Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) - Iarnród Éireann Operational Details - E

Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) - E

Iarnród Éireann Operational Details

The Enterprise route (Dublin to Belfast) is well regarded. However, it is only double track and serves both local and intermediate Commuter as well as InterCity traffic. Hence any delay has knock-on effects. Also, there is limited platform availability at Connolly Station in Dublin. There was also a persistent problem with engine overloading, as Enterprise locomotives also supplied coach power. However, since September 2012, additional power is provided by separate Mark 3 generator vans.

The Cork-Dublin route was formerly the "premier line" of the Great Southern and Western Railway, one of the biggest pre-CIÉ operators. Rolling stock on this route consists of Mark 4 trains, which were built in Spain, complete with DVTs for faster turn-around. 22000 Class DMUs built in South Korea came into service from early 2007 replacing older coaching stock on most other InterCity routes. These 183 carriages are described by the company as the "Greenest diesel trains in Europe".
The former Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey TD had announced that an additional 51 railcars had been ordered for the company for a planned introduction on services between Dublin, Louth, and Meath. They were placed into service in 2011/2012 but this plan was badly affected by the recession with 21 surpluses to requirements at the end of 2012.

The maximum operational speed of InterCity trains on the IÉ rail network is 160 km/h (100 mph), although the design speed of the Mark 4 carriages is 201 km/h (125 mph).

Since 2019, Irish Rail has been trying to recruit more female drivers.

1916 Station Renaming

Although the majority of Iarnród Éireann's stations are simply named after the towns they serve, a number of stations in major towns and cities were renamed after leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, on its 50th Anniversary in 1966:

Dublin Connolly (formerly Amiens Street)
Dublin Heuston (formerly Kingsbridge)
Dublin Pearse (formerly Westland Row)
Dún Laoghaire Mallin
Bray Daly
Cork Kent (formerly Glanmire Road)
Kilkenny MacDonagh
Limerick Colbert
Tralee Casement
Dundalk Clarke
Drogheda MacBride
Sligo Mac Diarmada
Galway Ceannt
Waterford Plunkett
Wexford O'Hanrahan

Iarnród Éireann Network Catering

IÉ's Network Catering unit used to provide a trolley service of food and drink, a snack car and (on some routes) a restaurant service. It also operated a restaurant at Dún Laoghaire. According to Iarnród Éireann's annual report, the unit lost €297,000 in 2004. In 2006, Iarnród Éireann outsourced the catering on the Dublin-Belfast service to Corporate Catering Ltd, and all InterCity services were taken over by Rail Gourmet in March 2007. Rail Gourmet withdrew from the contract in 2020, and no longer provides catering for any Irish Rail services.

In 2023, a contactless-only catering service began on the Dublin-Cork route.

Iarnród Éireann Overview

Iarnród Éireann Type: Subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise

Iarnród Éireann Industry: Rail transport

Iarnród Éireann Predecessor: CIÉ Railways Division (1945-1987)

Iarnród Éireann Founded: 2 February 1987

Iarnród Éireann Headquarters: Connolly Station, Dublin 1, D01 V6V6, Ireland

Iarnród Éireann Area Served: Ireland

Iarnród Éireann Key People: Jim Meade (Chief Executive)

Frank Allen (Chairman)

Iarnród Éireann Revenue Increase: €297.4 million (2019)

Iarnród Éireann Operating Income: Increase €529 million (2019)

Iarnród Éireann Net Income: Increase €4.2 million (2019)

Iarnród Éireann Owner: CIÉ (100%)

Iarnród Éireann Number of Employees: 3,897 (2019)

Iarnród Éireann Parent: Córas Iompair Éireann

Iarnród Éireann Subsidiaries: InterCity

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