Last update for this page: 22 July 2010.
National Railway System: Iarnród Éireann
Official Website: www.irishrail.ie
Language: English. Gaelic (also known as Erse) is spoken in some rural areas, but is quite widely used throughout the country for names of places and institutions, including Irish Railways.
Currency: Euro
UIC Code: numeric 60; alpha IRL
| Journey Planner: | www.irishrail.ie/your_journey/timetables.asp |
| Downloadable Timetable: | www.irishrail.ie/your_journey/printed_timetables.asp |
| Printed Timetable: | Usually issued annually each December but only as route leaflets. In English. |
| Engineering Information: | www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp |
Gauge: 1600 mm (5 feet 3 inches)
Electrification: 1500 V dc (DART suburban system in Dublin)
Rule of the road: Left
Other passenger railways: None
Tourist lines:
Some of the more remote lines may be irregular in operation so it is as well to enquire about dates and times of operation before visiting. There are other shorter lines.
Metro: None, though the DART suburban system has metro characteristics
Trams: Dublin (LUAS)
Recent and future changes:
The Irish railway system was allowed to deteriorate for many years, but in the last decade extensive upgrading and modernisation has been carried out on the majority of the passenger system and there have been extensive purchases of new rolling stock (mostly multiple units). The DART suburban system has been extended to Greystones and Malahide. A light rapid transit system - LUAS (Irish for "speed") - has come into operation in Dublin and will continue to extend. Also in Dublin, a commuter line from Glasnevin Jn to Docklands opened in March 2007. A section of the former Youghal branch line reopened between Glounthaune (formerly Cobh Jn) and Midleton in July 2009 as did [Limerick -] Ennis - Athenry [- Galway] in March 2010. Works to enable re-opening [Dublin -] Clonsilla - Dunboyne - Pace (part of the former Navan line) are well under way for forecast opening date late 2010. Beyond that, other mooted (some much publicised) line re-openings are by no means certain, apart from linking routes in inner Dublin, because - unfortunately - a special review of Government expenditure published in July 2009 suggested examination of closure (apparently completely) of the following lines: Limerick Jn - Waterford (excl.) - Rosslare Strand; [Limerick -] Killonan Jn - Ballybrophy; Manulla Jn - Ballina, and that no further development should take place of Western Rail Corridor beyond the [Limerick -] Ennis - Athenry [- Galway] section mentioned above. IÉ have proposed withdrawal of the vestigial Rosslare Strand - Waterford passenger service (there is no freight service over the line) from 21 July 2010; as explained in their announcement, this does require formal approval.
IÉ's freight operations are now very limited. Bord na Mona, on the other hand, is one of the largest narrow gauge freight operations in Europe - principally moving peat (turf) traffic to power stations. Indeed, they ceased operating their Clonmacnoise & West Offaly Railway tourist passenger service because of the high volume of peat traffic.
Special notes:
In addition to universal "Standard" (formerly Second) class, "First" class is available on principal trains on the routes between Dublin and Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway, while "Premium" class (partner NIRailways call it "First plus") is available on principal trains on the international route between Dublin and Belfast.
There are no overnight services in Ireland.
Maps:
S.K. Baker's "Rail Atlas of Great Britain & Ireland", which is widely available in the UK, shows Irish Railways at 1:1,070,000. A volume of detailed layout plans for the whole of Ireland is published by Quail Map Co. An historical compilation - "Johnson's Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railway of Ireland" (1997) - is now out of print, but worth seeking in second hand bookshops. For a handy on-line map of Ireland's railways go to bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_british-isles.php.
Last complete update 2 & 4 July 2007. Further amendments: "Tourist Lines" and "Recent and Future Changes" amended (26 October 2008, 20 November 2008 and 13 December 2008); "Official Website" added, "UIC Code" amended (14 December 2008); "Tourist Lines" and "Recent and Future Changes" amended (4 December 2009); "Timetable" amended (10 January 2010 and 16 January 2010); "Tourist Lines" and "Recent and Future Changes" amended (16 March 2010, 12 May 2010 & 9 June 2010); "UIC Code" amended (22 July 2010).
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