Irish Railway Record Society

Journal 147 Irish Railway News

The IRRS Journal contains a wealth of news covering all aspects of Railways in Ireland.

DUBLIN METRO

The Light Rail Project Office has begun preliminary work on the metro and a preliminary public consultation has commenced. Responsibility for the development of the metro will be given to the RPA that the Minister proposes to establish when the necessary legislation has been enacted. The consultation process is being undertaken on behalf of the Department of Public Enterprise by consultants Ernst & Young. The consultation document is available on the websites of the Department and of Ernst & Young.

At the end of June, it was reported in the newspapers that the contract for the Dublin Metro system was expected to be signed in the autumn and that the project could be completed years ahead of schedule. They quoted a IR£5.7 billion (€7.24 billion) price tag at 2001 prices, which is an increase of IR£650 million (€825 million) on the 1999 forecast. As many as 30 major international consortia have already expressed interest in designing, building and operating the project. Consultants Ernst and Young, who are handling the process, have received 100 submissions and 30 of these are described as significant.

It was reported that some of the bidding consortia have said they can build the project ahead of the 2007/8 schedule for the first lines at  a  cost  of  around  IR£2  billion (€2.5 billion). The first phase is expected to be from Dublin Airport to the City Centre. A 23-minute journey time between the city centre and Dublin airport is being quoted, with line capacity quoted at 50,000 passengers per hour. The bulk of the network is targeted for completion by 2010, six years ahead of the original target.

TIMETABLE

The validity of Iarnród Éireann’s InterCity timetable was extended from 10 June to 30 September with some very minor alterations. Similar to previous years, the following winter-only Sunday trains ceased to operate: 12.55 Dublin-Limerick, 17.20 Limerick-Dublin, 15.45 Westport-Dublin, 18.30 Cork-Dublin and 19.07 Mullingar-Dublin. The 17.30 Sligo-Dublin operated up to 24 June. Similarly, the following services were scheduled to operate on Saturdays in July and August: 13.35 Dublin-Tralee, 11.15 Cork-Dublin, 11.25 Dublin-Galway, 11.40 Galway-Dublin and 17.20 Galway-Dublin.

  RAILWAY PROCUREMENT AGENCY
RPA BOARD

An interim Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) board was appointed by the Minister for Public Enterprise on 12 July, pending enacting of legislation in the autumn. The board’s members are Mr. Padraic White, Chairman; Ms. Finola Kennedy, economist; Mr. Tom Wall, Assistant General Secretary, ICTU, a member of the Light Rail Action and Advisory Group; Dr. Margaret O’Mahony, Director of the Transport Study and Research Group TCD; Mr. David Manley, former president Dublin Chamber of Commerce; and Mr. Colin Hunt, Chief Economist, Goodbody Stockbrokers. They held their first meeting on 25 July.

FREIGHT

Withdrawal from Freight            In October, IÉ stated their intention to withdraw from freight carryings that were uneconomic. These included bagged cement, bagged fertiliser, timber and ‘general containers’. However, at the time, no formal decision was made and the Board of IÉ directed that the Company engage in discussions with the Department of Public Enterprise to explore the possibility of securing EU or Exchequer funding for unprofitable freight businesses. The IÉ Board decided that the Freight Division would vacate the Spencer Dock area of North Wall, Dublin, on 1 February in accordance with CIÉs agreement with the developer of the site. They also requested managers to advance existing proposals to develop an alternative location for the container business that would be displaced.

It is understood that contracts for carrying trainloads of containers would still be sought and that the fate of bulk cement traffic depended on commercial negotiations. An IÉ spokesman was quoted in the newspapers as saying the ‘plan recommends an orderly withdrawal from all unprofitable bulk, palletised and container load business following consultation with the various firms concerned’. Notwithstanding the postponement of the formal decision on the plan by the Board, IÉ told staff who maintain wagons that they were going to be re-deployed to other duties. Staff were told that 225 of the freight department's 570 staff would be affected. IÉ forecasted a deficit of €8.5 million for 2001 for the freight division on revenues of €56 million. This withdrawal would leave IÉ with only a handful of freight trains operating including ammonia trains between Cork and Arklow, shale trains from Kilmastulla (Birdhill) to Limerick cement factory and oil trains from Dublin to Sligo. It was also speculated that beer (various Guinness produced products) would transfer to road haulage. Seasonal haulage of sugar beet from Wellingtonbridge to Mallow was expected to continue.

In recent years, IÉ has ceased hauling sundries, scrap metal, grain, molasses, gypsum and tar (to Sligo Quay) and dramatically reduced haulage of bagged cement, bagged fertiliser and containers. Bulk cement is no longer carried to Cabra (Dublin) and Athenry. The Cabra terminal has lain derelict since its closure on 23 December 1999.

The effect of all these withdrawals of traffic means that there are now no trains on the Foynes branch, Kingscourt branch, New Ross branch, between Ennis and Athenry, between Athenry and Claremorris and on Sligo Quay. In 2001, the Foynes branch saw the weed spraying train, a movement of scrap bagged- cement wagons for storage during the summer and an inspection car movement on 8 November. The Foynes branch was closed to all bar ‘Engineers trains’ in December, with the Electric Train Staff for the section held by the Limerick Permanent Way Inspector. Thus, it assumed the same status as the Youghal branch.

The sole active freight only branch is between Drogheda and Platin cement works. Bulk cement continues to be hauled between Castlemungret (Limerick) and the roofing factory at Athy on the stub of the Wolfhill branch, but both ends of the journey are designated as being in sidings.

By December, palletised fertiliser traffic had practically ceased, with the last traffic being cross-border and to Portlaoise. On Wednesday 19 December, 230 + 12 bogies of fertiliser arrived in Portlaoise at 10.15. The next day saw 10 laden fertiliser wagons in Adelaide yard in Belfast. On Thursday 20 December, 10 empty fertiliser bogies were worked to Shelton Abbey, (Arklow) to be loaded for Belfast. Fifty-four empty bogie-fertiliser wagons were observed in North Wall in early December.

On 27 November, the Minister for Public Enterprise told the Dáil: ‘It is the Government point of view, without taking a formal decision, that it would be better to transport goods as far as possible by rail rather than road’. On 6 December, the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, TD, told the Dáil that ‘The Minister (for Public Enterprise) has informed the company … that she does not support its pulling out of rail freight or substantially reducing its contribution in this area as, among other things, it would add more heavy traffic to the streets, as most of the freight work occurs at Dublin’s Spencer Dock site. …The site used by Iarnród Éireann at the docks is to be developed in February and it will have to relocate. This issue arises because it wants to use the site in Spencer Dock for other purposes’. It was also reported in the media that the IÉ plan to reduce rail freight ran counter to EU transport policy.

Timber            
The 07.55 Waterford-Sligo empty timber train on Saturday 29 September consisted of 128+127 + 10 bogies as far as North Wall, Dublin. It left North Wall for Sligo with only 9 bogies the following Monday behind 167+146 and the laden train was observed departing North Wall for Waterford the following Friday 5 October at 13.30 behind 166+176. One hour earlier the same day’s 07.55 Waterford-Sligo empty timber arrived in North Wall with 147+135 + 25 four-wheel wagons. It departed for Sligo at 16.00.

When the existing contract expired at the end of October, IÉ exited carrying timber (cut logs) completely. The final timber train, 081 + 25 four-wheel wagons, ran from Westport and reached Waterford on Saturday 3 November. It had been stabled in the sidings at Portarlington since Thursday 1 November and departed at 10.30 on the Saturday. After having run round, it departed Kildare at 11.15, crossed the 10.45 Waterford-Dublin passenger in Muine Bheag (Bagenalstown) and arrived in Waterford at 13.25.

The last empty timber train from Waterford to Sligo consisted of 166 + 25 four-wheel wagons at 07.55 from Waterford to North Wall on Friday 26 October. The train later departed North Wall at 16.00 behind 080. The laden train departed from Sligo Quay on Sunday 28 October consisting of 127+167 + 6 laden and 19 empty four-wheel wagons. The lead loco went on fire on the steep bank from the Quay and the train was worked to Dublin the following Tuesday. The six laden wagons were attached to the Dublin-Waterford liner on Wednesday evening, with the 19 empties being left in the North Wall. Loco 127 was observed back in traffic on Tuesday 20 November in multiple with 172. It arrived in North Wall at 14.10 to work a mixed cement train of 8 pallet and 12 bulk wagons to Cork, but the pair were defective and were removed to Inchicore.

The last Ballina-Waterford timber train consisted of 10 laden bogie wagons and departed Carlow at 09.00 on Thursday 1 November. It was hauled by a mixed pair of 121 and 141-class engines and crossed the 10.45 Waterford-Dublin in Thomastown. The Ballina, Sligo and Westport trains mentioned above were not unloaded immediately and were observed in various sidings in Waterford the following week.

Redundant bogie and four-wheel wagons were observed in Limerick in November. On Monday 26 November, nine 60-feet bogie wagons were taken to Ennis to have their stanchions removed, before being returned to Limerick Works for servicing. Others had their stanchions removed in Portlaoise. A redundant 10-bogie set of wagons was observed in Waterford in January.

Tara Mines  
Tara Mines announced on 1 November that they were mothballing the Navan mine commencing in mid-November. This was due to the fall in price of zinc ore on world markets to the same levels that existed in 1979. Tara expressed the hope that the mine would only be closed for some months, but stated that any re-opening would depend on zinc prices recovering.

Three trains a day normally operated Monday-Friday to Dublin Port from the mine on the remains of the former Oldcastle branch. Earlier in the year there was even speculation that a fourth train was about to be added after Tara took over the reserves of the adjacent Bula find (See JOURNAL 146). Train frequency fell from early November, with no trains on some days and only one train on others. On Monday 12 November, only the 10.20 Navan-Dublin ran. It consisted of 082 + 6 bogie wagons and arrived in North Wall at 13.05. The last ore train operated on Friday 23 November. It consisted of 072 + 7 laden + 9 empty bogies and departed Navan in the mist at 10.57 to the sound of the locomotive horn blaring as it crossed the viaduct over the river Boyne. This now leaves no trains currently operating between Platin (Drogheda) and Navan.

Sugar Beet  
The annual sugar beet ‘campaign’ began on the railway on Wednesday 3 October and quickly built up to the normal pattern of five laden trains daily from Wellington Bridge to Mallow Beet Factory Sidings. However on Saturday 3 November, six laden trains operated at 10.00, 11.30, 13.10, 14.40, 16.10 and 19.00 from Wellington Bridge. Motive power that day included 145+155, 148+149, 159+189, 080 and 086. All laden trains consisted of the standard 25 four-wheel wagons.  

A laden beet train near Ballycullane (South Wexford line) 22 December 2001
double headed by locomotives Nos. 127 & 165 (Photo: Brian Solomon)

A dispute between beet growers and sugar factory owners Greencore over the price they receive for beet resulted in the farmers refusing to supply beet from Wednesday 7 November. Only one beet train operated on this day and they ceased to operate altogether the next day. The dispute was prolonged and ended on 1 December. Beet trains resumed on Monday 3 December. Services quickly built up to six trains on most days Monday to Saturday. Saturday 8 December saw nine movements in the Wellington Bridge-Waterford section between 09.45 and 16.45, of which five were laden 25-wagon trains. The four empty movements were 35-wagons, 35-wagons, 35-wagons and 4 wagons long. Motive power observed included 160+159, 148+173, 128+175 and 080.

As a result of the growers’ strike, the beet season continued after Christmas and into January. On Saturday 29 December, 163+145 passed Campile with 25 laden wagons at 10.12. They were later observed departing Charleville loop at 15.02 behind the 09.50 Shelton Abbey (Arklow)-Marino Point (Cork) ammonia train.

The next beet movement was 162+169 + 40 empties at Ballycullane at 11.15. As soon as they arrived in Wellingtonbridge, 080 + 25 laden wagons departed, passing Ballycullane at 11.40. More empties passed Ballycullane at 13.55 with 128+166 + 40 wagons. This train had previously been noted at Limerick Junction at 09.10. The next laden train was 169+162 + 25 wagons, which passed Ballycullane at 14.25. Next was a light engine, 082, from Waterford to Wellingtonbridge. Locos 166+128 passed Belview with 25 laden wagons at 15.35.

Cement 
The second Platin (Drogheda) to Cork laden bulk cement train of the day on Wednesday 17 October was noted passing Claude Road, Drumcondra, at 15.30 with 128+129 + 18 four-wheel wagons. The following Friday the same locos had 20 four-wheel wagons on the same train and they departed North Wall at 13.00. By the next day they had moved to hauling beet and were observed arriving in Limerick Junction at 11.50 with just four empty wagons. They were held there until 13.10 awaiting a path as it is no longer permitted to cross trains in Tipperary. At Clonmel, they crossed the first laden beet train consisting of 190+184 + 25 wagons and at Waterford, they crossed the second train consisting of 166+157 + 25 wagons.  

Bagged cement train hauled by locomotive No. 166 at Thurles, 10th December 2001
(Photo: Brian Solomon)

Ex-works locos 123+124 were observed hauling a Platin to Cork laden bulk cement train on Wednesday 24 October. They departed North Wall with 24 four-wheel wagons at 12.55 and were held at Islandbridge until 14.15 due to the number of passenger train movements. They then moved ten miles to Hazelhatch loop, where they were held for more passenger trains from 14.30 until 15.25. It was reported that the train eventually arrived in Cork at 20.30. The same locos were observed working an empty Waterford-Limerick bulk cement on Saturday 3 November.

In contrast, the second Platin-Cork bulk cement train on Monday 17 December was worked sharply. It departed North Wall at 13.00, was looped in Hazelhatch for the 14.05 Dublin-Limerick passenger train and was observed heading south at Straffan at 14.40. It consisted of another ex-works loco 121-class, number 133, which was trailing 141. The train was 17 wagons.

In November, there were three bulk cement trains a day from Platin to Cork along with a bagged cement train daily. The latter generally operated from Limerick to Cork, but in late November, it was running from Drogheda. The former consisted of one bogie and two four-wheel sets of wagons. On Wednesday 7 November, the empty bogie-wagon train was at Kilmallock heading for Drogheda, while the second train, 079 + 16 laden four-wheel wagons, was at Thurles, with the third, 206 + 24 laden four-wheel wagons, at Sallins. The third Platin-Cork laden bulk cement train on Friday 23 November consisted of 222 + 20 four-wheel wagons and was looped for passenger trains in Kildare from 16.35 to 16.53.

The daily Platin-Tullamore bulk cement train resumed operation on Tuesday 4 December at the expense of one of the Platin-Cork trains. A regular pattern of operation emerged with the laden train departing North Wall at 04.15, and departing empty back to Drogheda from Tullamore at 14.05, after the passing of the 12.55 Dublin-Westport. Locos 153+135 were assigned to this train for a period in December and were observed hauling 18 wagons on 10 December, 17 wagons on 11 December and 20 wagons on 12 December.

It was reported that the last bagged cement train from Limerick to Waterford operated in mid-October. This also brought to an end the Waterford-Wexford train and there is now no freight operating on the Dublin-Rosslare line south of Shelton Abbey (Arklow). A bagged cement train operated to Ennis on Wednesday 20 November. It consisted of 145  + 16 four-wheel wagons. There was another one on Monday 17 December and a Limerick-Tralee bagged cement the next day.

A Limerick-Thurles bagged cement train was observed passing Killonan at 13.20 on Friday 9 November. It consisted of 159 + 15 four-wheel wagons. Another Limerick-Thurles bagged cement trains operated on Monday 10 December. It consisted of 166 + 20 four-wheel wagons.

The Limerick-Athy bulk cement train is normally worked by a single 141 or 181-class loco and on occasion by a pair of 121-class locos. However, on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 November, it was worked by 173+156 + 20 wagons. The empty return movement follows the 10.45 Waterford-Dublin passenger and generally leaves Athy at 12.40. On 7 December, it was observed being hauled by the more normal single loco, this time it consisted of 169 + 15 wagons. On the same day the 11.34 Waterford-Limerick empty bulk cement train was 075 + 16 wagons and passed Tipperary at 13.06. It was followed at 14.00 by a laden beet train bound for Mallow and consisting of 159+173 + 25 wagons.

Ammonia
Most ammonia trains are worked by 201-class locos, regardless of size of train. However, the 09.50 Shelton Abbey (Arklow)-Marino Point (Cork) ammonia train on public holiday Monday 29 October was formed by 146+166 + barrier + 4 ammonia bogies + barrier.

Liners  
Work on the yard in Ballina continued through the autumn, with one liner operating to Claremorris nightly departing North Wall at 20.45 (see JOURNAL 146). To compensate for the loss in capacity from the cancellation of the second train, it was necessary to run dedicated ESSO oil trains to Claremorris. One such train operated on Saturday 29 September when 148 + 12 four-wheel wagons + barrier wagon passed Clondalkin empty at 15.30. On Wednesday 7 November and on Thursday 3 January, the laden train operated in the path of the cancelled 19.50 Dublin-Ballina liner.

By December, the yard in Ballina had still not re-opened and traffic continued to be carried on the Dublin-Sligo liners. With Guinness traffic in full swing this liner was often unable to cope with the traffic on offer, as it is limited to the equivalent of 18 bogie wagons. On Thursday 13 December, 20 bogies were on offer and two had to be removed to keep within the limit. Eight of the eighteen bogies were Guinness, with bulk tanks for Ballina accounting for most of the rest. The liner departed at 20.30 instead of 19.00 as a result. The next day, 088 was the motive power and one bogie wagon also had to be removed to keep within this limit.

On Tuesday 17 October, an up liner en route to Dublin, 153 + 21 bogies, was stabled in the up siding in Thurles. The train consisted mainly of Yang Ming containers and empty Guinness wagons. Yang Ming containers also featured on a Cork-Limerick liner on Saturday 22 December. It consisted of 150+160 + 16 bogies and departed Limerick Junction at 10.00 for Limerick.

On Thursday 22 November, the 14.00 Dundalk-Dublin North Wall liner was formed by 127+172 + 3 bogies + 18 four-wheelers, including 6 bulk cement wagons from Belfast. The cement wagons were dropped off in Drogheda and the train was subsequently looped in Skerries for the 14.10 Belfast-Dublin Enterprise and 14.52 Dublin Pearse-Mosney. The Pearse-Mosney train operates northbound over the up line between Skerries and Balbriggan to allow the 15.20 Dublin-Belfast Enterprise overtake it. On Tuesday 27 November, the same liner consisted of 127+151 + 7 bogie + 19 four-wheel wagons.

The Dublin-Waterford Norfolk liner normally runs one day per week on Friday ex-Dublin and on Monday ex-Waterford. The Friday train is routed via Carlow and the Monday train runs via Limerick Junction. Unusually, the southbound train ran on Tuesday 2 October instead of the previous Friday. It departed North Wall at 19.00 and consisted of 153+175 + 18 bogies. On Friday 26 October, it consisted of 144+172 + 18 bogies, while on 23 November it consisted of 185+187 + 18 bogies and passed Athy at 13.43. The 12.05 Dublin-Cork liner was 211 + 15 bogies and passed Portlaoise at 15.30. The Norfolk liner on Friday 30 November departed North Wall at 12.55 behind 184+133. However, these locos experienced difficulties and were replaced at Heuston by 234, from where the train departed at 15.08. The 12.05 Dublin-Cork liner departed North Wall at 12.30 and consisted of 232 + 15 laden bogies.

The 21.30 North Wall-Limerick and 21.10 Limerick-North Wall liners are scheduled to meet in Portlaoise to exchange drivers. On Thursday 29 November, this occurred at 23.20 with 201+19 bogie+3 four-wheel wagons on the down liner and 232 + 20 bogies on the up liner.

The 20.10 Dublin-Waterford and 22.00 Waterford-Dublin liners cross in Kilkenny each evening. The up (northbound) train normally arrives first and on Monday 19 December it arrived early at 22.16 with 220 + 6 bogies + 13 four-wheel wagons. Twelve of the latter were wagons containing kegs of Smithwicks, which is brewed in the Cherrys brewery in Waterford. It shunted its train and picked up 10 four-wheel wagons containing kegs of Budweiser, which is brewed at the Smithwicks brewery in Kilkenny. This made the train the equivalent of 35 four-wheel wagons, which is one less than the limit for the line. The down train was 078 + 1 bogie + 12 four-wheel wagons and arrived at 23.08. The drivers changed over and the up train departed immediately. The down train set down 6 four wheel wagons and, after shunting the bogie wagon to the front, it departed for Waterford at 23.27. Neither train carried any Guinness kegs, as they are road hauled from Dublin to both Kilkenny and Waterford, despite their generally being plenty of space on the trains. In this JOURNAL, it is normal to refer to all such traffic generally as Guinness traffic regardless of the type of beer carried.

On Thursday 13 December, the 12.00 North Wall-Sligo ESSO train consisted of 135+153 + barrier wagon + 19 oil wagons and was observed passing Broombridge at 12.15. The 14.00 Dundalk-Dublin North Wall liner on Thursday 20 December passed Dromin Junction with 085 + 4 bogies + 9 empty Guinness 4-wheel wagons + 5 empty 4-wheel bulk cement wagons.

Guinness specials operated on the approach to Christmas. On Christmas Eve, 082 + 21 four-wheel wagons passed Portlaoise at 12.29 on a Dublin Heuston-Cork special. The connecting train was the 12.00 Limerick-Limerick Junction, consisting of 162 + 3 bogie wagons. It was held at Killonan Junction at 12.26 and again at Dromkeen to cross a total of three passenger trains. One of these was the usual Mk III push-pull set 6104 + two, but with loco 124. This loco, which was ex-works in November, replaced loco 131 as the regular loco on this shuttle as the latter had suffered fire damage.

It is not uncommon for some of the Friday evening liners to be left in sidings to be worked to their destinations the next day. Such was the case when 127+165 + 14 bogies + 9 four-wheel wagons were worked from Limerick Junction to Dublin on Saturday 29 December. They were looped in Ballybrophy for the 14.25 Cork-Dublin passenger train.

Other  
In Dublin Port, Coastal Containers have expanded their business and moved from the rail-connected former-British Rail container depot on the north side of the river Liffey to a larger depot on the south side of the river. The new depot is not rail connected. The old depot was generally served by a 15-bogie train each day and this was incorporated into the 23.20 Dublin-Cork liner each night. It was reported that containers continue to be carried by rail, but are road-hauled to the IÉ depot in North Wall. The old depot is now completely out of use and a fence is erected across the rail line.

In December, Dublin Port invited tenders from consultants to report on the feasibility of establishing a container storage facility ‘on the periphery of Dublin City close to the M50, connected to Dublin Port preferably by rail.

Copyright © 2002 by Irish Railway Record Society Limited
Revised: March 01, 2009 .