Operations 168

Irish Railway Record Society

Journal 168 Operations

TIMETABLE

From October, the Mondays-Fridays 09:40 Bray-Howth, 11:02 Howth-Bray, 20:15 Bray-Howth and 21:33 Howth-Bray were cancelled. This left a 46 minute gap in northbound services from Connolly to the Howth branch from 20:26 to 21:12. On Saturdays, the 09:40 Bray-Howth, 11:08 Howth-Bray, 11:08 Bray-Howth, 12:25 Howth-Bray, 19:15 Bray-Malahide and 20:30 Malahide-Bray were cancelled.

A new Monday-Friday 22:15 Dublin Heuston-Portlaoise commenced operation from Monday 3 November. It is formed by a 22000-class working to Laois Traincare Depot for servicing and serves Kildare, Monasterevin and Portarlington. It runs empty on Saturdays and Sundays.

The annual timetable change took place on 14 December. Changes were minimal and the new timetable is marked valid ‘until further notice’. The timetable makes permanent alterations made subsequent to issue of the December 2007 timetable in respect of Dublin-Cork, Cork-Cobh, Mallow-Tralee and Mayo line services, particularly at weekends (see JOURNAL 166). No service increases were introduced.

Changes included advancing the 05.15 Cork-Dublin to 05:05, arrive 08:23. All non-peak Docklands-Clonsilla trains are cancelled. There were also cancellations to weekend Maynooth and Longford line services. The 09:45 Connolly-Enfield and 10:48 return is cut back to Maynooth, but is more than made up for by stopping nearly all Sligo InterCity services at both Enfield and Kilcock.

On Sundays, the 16:10 Pearse-Longford and 19:20 Longford-Connolly are cancelled. The ‘boat train’, 08:25 Connolly-Dún Laoghaire is cancelled and the 08:53 Dún Laoghaire-Drogheda now starts from Pearse at 09:15

PASSENGER OPERATIONS

Friday 12 September 076 worked the 17:05 Dublin Heuston-Ennis (Mk III) from Limerick to Ennis and back to Limerick at 20:20.

Saturday 20 September The Kerry Gaelic Football team travelled on the first ICR in passenger service on the Tralee line en route to the All-Ireland Final next day in Croke Park, Dublin. Set 22003 worked empty from Laois Traincare Depot at 09:15 and was observed departing Banteer at 13:47 with the team. The 13:25 Tralee-Mallow was 218 + 3 Mk III push-pull (DT6104) and already had about 270 passengers at Rathmore. The 13:25 Dublin-Limerick was 082 towing 5 Mk III push-pull (DT6101).

Sunday 21 September The following Kerry line football specials operated to Dublin. The 06:40 ex-Killarney was 212 + 7 Mk III + EGV with about 400 passengers and departed Rathmore at 07:06. The 07:00 ex-Killarney was 220 + 6 Mk III + EGV with 350/400 passengers and passed Rathmore at 07:30. The 06:50 ex-Tralee was 221 + 8 Mk III + EGV with about 380/420 passengers and served Rathmore from 07:49/52. The 07:15 Tralee-Mallow regular was a 4 x 2700 with about 160/180 passengers and served Rathmore 08:17/18.

Wednesday 1 October The liner QE2 (70,000 tonnes, 963’ long) paid a ‘last visit’ as a cruise ship to Cobh before being re-located to become a floating hotel at Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. It remained in Cobh overnight and departed at 18:00 next day. To cater for additional passengers, the regular 2-car 2600-class Cork-Cobh railcar was replaced by a 4-car Mk III push-pull (DT6104 and locomotive 219).

Saturday 11 October 075 worked the 16:50 Dublin Heuston-Galway (Mk III set).

Sunday 12 October The Dominican Pilgrimage to Knock ran from Waterford to Claremorris at 07:00 using a Mk III set hauled by 205.

Tuesday 14 October 088 worked the 14:35 Dublin Heuston - Galway.

Sunday 9 November 234 + 6 Mk III + EGV worked the 07:45 Westport-Dublin Heuston. 205 + 6 Mk III + EGV worked the 14:25 Westport-Dublin and 232 + 5 Mk III + EGV worked the 15:30 Westport-Dublin.

Sunday 16 November 3-car 22009 worked a 13:20 Dublin Heuston - Limerick special for the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team. They had beaten Ireland in Croke Park the previous evening.

Sunday 30 November 074 worked the 19:25 Dublin Heuston-Limerick. 071-class haulage of passenger services is now becoming increasingly rare.

Saturday 6 December An enthusiast special titled ‘Mk III Railtour’ ran Limerick (07:25) – Waterford - Wellingtonbridge – Waterford – Lavistown loop – Kildare – Limerick Junction – Limerick. It was formed by 144+142 hauling push-pull carriages 6311 + 6104. The set was hauled empty back to Dublin Heuston at 17:40 by 079. It had been worked Dublin-Limerick the previous night by 075.

Sunday 14 December The 12:10 Cork-Tralee was 229 + 4 Mk III push-pull (DT6105).

Monday 22 December 079 worked the 9-carriage RPSI Connolly-Inchicore transfer after the finish of the Dublin ‘Santa train’ season, passing Islandbridge at 11:43.

Saturday 27 December 218 + 4 push-pull (DT6105) worked Mallow-Tralee connecting services.

Monday 29 December 3-car 22030, which arrived in Cork from Laois Traincare Depot on Wednesday 24 December, commenced ICR passenger operation on the Tralee line by working the 10:00 Cork-Mallow and 11:25 Mallow-Tralee. The 4-piece push-pull (DT6105 / 218) was also in service on the line at the same time.

Thursday 1 January 204 + 7 Mk III + EGV worked a 14:35 relief from Killarney to Dublin. 224 + 6 Mk III + EGV worked a 14:50 Westport-Dublin relief, but 224 failed near Knockcroghery and was rescued by 087.

Friday 2 January The 13:25 Mallow-Tralee and 15:15 return was worked by 4-piece push-pull (DT6105 / 229). This was one of the last scheduled weekday push-pull workings on Mallow-Tralee line, leaving the Sundays-Only 08:10 Dublin-Tralee and 17:45 return as the sole remaining push-pull working on the line.

Thursday 8 January Following its replacement on Mallow-Tralee services by 3-car ICRs, the Cork based 4-piece push-pull set, (DT6105 / 218) returned empty to Dublin, passing Inchicore at 11:55.

Fuel Savings When DART commenced operations in 1984 and for many subsequent years, significant effort was made to match train sizes to demand. During the day between peak periods and again at evenings trains were split and 2-car sets were the norm in off-peak periods. They were reformed into 4-car trains for peak periods each afternoon and for the next morning. The result was that trains were comfortably filled and it did not allow anti-social elements the run of lightly filled trains. In recent years, 8-car trains have been left in operation regardless of loads. However, with high fuel prices that has now changed. The majority of weekend DART services are now being formed by 4-car instead of 8-cars sets. The majority of off-peak outer suburban trains are also now formed by 4-car 29000-class instead of 8-car sets and engines are now regularly switched off instead of idling in stations.

FUTURE OF FREIGHT

Cork Bulk cement trains have ceased operating to the silo at Kent Station, Cork. The last laden train of 20 four-wheel wagons ran on Wednesday 26 November. Of recent years they had operated from Drogheda several days per week but in the past there were two trains daily into Cork. These trains regularly operated from Limerick, but also operated from Drogheda cement factory.

CIÉ plan to dispose of the freight yard at Kent station for property development and North Esk freight yard in the eastern suburbs on the Cobh line was completely disconnected from the rail network in November as part of the work associated with the Cork-Midleton project. In May 2006, the Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen) had told the Dáil: ‘I am informed by Iarnród Éireann that the works planned on the Cork-Midleton line will have no impact on the North Esk freight facility and the freight yard will remain connected to the rail system’.

There are now no revenue freight trains on the Dublin-Cork line south of Portarlington.

Timber Trains of cut logs, known as timber trains, ceased operating between Sligo and Waterford in December. These trains were normally formed of twelve 60’ bogie wagons and usually operated twice per week, departing Sligo on Wednesdays and Saturdays. At 250 miles, it was one of the longest freight operations on IÉ and there are now no freight trains on the Dublin-Sligo line. Timber trains now only operate from Ballina and Westport to Waterford.

The downturn in construction activity has resulted in reduced demand for cut logs for processing into board. The Waterford factory stopped taking deliveries on several occasions and trains ceased operating in early December for the Christmas period.

DFDS Norfolk shipping line has been taken over by DFDS shipping. Train frequency between Ballina and Waterford has increased and on occasions has reached four trains per week in each direction instead of the normal three. Trains departed Ballina at 12:00 on Mondays and Tuesdays and at 08:15 on Fridays. They ran ‘as required’ at 08:15 on Wednesdays or Thursdays.

Remaining Rail Freight With the ending of Sligo-Waterford timber trains on 11 December (see below), the following were the only remaining freight trains operating in Ireland:

	DFDS containers – 3 to 4 trains per week Waterford-Ballina – 215 miles each way
	Shale – up to 12 trains per week Kilmastulla-Castlemungret – 21 miles.
	Tara Mines – 15 to 20 trains per week Navan-Dublin Port – 50 miles.
	Bulk Cement – 2 to 3 trains per week Drogheda-Tullamore - 98 miles.
	Timber – 4 trains per week Ballina/Westport-Waterford - 211 miles.

The remainder of this article appears in IRRS Journal number 168, published February 2009.