Has NIR ever been asked to extend the Portadown service cross border to provide connection to Dublin-Dundalk suburban, providing more Dublin-Belfast capacity and freeing up seats on existing Enterprise services? Alternatively the extension could be both ways, IE and Translink to Newry with handoff there or IE to Portadown if NIR felt they didn't have enough railcars to manage the extension beyond Portadown.
That might be one way to increase frequency on the route with an eventual aim to end IE railcars beyond Drogheda and use Mk3s to turn Dundalk railcar into more Enterprise services. Maybe the DDs could be bought in full by NIR as their Enterprise fleet and IE using refitted Mk3s as theirs. With seat booking perhaps Drogheda North and/or Dunleer could be opened as a halt but only for services north of Drogheda?
How much alteration would fixing the viaduct require?
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