Tag Archives: Irish Rail

BIG MUSIC WEEK: TRAIN

by
RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ’s Big Music Week was run in association with Iarnród Éireann, which provided a three carriage ICR train for the musicians and their guests. The 22000 Class “InterCity Railcar” is a diesel multiple unit usually used on commuter routes such as Kildare, Portlaoise and Longford to Dublin and on Irish Rail’s intercity routes except Dublin to Belfast (served by the Enterprise) and peak-time journeys from Dublin to Cork. There are 48 of them and they can seat 190 passengers. They are capable of speeds up to 160 km/h (100 mph).

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

The sets were supplied by Mitsui of Japan in an order totalling approximately €400 million. The fleet was built by a partnership between Hyundai Rotem of South Korea and Tokyu Car Corporation of Japan, who supplied the bogies. The first sets were delivered in March 2007. Two of the 3-car sets, 22010 and 22011, which arrived in July 2007, suffered corrosion damage in transit from South Korea. They were returned to Rotem for repair in October 2008, with a revised delivery date. It was later determined that it was uneconomic to repair them and two replacement units with the same numbers were provided at no cost to Iarnród Éireann.

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

The ICRs are divided into three car sets and six car sets, and have two internal configurations. The first 30 units are all three cars, and are all intended for use on Intercity routes, as are ten of the 15 six car units. The remaining five 6-car sets, plus the 17 three car sets ordered in 2008 are configured for long-range commuter services to and from Dublin. Combinations of two 3-car sets, three 3-car sets, two 6-car sets and a 3-car set + a 6-car set are possible. In case of emergency, they can operate in formations of up to 18 cars.

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ Music Train at Connolly Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ Music Train waits at Newbridge Station with regular interCity service to Heuston Photo: © Michael Fisher

RTÉ Music Train waits at Newbridge Station with regular interCity service to Heuston Photo: © Michael Fisher

Features:-

  • Engine: MTU 6H 1800 R83, 12.8 L, 6 cylinder, 483 bhp gross, 386 bhp (288 kW) traction per car.
  • Transmission: Voith T 312 R
  • Top speed: 160 km/h (approx. 100 mph)
  • Body: high quality stainless steel with some corrosion-resistant carbon steel components
  • Automatic PA and information display systems (Supplier: SA Viewcom)
  • Fully air-conditioned (Supplier: Toshiba)
  • Saloon, external view of doors and front-facing CCTV camera and recording system (Supplier: Verint)
  • Catering facilities
  • Individual base seating
  • Fire safety to BS 6853 Cat 1B, automatic fire extinguishing system for engines & fuel tanks
  • All sets feature Irish standard CAWS signalling systems and train radio.
  • The first six 3-car sets fitted with Train Protection and Warning System for operation on Northern Ireland Railways.

    RTÉ Music Train in siding at Carlow Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

    RTÉ Music Train in siding at Carlow Station Photo: © Michael Fisher

Dimensions:-

  • Length: 3-car set, 70 m
  • Width: 2.84 m
  • Height: 4 m
  • Weight: 63 tonne, each car

    Plaque at Carlow Station for Railway Engineer William Dargan Photo: © Michael Fisher

    Plaque at Carlow Station for Railway Engineer William Dargan Photo: © Michael Fisher

Michael Fisher travelled from Connolly Station to Carlow as a guest on the RTÉ Music train and returned courtesy of Iarnród Éireann

NO NORTHERNERS NEED APPLY

by

Euro 2012 logo

The headline looks appealing: win an InterRail trip for two to Euro 2012. Come on you boys in green! Iarnród Éireann is offering Ireland soccer fans the chance to win a trip to the European football championship, travelling overland from Ireland to Poland. The prize includes tickets for two to Ireland’s three Group games against Croatia, Spain and Italy, courtesy of North Dublin Schoolboys & Schoolgirls League and spending money of €1,000. The winner will be accommodated at a campsite at Poznan. Interested? Then all you have to do is to submit a sample blog post about a journey you have taken or a sporting event you have attended. Looks great. But I always believe in looking at the small print (terms and conditions). It seems that if you are an Ireland soccer fan from the six counties of Northern Ireland, then too bad, you can’t apply! Rule 3: “Applicants must be 18 years of age or over, and must be resident in the Republic of Ireland”. So if you are an Ireland fan from Newry, Portadown, Lurgan, Lisburn or Belfast, or perhaps a Derry City supporter following the club in the airtricity League, then sorry, you can’t apply, unless you happen to live in Donegal, Cavan. Monaghan or anywhere else in the Republic. This is a clear case of discrimination, where marketing people have not acknowledged the fact that hundreds of Ireland supporters are resident in some cases a few hundred yards across the border along the railway line between Dublin and Belfast. Yet they are not allowed to enter this competition. If you feel excluded then perhaps you should contact competitions@irishrail.ie and complain. But you need to do so immediately as the closing date for the competition is April 27th. Although I raised this matter with @IrishRail on twitter this morning I have not had any response. Sure I’m only a Northern Ireland resident and of course I would never use Iarnród Éireann or ever think about supporting Ireland as I did at Euro 1988 in Germany……

I can see the Republic of Ireland from here (Co.Tyrone) but I can’t enter an Irish Rail compeition!

UPDATE: As the comments below show, the blog attracted a response within hours from Iarnród Éireann defending the terms and conditions for the competition. The issue was also taken up by other outlets including Slugger and BBC NI News website. After the response from the rail company, the following thought occurred. Their marketing experts in designing a competition for RoI residents ONLY did not take into account natives of counties along the border such as Monaghan who might follow their airtricity premier league team as well as the national side, but who happened to reside across the border eg in Aughnacloy, Ballygawley, Middletown or Roslea. I was therefore glad to see that a Monaghan and border region perspective was added by Frank McNally in An Irishman’s Diary in The Irish Times.