm unsure as to its status

New station at Moyross = proposed design published

New station in suburbs of Limerick: I'm unsure about this? Ballysimon?

Other projects

Elimination of LC in north county Cork: huge delays with ABP

Oranmore passing loop 1km and new platform: still no planning application for such a simple project

Ceannt station re-development: construction started in early 2024

Am I missing anything?

No moves on the Navan line?

You'd think the IE engineers should know how to improve the railway - that is their job, isn't it?

Why the need for external consultants?

If the ambition is to always have a pipeline of smaller projects underway, why aren't they developing that capability?

I could tell them that the solution to more capacity is adding passing loops, and/or re-doubling lines.

There you go.

For many stretches of intercity lines, here is the solution: re-double the line, eliminate all LC, add ETCS, max speed 200kph, passive or active provision for electrification.

Galway line: apply above from Portarlington to Athlone and Athenry to Galway

Cork line: apply above to whole line

Limerick: apply above to LJ to Limerick station

Waterford: apply above as far as Kilkenny

Belfast: whole line

I think the value add should be closer to an actual plan then telling IE to add a passing loop in Sixmilebridge (as well as extending the existing platform). As per Moyross (with same company) location and station plan was the outcome.

The money spent on planning a development does seem excessive , proof of whether it is or not can be seen in the time it takes to ultimately be delivered.

2600 class sets in Kent station as of 14:04 today are 2601+2602 2605+2616 2606+2615 2617+2614  2610+2613

219 is the loco at the back/front of the Dublin train. There an ICR set there next to the engine shed.

Would that not increase driver workload? Of course, if Dublin could agree with London that they would legislate ETCS 1 as a sufficient replacement for their signalling system including changing to km, and Dublin throwing in say 50% of the cost, that would simplify matters. But then there would be some voices in NI that would damn that as “increased divergence from Britain, another regulatory Irish Sea border” or whatever

Test train for ETCS doesn't have mph, just kph. I'll have a look and see what's coming on the new trains.

ETCS is always in kph, while running under ETCS the speed limits are shown in the ETCS display so you don't need to do any math or conversion

DART has been fully metric since 1984, ATP display is in kph, OHLE datum is in metres. First revenue use of ETCS will be DART.

On the test train there is a conversion chart on the centre window pillar as once away from ETCS coverage it will be metric speedometer as there is only the ETCS display now.

The analog speedometers fitted across the fleets are dual mph/kph units

Iarnród Eireann tender for Training Lead for new BEMU fleet and ETCS projects;

This is a call to competition by IE for the procurement of a [Training Lead/consultant for the New Dart+ Fleet and ETCS projects] (the “Contract”). [refer to Contract Notice issued in OJEU on 23rd August 2024 IE are introducing a new Battery Electric Multiple Unit Fleet (BEMU) into operation in December 2025. The new fleet comes with various system The Training Lead for the new Dart Plus Fleet and ETCS projects (network wide) will be responsible for developing operational procedures for the DART Plus and all ETCS systems as they are rolled out across the fleet. The role will also involve coordinating, developing, and delivering training programs and modules for these operational procedures to staff.

it's been discussed here before but the 29Ks are in rag order. I think IE had a tender out to replace the floors in them, but they really need a full refurb, and even then they'll still be noisy, smelly clank-wagons.

the future of the 2600s is hard to say.

yes they are 30 years old but they are quite similar to the 2800s which are nearly 25 years old now and both classes likely have quite a lot of life left in them yet.

the electrification/BMUfication will free up 22000s certainly, but how much of an increase in services that will allow is probably unknown at this stage, but it will allow for an increase as suburban runs do require quite a lot of them.

The floors are being renewed as we speak.

On the flip side, the 29k fleet has to be one of the reliable fleet of trains IE have ever bought.

For all the negatives that you posted, that's is a major plus.