New high-speed Dublin-Belfast train planned

[al2637]

From Ireland.com:

Plans for a high speed rail service that would cut the journey time between Dublin and Belfast to 90 minutes are being drawn up on both sides of the Border.

Keith Moffatt, chief executive of Northern Ireland's transport company, Translink, said it was working with Iarnrod Éireann on an outline "vision 2020" that would provide a non-stop 90-minute service departing at hourly intervals.

The cost of such a service, using 125mph trains and requiring an upgrade of the track, would be around €733 million, he said.

Journey times could be cut to 60 minutes with the use of 140mph tilting trains, Mr Moffatt added, but he expressed doubt that the €2 billion cost would be acceptable to politicians.

Unveiling Translink's vision for the future, he said Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnrod Éireann were working on a scheme to improve the main cross-Border service and that a preliminary report delivered recently confirmed that a high-speed, high-frequency service could be economically viable.

But he said it was all down to a question of money and how much the politicians would provide.

PA

[Mark Gleeson]

Thats recycled and despite the text its more Keith Moffat's vision than NIR, note use of term 'outline'

Given Translink are so broke they can't even maintain the existing track and trains I wouldn't hold out much hope

For the record back in the 1930's a steam engine managed Belfast Dublin in 97 minutes with a stop in Lurgan, best time today is 115 minutes

The real news is two MK3 sets are to be deployed next year to ease the current problems and once the passengers get a spin on the MK3 they will start to complain like mad as finally they will realise the enterprise coaches are in fact horribly uncomfortable

[PaulM]

I'm probably opening a can of worms here but...

It would be nice if they were to do this, upgrade Dublin - Cork and do some track work to allow Cork - Belfast via PPT.

[Kevin K Kelehan]

It would be some service if you could have a train leave Cork bypass Heuston and call at Connolly before the driver went to the other end of the train and went for Belfast.

With a track upgrade could 3 hours 30- 3 hours 40 be acheived?

[MrX]

I think whatever happens the Cork-Dublin-Belfast line should end up with the same stock. Please lets not do another DD enterprise!

What is the max speed of those DD coaches anyway? Thought they were limited to 90mph?

I'd suspect that the plan is to use the CAF design + buy a whole load of power cars for the CAF sets.

As it stands the enterprise is not much faster than a bus.

Are translink that broke?

[Kevin K Kelehan]

Translink can still lever 75% EU subvention given their objective 1 status as can IE if it were to bring Dundalk as a border county an exclusive service to both Dublin & Belfast.