MYSTIC VALLEY RAILWAY SOCIETY

LINES FROM IRELAND

by James Scannell

May 2025 to June 2025

In 2002 the idea of a metro system for Dublin called Metrolink was first aired which aimed to revolutionize public transport in the city but currently doubts exists if it will ever be delivered given that it is now likely to cost US$25Bn based on documents given to Darragh O’Brien, the current Minister for Transport, and a far cry from the cost cited in 2002 of between US$10Bn and US$14Bn. A possible start for is project could be the early years of the 2030s though promoters of the scheme hope that it will be included in the revised National Development Plan currently in hand.

At the start of May Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail placed an order for 150 freight wagons with British based supplier W. H Davis to replace aging wagons, with scope under the agreement for further wagons over a ten-year term to expand rail freight services, subject to funding and relevant approvals. The total value of the initial contract is in the region of US$50M for the first 150 wagons of the order, which will soon go into production. Iarnród Éireann’s current freight wagon fleet is approximately 50 years old and approaching the end of its operational life. As part of its ambitious freight strategy, the company aims to enhance sustainable transport by expanding rail freight capacity, supporting a more balanced and environmentally friendly freight network in line with national climate action targets. These wagons have the scope to provide capacity to accommodate growing demand in the coming years, subject to further orders. The wagons will be manufactured at W .H Davis’ Nottinghamshire plant in Britain. Their estimated design weight is 17-20 tones, and their payload capacity will be in the region of 62-65 tones an increase of 33% on the current wagons in use. The new wagons will see operational maximum speed increase from 80kmh to 110kmh. With a 10-year framework in place, it sets out the pathway for a significant increase in operation, raising traffic to over one hundred new freight services weekly should the full 400 wagons ultimately be ordered. The first of these 150 wagons is expected to be delivered in Summer 2026 and after a period of testing, commissioning and external safety validation, it is expected that the wagons will enter service during 2027.

In mid-May Iarnród Éireann commenced the formal market engagement to help deliver the DART+ Program by advertising pre-qualification questionnaires (PPQ) for two design and build supplier frameworks to be used across the DART+ Program for the electrification of the extended DART+ network and for civil and structural works. Additionally three separate standalone PPQ notices for Design and Build works have been advertised for – rail systems for DART+ SouthWest incorporating four-tracking between ParkWest and Hueston Station, Dublin, and the remodeling of the Hueston Station track layout; the new Spencer Dock Station in Dublin city centre, and Connolly Station, Dublin, works, including the development of a new station entrance at Preston Street – the current station entrance is in Amiens Street. A further framework PPQ process for signaling work for the DART+ Program is planned in addition to a PPQ for the DART+ Depot which is processed under a separate Railway Order.

The DART+ Program aims to double rail service passenger capacity in the Great Dublin Area from 26,000 journeys per direction per hour to 52,000. The DART network will expand from 50 kilometers to 150 kilometers extending to Maynooth/M3 Parkway, Hazelhatch, Drogheda and Wicklow, and aims to provide a sustainable electrified, reliable and more frequent rail service and in the process improving capacity on all the rail corridors service Dublin, bringing DART travel with all its associated benefits to existing and new communities.

During June Iarnród Éireann unveiled details of the Emerging Preferred Option for Phase 2 of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme which includes proposals for eight new stations, a new fleet maintenance depot and full electrification of the network to support more frequent, reliable and sustainable rail transport for Cork.
Communities across Cork have been invited to give their feedback on the proposed plans, part of the broader Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, which will ultimately provide for trains operating up to every 10 minutes across each of the three commuter lines to Mallow, Midleton and Cobh.

This non-statutory public consultation is outlining proposals which will ultimately, when the full programme of works is completed, support up to 16 million passenger journeys a year once completed, including details on eight new stations for Cork including Blarney/Stoneview, Monard, Blackpool/ Kilbarry, Tivoli, Dunkettle, Ballynoe, Carrigtwohill West and Water-Rock; electrification of the Cork rail network to support a new electric train fleet, reduce congestion and cut transport carbon emissions; a new depot at Ballyrichard More, ideally positioned on the rail network to support planned service expansion and cater for the required electrified fleet; Two strategic Park & Rides at Blarney/ Stoneview and Dunkettle which will streamline connections from surrounding areas; Station upgrades to Mallow, Midleton and Cobh to ensure improved accessibility and provide for expected future capacity increases at these three key stations; better connections supporting more integrated transport options, including Park & Ride facilities, bus services, cycleways and Cork’s future light rail (LUAS); improved accessibility at new and existing upgraded stations to ensure more customers can gain unassisted access to rail services demand.

Also during June Iarnród Éireann unveiled details of its plan to develop a new rail station in the Cabra area of Dublin, on the existing Phoenix Park Tunnel line. Funded by the Department of Transport, through the National Transport Authority, the new station will provide rail access for up to 26,000 people living within one km of the station, offering direct and frequent services to Dublin city centre. The new station will also provide greater connectivity to Commuter stations between Park- West and Newbridge. It will also connect commuters to the south and west of the country, including Cork, Limerick and Galway, via the planned new station at Heuston West, which is to be constructed as part of the DART+ South West project. Services on this line currently run between Newbridge / Hazelhatch & Celbridge and Dublin Connolly / Grand Canal Dock. During the public consultation for the DART+ South West project - which will boost frequency and capacity of services on the route - a significant number of local residents requested that a new station at Cabra be considered. Iarnród Éireann has taken this feedback on board and following feasibility study is now proposing to progress the development of a new rail station in Cabra. Subject to planning being granted, construction of the new station at Cabra will be delivered in conjunction with the DART+ Program works. Iarnród Éireann plans to commence work on a planning application in early 2026.

News from Britain
TfL introduces new measures to halve fare evasion across all its services
At the end of April Transport for London (TfL) announced that it is expanding its professional team of dedicated investigators as part of a bold new strategy to crack down on fare evasion. The team will focus on identifying and targeting the most persistent and high-impact offenders, who cost TfL thousands of £’s Stg in lost revenue each year.

Building on recent successes on the London Underground, this team will expand to cover the Elizabeth line and London Overground before covering all other rail modes. It will also complement the work of TfL’s team of more than 500 uniformed officers already deployed across the TfL network to deal with fare evasion and other anti-social behaviour, keeping staff and customers safe.

The investigations team will take an intelligence- led approach, using advanced tools, including TfL’s Irregular Travel Analysis Platform (ITAP) which uses ticketing and journey data, passenger information, and CCTV to identify fare evaders responsible for the greatest revenue loss. By analysing travel patterns, the team will focus on those who evade fares repeatedly, ensuring they are caught and held accountable.

This approach has seen success on London Underground, where more than Stg £400,000 was awarded to TfL by the courts last year following the prosecution of 360 prolific fare evaders. ITAP complements a range of deterrent measures, including targeted email campaigns warning customers of fare evasion penalties, station interventions, and a register of repeat offenders to prioritise enforcement and potential prosecution.

One major area of focus for TfL’s enforcement teams is contactless payment card fare evasion. In one recent case, an individual used a contactless payment card to evade paying the correct fare across 202 journeys. After investigation, the individual was ordered to pay Stg £1,472 in fines, one of the thousands who are caught and prosecuted each year, resulting in financial penalties and criminal convictions.

TfL continues to tackle blatant fare evasion, such as gate-pushing. As well as creating an intimidating atmosphere for staff and customers, this type of evasion increases risk of work-related violence and aggression for customer-facing teams. In response, TfL is increasing the number of accredited enforcement officers on its network who can refuse entry and remove people from stations, and deploying them to locations with high prevalence of people pushing through gates. TfL is also working to improve wide-aisle gates, which are the main access point for chronic offenders.

Other key measures in the fare evasion strategy include enhanced monitoring and quicker response to emerging fare evasion trends across the network; expanded data collection and analysis to refine intelligence-led enforcement; tailored interventions for each transport mode, and managing known offenders across the network and working with the police to identify the most prolific offenders on social media

Transport for London (TfL) and London Trams celebrate their 25th anniversary together
In May Transport for London celebrated 25 years of modern London Trams and the network’s support of the growth and development of south London, as it launched a customer competition and special 25th anniversary poster campaign. The London tram network originally dates back nearly 160 years, beginning with horse-drawn vehicles. The network was closed in 1952 before modern trams were introduced in 2000 to transform and reconnect communities, re-establish vital transport links and reduce congestion. TfL has managed the services since 2007 and the network now carries more than 17 million passengers every year. The entire fleet is already fully electric, reducing emissions and supporting a cleaner, greener London, and step-free access is available throughout the network. Looking ahead to the next 25 years, planned improvements for London Trams include new vehicles, subject to funding, with multi-use areas, mobile charging points and real-time travel information. The trams will also feature the latest safety technologies, as part of TfL’s Vision Zero strategy.

Midland Main Line Electrification paused
The British Government has paused the third phase of Midland main line (MML) electrification to Sheffield and Nottingham, plus the final phase of the South West Rail Resilience Program (SWRRP), which involves strengthening cliffs at Holcombe as well as pausing. It has also paused York Area Capacity and Performance upgrades, and congestion relief measures at Peckham Rye station, citing cost as the main reason.

Greater Anglia to be nationalized in October
Greater Anglia, which runs trains across the East of England and into London, will be brought under public ownership on October 12th this year. Train services, timetables and station facilities will be unaffected by the transition, and employees’ roles would all transfer across. Greater Anglia runs trains throughout Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, including the Stansted Express airport service.

New London Underground Piccadilly line trains to commence running next year
New Piccadilly line trains, which will transform journeys for millions of customers on one of the London Underground’s busiest lines, will begin operating in the second half next year. These new trains offer ten per cent more capacity, walkthrough air-conditioned carriages, wider double doorways for easier boarding, real-time digital displays and on-board CCTV for added security. The trains are lighter than existing designs, which means they are more energy efficient and provide a smoother ride for customers, consuming 20 per cent less energy.

South Wales Metro – Transformation work continues on the Rhymney Valley railway line
Transport for Wales (TfW) has made significant progress on its intensive eight-month program to transform and electrify the Rhymney Valley railway line. The second six-week railway line closure started on July 19th with no rail services running between Caerphilly and Rhymney until August 31st

Since construction on the upper Rhymney line began in March this year, teams have upgraded over 15 kilometers of railway track. A significant milestone was achieved in June when the last of the 693 planned foundations from Caerphilly to Rhymney was completed. These foundations will support the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) that will power the new electric trains. To date, 466 steel posts have been installed to hold the overhead wires in place, which is approximately 55% of the total number of posts that will be installed along the line.

The previous 6-week closure of the upper Rhymney line which took place in April allowed teams to work more efficiently, with more access to the railway line to carry out these essential upgrades. In late 2024, teams began ground investigations on the Rhymney line. Initially, they faced a refusal rate of 50% for the remaining 333 foundations, meaning that half of the foundations could not be completed in one go. This would have led to costly return visits and more disruptions for local residents. However, increased access to the line during railway closures allowed teams to conduct foundation probing. This process checks the level of bedrock, which helps teams change their approach or design for the Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) system. Adjusting piling methods to suit the bedrock conditions has resulted in the refusal rate dropping from 50% to just 0.3%, with only 10 refusals out of the 333 foundations.

The extended closures on the line have also allowed most of the noisy piling work to take place during the daytime, which has significantly reduced the impact of this major infrastructure project on nearby residents.