[PR] Irish Rail fuel efficency

[Inniskeen]

As you say, no big surprise as this has been in the offing for at least two years. Would expect many Heuston sets to reduce to 4 car and for 4 car sets to replace most of the remaining mark 4 services. Would also expect some shrinkage on the Sligo line, 1600 to Sligo or 1805 to Longford hardly need to be 6 cars. Same probably applies to the 1905 Sligo.

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

As you say, no big surprise as this has been in the offing for at least two years. Would expect many Heuston sets to reduce to 4 car and for 4 car sets to replace most of the remaining mark 4 services. Would also expect some shrinkage on the Sligo line, 1600 to Sligo or 1805 to Longford hardly need to be 6 cars. Same probably applies to the 1905 Sligo.

It will be interesting to see how they work it out. Ideally full benefit won't be seen until the 2014 timetable as dropping capacity on some intercity services out of Heuston in the evenings will result in problems for commuter stops, it could well result in another 18.35 Waterford service unless they are carful how they introduce it.

The 2 car DART's are a welcome for off peak services.

[Jamie2k9]

Can anybody confirm if 4 car trains are in service, almost certain The 15.05 from Galway was a 4 car and there was a 7 car set arriving in Heuston as I passed.

[Mark Gleeson]

4 car has been certified for operation

[joey]

A 9 carriage 22k set, how is this configured, 3x3 carraige sets together?

and the 7 carriage set?

Any danger of the 0800 ex Dublin weekday service being upped to a 4 carriage set, given previously a 3 carriage set was operating the 0700 and a 6 carriage set operating the 0900 - which were amalgamated to form the now 0800 service

The now 0800 is a reasonably busy service and, this is the first westbound after Maynooth in the mornings.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by joey

A 9 carriage 22k set, how is this configured, 3x3 carraige sets together?

Likely a 6+3.

and the 7 carriage set?

4+3

[Mark Gleeson]

Any combination is possible up to a max of 9 in service. But you cannot couple two A2 cars together. Thats unlikely to happen as A2 is the first class coach. But a train can have two A2 cars provided they are not nose to nose

Emergency allows for a monster 18 coach train, but obviously you loose seat reservations, and the in cab CCTV system will be confused if you do that.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

Likely a 6+3.

4+3

Currently a 9 pce set can operate either as 6 + 3 or 3 x 3.

Once the reconfiguration happens there will be no 6pce sets left so your possible configurations will be:

3pce
4pce
6pce - 2 x 3pce
7pce - 4 + 3
8pce - 2 x 4pce
9pce - 3 x 3pce

8pce or 9pce sets can realistically only operate from Dublin to Cork or Dundalk, or to Galway excluding Clara.

The reconfiguration has not started yet (other than for testing), and will take quite some time to complete when it does start.