Irish Rail Completes Trials of 50% Longer Multimodal Freight Trains

4th July 2016

Irish Rail has recently completed a series of three freight train trials that will enable loads to be increased by 50%. The final trial was a multimodal service from Dublin Port (North Wall) to Co. Mayo. Above is another multimodal train at Belview Port, Waterford. Credit: Port of Waterford

#LongerTrains - Irish Rail (Iarnrod Éireann) reports Multimodal, have recently completed a series of three freight train trials that will enable loads to be increased by 50%.

The final trial late last month involved a multimodal service operated from Dublin Port (North Wall) to Co. Mayo. As previously reported on Afloat the same service conducted its 1,500th train almost a year ago transporting containers.

Until this latest trail, trains on this route have been operated with a maximum of 18 wagons (36 TEUs) and this trial has now pushed the limit up to 27 wagons (54 TEUs).

The train, hauled by one of the class 201 General Motors diesels, the most powerful to operate in Ireland, was 440 metres long with a trailing load of 1,110 tonnes. The train, operated on behalf of International Warehousing & Transport of Dublin (IWT) is the longest commercial freight train to operate over the Iarnród Éireann network.

Recently a trial of an 18 wagons, 390 metres long, 1,100 tonnes pulpwood train also operated successfully between Limerick and Waterford Port.

Longer trains on the network will boost the competitiveness of rail freight to industry. The environmental benefits of rail freight would also be enhanced by operating higher capacity services – currently moving freight by rail instead of road reduces emissions up to 75% per unit, and longer trains could see emissions reduced to as little as one-tenth of the road equivalent.

Iarnród Éireann General Manger, Rail Freight, Glenn Carr said that Iarnród Éireann is currently working with existing customers as well as Freight Forwarders, Ports and the Irish Exporters Association to identify further opportunities and trends for rail freight development within the Irish and European market. In 2015, 96.4 million tonne kilometres of freight were moved by rail in Ireland.

Principle rail freight traffics on the Irish network currently include:

- Container traffic from Ballina to Waterford and Dublin Ports

- Pulpwood from Ballina and Westport to Waterford Port

- Zinc ore from Tara Mines in Navan to Dublin Port

Subject to the successful conclusion of trials, the company expects to begin operating longer freight trains from fourth quarter 2016.

Published in Ports & Shipping

Tagged under

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

Email The Author

Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.