There is a certain set operating with one of the end doors out of order for about 8 weeks now.

The lead door in this morning's 0700 Dundalk to Connolly is out of service. Didn't stop it leaving Drogheda at least and it wasn't late so either it entered service that way or they spent no time at all futzing about with it before disabling and carrying on. Handled with no more than the out of order light and an occasional announcement from the driver.

22256 was the carriage.

I wonder if, for the purposes of safety, the driver's cab door counts as an evacuation route. Obviously not accessible to a fleeing passenger under normal circumstances but I'm struggling to think of a case where you'd be headed that direction without the assistance of the driver.

I'm fairly sure an out of service door would still be opened in an emergency by using the normal emergency handle next to it, so the safety aspect should be alright.

Depends on whether the door has been locked off with a carriage key.

"Four Car 22000 Trial"
 

"As part of a trial to test four car 22000 set operation. 6 car unit 22045 has been temporarily reduced to a 4 car set. It operated a trial from Laois Traincare to Thurles today and the return working was pictured at Clonkeen Bridge."

http://smu.gs/12GmJyI

Credit to...The Wanderer.

While this is good news for the Wicklow line, as presumably their 120m or so platforms will accommodate a 4 car 22K, surely this will complicate fleet planning if deployed widely since 4 car sets won't be able to use 90m platforms? Unless someone thinks that the Nenagh 2800s will soon be available for redeployment on 22K services between Limerick and Galway, of course...

we had it last week in the members section.

So will it be two 4 car sets be allowed to operate together or will it always be 4 and 3 car sets.

I think 4 and 3 car sets.

Would they have the power to operate 2 x 4 car sets?

4's and 3's and probably still 6's if they can as some of the 6 car sets/services which i get (not 3+3 sets) get fairly packed.

so it will be an interesting time whilst they get the right sets into the right services

Some lines have platforms long enough to take trains with 9 MkIII carriages. Presumably they will also 2*4 piece ICRs. I would imagine that Sligo might be confined to 4+3. Definite gain should be the Rosslare line: 33% extra capacity will be possible.

BTW what is the total number of 3-piece sets delivered? The IE website it hopelessly out of date (it gives the total as 29!!!).

The page here: http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=123&n=209 doesn't account for the two trains (6 carriages) that were sent back or the final order (51 carriages).

Total is 234 carriages, of which there are 48 3-car sets and 15 6-car sets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IE_2200...#Fleet_details

i would be surprised if you see 7-car (3+4) sets or 2X4 sets. 3,4,6 cars should be enough.

7 car set would solve the problems on the 16.40 to Waterford on Fridays which carries well over 400 passegners most weeks, 2 3 car sets would only leave it with 376 seats compared to the current high capacity sets with 406. Your right though that 7 or 8 car sets will be rare and most liekly only appear Fridays and Sundays.