[Article] Old fleet may be recalled for Belfast rail route

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...277443091.html

Old fleet may be recalled for Belfast rail route
CHRIS ASHMORE

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN may have to reintroduce a fleet of withdrawn inter-city carriages that are more than 20 years old as part of its long-stated goal of providing an hourly service on the Dublin to Belfast “Enterprise” service.

In the current financial climate, the cost of buying new trains could be prohibitive, but Iarnród Éireann has a large number of unused Mark III inter-city carriage sets which were withdrawn over the last few years following the arrival of new trains during the Celtic Tiger years.

The Mark IIIs are currently sitting out of service at a number of locations, including Heuston, North Wall, Dundalk and Waterford, and could be refurbished and brought back into service instead of purchasing new carriages.

Asked whether the intention is to buy new rolling stock, or to use the old inter-city stock, Irish Rail spokesman Barry Kenny said: “We are examining both options currently to see how we can best deliver a quality hourly service. This remains the goal of both companies operating the ‘Enterprise’.”

When the “Enterprise” service was relaunched in 1997 with new trains, it was heralded as Ireland’s flagship rail service.

Operated jointly by Iarnród Éireann and Translink, it boasted carriages based on Eurostar comforts. With eight return trains on weekdays, the smart new service attracted an increasing number of passengers.

With cross-Border traffic soaring, the train became the preferred choice for many, with a healthy amount of business traffic availing of the first-class option.

But the service is now increasingly facing stiff competition due to the completion of the Dublin-Belfast road. Journey times by train are still typically two hours or more, and according to the last punctuality survey it was the worst-performing inter-city route.

Business groups on both sides of the Border have called for a non-stop hourly service, with journey times of no more than one hour 45 minutes.