A wide variety of hauled coaches have been used on the railways of Ireland. This page lists all those that have been introduced in Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland since 1945.
Republic of Ireland
When formed in 1945 Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) must have inherited from its constituents, with few exceptions, the most rag - bag collection of coaching stock imaginable, some of which would not have been out of place in a transport museum, indeed many were over 40 years old, some even older, and these had to be kept in work until a programme of replacement could be found.
CIE, which controlled the Republic's railways between 1945-86, and its subsidiary, Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) which took over in 1986, have made great use of hauled coaches, though in recent years IE has turned increasingly to multiple units to replace old locomotives and coaches. IE and NIR jointly own the current stock used on the Enterprise services between Dublin and Belfast, with IE nominally owning the odd-numbered vehicles and NIR the even-numbered ones, though all are painted in the same Enterprise livery.
"Park Royal" stock
In 1955 Inchicore Works commenced the construction of 50 coaches from parts supplied by the Park Royal Works in London. These coaches made full use of the Irish loading gauge and were 61 ft 6 in long and 10 ft 2 in wide, reduced by 8" at their ends. They were, because of their aluminium and steel construction, only 26 tons tare (Suburban) and approx. 27 1/4 tons tare (Main Line). Unusually these coaches had inward opening doors, similar to the American "Pullman" design but this was unpopular and somewhat confusing to the passengers, and they were rebuilt conventionally. The suburban coach had seating for 82 passengers while the main line coach, fitted with lavatories, had seats for 70. These coaches rode on Commonwealth bogies[1], the first in Ireland to be so fitted, which were of a cast steel construction and originated in the United States but were made under licence in England by the English Steel Corporation / English Steel Castings Corporation, at their River Don Works, Sheffield. During the early 1990's the "Park Royal" stock fell from use and was barred from certain routes. The stock lasted just long enough until, in 1994, the delivery of the first of Japanese DMU's arrived in Dublin, before being withdrawn.
Livery
When built these coaches received the standard CIE green livery (often referred to as "ivy - leaf green). In the early 1960's, as they passed through works they were given the new black / tan / white colour scheme (See : Craven's stock / livery)
Mark 1 ("Craven's Stock")
In Spring 1961 the CIE sought tenders for 40 new second class coaches, 10 of these were to be delivered complete with the suppliers then providing technical assistance to enable the assembly of the remainder, which were to be delivered "part-finished", at Inchicore. The contract, worth over £500,000 (sterling), was awarded to Cravens of Sheffield for a variation of the British Railways Mark 1. It was reported that these new vehicles "would set a pattern for future construction of CIE carriage stock." The first of the Sheffield-built coaches was unloaded at the North Wall, Dublin on 3rd May 1963 and taken to Inchicore for acceptance.
These new coaches were built with light alloy bodies on steel underframes and fitted with Type B4 bogies, a type tried and tested by BR before crossing the Irish Sea. The B4 bogie was of a fabricated steel design with fitted Roller bearings similar to those on the commonwealth bogie. Again, the springs were of the coil type, but now two were fitted above each axle as opposed to two as seen on the commonwealth bogie.
Each coach was fitted with 64 seats, eight bays of four seats around a table either side of a central gangway, and had two toilets situated at one end. The interior made great use of laminated plastics, creating a light and airy feel. They were also fitted with a central fluorescent light along their length, the first coaches in Ireland to be so treated, this fitting incorporating a loudspeaker for the on-train public address system. To reduce noise and add insulation the coaches were fitted with double-glazed window units. They were 61 ft 6 in in length and 9 ft 6 in wide and each weighed 30 tons.
During early 1963 Inchicore commenced construction of two new first class coaches to a style similar to, but not connected with, the Cravens contract. These coaches were built with an open plan format, fitted with double-glazing and air conditioning. They were numbered 1145 and 1146 and were the only post-war all-first class coaches to be added to the stock, their immediate predecessor, numbered 1144, was built in 1935.
Livery
The Sheffield built coaches were outshopped and delivered in the new CIE livery of tan(brown/orange) below the waist, black on the central panel, around the windows and on the ends, and between the upper window and roof a broad (6"/150 mm) white band. Large, white, class numerals were applied to the doors. The two Inchicore First Class coaches were treated the same way. Later still, believed in the early 1970's, a thin white band od approx. 1" / 25 mm was added to all stock on the waistband, separating the tan and black sections.
On 2nd April 1964 the new coaches were demonstrated to the press and saw their first public outing, on 10th April, working the 18.30 Dublin to Cork train. As of 2006, the old Mark 1 type (Craven) coaches have been almost completely phased out, their final regular duties being the covering of the "Fridays Only" workings from Dublin Heuston to Cork, Galway and Limerick and their return. They are also occasionally used for special and once-off services, coordinated around rugby union and football matches.
Mark 2
In 1972 the CIÉ placed an order with British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) for 72 new coaches to be based on the British Rail Mark IId design. These were built at the Litchurch Lane workshops in Derby. With air conditioning as a principal feature they became known as “AC Stock” and ran on BR B4 bogies, converted to 5 ft.3ins. (1600 mm) Irish Standard gauge, and were fitted with vacuum brakes.
CIÉ locomotives, prior to the introduction of the Class 201, were not fitted to supply power for heating and lighting and therefore trains made up of AC Stock normally include an electric generator van (EGV).
The order consisted of 6 First Class coaches, numbered from 5101 to 5106; 9 Composites, (5151-5159); 36 Standard Class (2nd), (5201-5236); 11 Restaurant / Buffet / Standard Class (5401-5411) and, to supply the heat and light, 11 Electric Generator Vans, originally classified as "Heating Vans", (5601-5611).
To accommodate changes in traffic, five of the Composites, 5153-5156 and 5158 were re-classed as "Standards", while one of the Restaurant / Buffet / Standards, No.5408, was converted to the Presidential Coach.
They are still running the mid-day Intercity routes to Galway and Limerick, but are expected to be phased out in late 2006.
Mark 3
Mark 3 Coaches were first introduced on the CIE system in 1986 and currently serve the intercity routes of Cork, Dublin, Belfast and Galway. The decision to purchase a new fleet of modern Intercity coaches based on the British Rail Mark 3 design was quickly made as a result of several accidents involving the older style coaches. These coaches were already a well-proven design having been designed for B.R.’s High Speed Trains (HST) and later adapted for loco-haul and push-pull working.
The first 44 Open Standards were built at BREL’s Litchurch Lane workshops in Derby, along with the Buffets and Electric Generator Vans. The remainder of the carriages were built under licence at CIE’s own workshops at Inchicore in Dublin between 1980 and 1989. All the coaches ran on 5 ft 3 in gauge versions of British Rail’s BT22 Air Suspension bogie [2].
The Mark 3 fleet, as it stands in 2005, comprises 123 standard coaches built in 1980 and 1989 and 9 Mark 3A coaches built in 1986. The majority of these coaches are fully air conditioned and fitted with intercity standard seating. Some however, are push-pull fitted and originally formed part of the suburban rail service. This version has opening windows, forced air heating rather than air conditioning and operates in a formation with a driving van trailer (DVT) at one end and a diesel locomotive at the other. The Irish Mark 3 coaches are similar, but not identical, to their British counterparts. They have a different electrical system (230/400V 50 Hz) and are fitted with automatic swing-plug doors. There are some different internal layouts to cater more specifically for Irish traffic.
The Mark 3A "Cu Na Mara" set, which operates exclusively on the Dublin to Galway route, was originally the BREL International Train, a showcase project designed to secure overseas orders. The set travelled to a German rail exhibition in 1988, returning without any new orders and languished for some years before being sold on by Vic Berry. CIE converted the many different interiors to their own standard design, fitted normal Mk 3 doors and re-bogied with ABB bogies. Although wired for Push-Pull operation the fact that the "10 th coach" wasn't converted to a DVT prevented the set from ever running in this configuration
The plug door design found on the CIE Mark 3 coaches also found it's way onto the British Rail Class 442 long distance commuter train.
De Dietrich Stock
Following the introduction of the new Class 201 locomotives, the jointly operated " Enterprise" service between Dublin and Belfast was upgraded with new coaching stock from French trainmakers De Dietrich Ferroviaire.
The coaches are divided into Standard class, with 2 + 2 seating and “First Plus”, with 2 + 1 seating, individual reading lamps and power adjustable seating with "in seat" audio. All coaches are air conditioned, have tinted windows with adjustable blinds, a single wheelchair accessible toilet with baby changing facilities, LED route maps and scrolling information displays.
Although originally ordered as four sets of seven cars, each in-service set comprises 8 cars:
- One DVT (No’s 9001 to 9004), with luggage area, 29 seats & wheelchair area
- One "First Plus" (No’s 9101 to 9104) with 47 seats
- One Café / Buffet, (No’s 9401 to 9104)
- One Standard (No’s 9213 to 9216) with 68 seats & wheelchair area
- Four Standard (No’s 9201 to 9212) with 71 seats.
The odd numbered coaches are owned by IE and the even numbered by NIR
Mark 4 (CAF)
67 Mark 4 coaches were delivered in 2006 from CAF[3]
Although the name "Mk 4" has entered common usage, these trains have no connection to the UK Mk 4.
Capable of withstanding 200 km/h operation, this higher speed would require track & signal system upgrade and provision of a faster locomotive than the current 201 class.
Seating capacity is 493 passengers and the trains will be fully accessible to mobility-impaired customers.
Capable of 10-car operation, each in-service set will comprise of 8 cars:
- Generator Control Car - GC (or DVT)
- One First Class - FC
- One Catering Car - CC
- Four Standard Class - SC
- One Standard End - SCE, with retractible buffers & Drop-head coupling.
Seven sets will operate from mid January 2007 on the Dublin-Cork route on an enhanced hourly clockface timetable. This will allow Mark 3 carriages, currently in use on Dublin-Cork, to replace the older (and tired looking) Mark 2 carriages presently operating the Limerick, Galway and Waterford routes.
Main Features
- Merak HVAC[4]
- Power operated passenger doors
- Fire resistance to BS 6553:1999 Cat 1B
- Public address (PA)
- Closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording, including a forward facing cab camera in DVT
- Exterior & Interior Destination signs
- Seat Resevation system with reserved seating LED displays above each passenger seat. System is updated via Wireless LAN (W-LAN)
- LED Route Maps
- In-seat audio in First Class
- Power operated seating in First Class
- Suspension:
- Primary coil springs & secondary air bags
- Sanding on leading axle of GC & trailing axle of SCE cars
- Scharfenberg coupler[5] between cars, drop-head buckeye couplers[6] each end
- Wheelchair area & accessible toilets to UK Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regs.
Mark 4 DVT
- Merak HVAC, driver's cab
- Fault Diagnotic system, displayed on monitor in GC
- Luggage Compartment
- Fire Suppression System
- Generators:
Liveries since inception of CIE
Carriages were originally dark (malachite) green, pale (apple) green broad stripe above and below windows and the flying snail emblem. A lighter shade with a pale green waist came in with Park Royals in 1955. At the end of 1955 unpainted aluminium coaches were introduced with large red 1s and 2s to indicate class and small red running nos. From 1958 all carriages were repainted standard green.
A radical new livery was introduced, with the coming of the "Craven's Stock", in 1961 with deep orange (golden brown / tan) lower panels, black upper panels, roofs and ends and a broad white band, approx. 6 inches / 150 mm wide between the windows and the roof. On re-branding as Irish Rail in 1988, this wide white band was replaced by two narrow bands of white,c.76mm, on each side of the black portion. The words “InterCity” were added in large white lettering on the lower brown section. Craven coaches and ex-BR MkI generator vans were not re-branded. These continued in CIE black and golden brown but the white lining was changed to the narrower style on their next works visit. In the early 1990's, the golden brown was replaced with a brighter orange and the stylised IE icon replaced the I.R. track logo.
Because of the shared nature of the service the Enterprise has its own unique livery comprising of Dark Grey (NCS 8502-Y), Light Grey (NCS 5502-Y), Dark Green (NCS 9005-G20Y), Bronze strip & Enterprise logos (3M), and either Purple (NCS 5040-R40B) for standard class or Dark Red (NCS 4060-R10B) for First Plus.
A new livery that harks back to the original concept is gradually working its way through within the next few years. This is a green and silver livery of Fern Green (NCS4550-G), Grey (RAL 7000), Yellow (Ral 1021), Black (RAL 9005), Green (NCS 7020- B70G), Yellow Green (NCS 1070 G60Y) & Silver (761) that can be seen on the Mark 4 coaches/DVT being introduced in 2006.
Wagons were reddish brown, departmental stock grey.
Northern Ireland
Although the majority of passenger services in Northern Ireland have been worked by diesel multiple units since the mid-1950s, a number of hauled coaches have been required under the tenure of both the Ulster Transport Authority (1948-1966) and Northern Ireland Railways (since 1967). From 2001, all items of rolling stock in use on NIR had 8000 added to their number so as to be part of the Translink number series, which incorporates their road vehicles. The table below lists the hauled passenger coaches currently in service, excluding the "De Dietrich" stock jointly owned with IE for operating Enterprise services between Belfast and Dublin:
| NIR Number | Introduced | BR Number(s) | Built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 911 / 8911 | 1981 | 14104 | 1969 | Generator Van (ex-Mark 2B BFK) |
| 8941 | 2001 | 6089 / 72634 | 1974 | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 8318) |
| 8942 | 2001 | 6098 / 72637 | 1974 | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 8318) |
| 8943 | 2001 | 6082 / 72605 | 1974 | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 8305) |
| 8944 | 2001 | 6080 / 72609 | 1974 | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 8305) |
| 8945 | 2001 | 6017 / 72626 | 1974 | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 8314) |
| 8946 | 2001 | 5974 / 72627 | 1974 | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 8314) |
| 8947 | 2001 | 6078 / 72646 | 1974 | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 8319) |
| 8948 | 2001 | 6081 / 72647 | 1974 | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 8319) |