NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS (NIR)

■ 4000 CLASS:

The first revenue earning working by six-car DMU

No. 4017 on the Belfast to Londonderry route occurred on November 1, when the unit worked the 12.10 Great Victoria Street (GVS) and 14.38 return. It then worked the 17.10 ex-GVS and 19.38 return. No. 4017 was subsequently booked to work a diagram which included the above and the 08.00 Portadown to Lanyon Place. No. 4019, the second unit to be extended to six cars, was working driver training trips during early November. It was reported that the unit entered revenue earning traffic on November 18 working the 12.10 GVS to Londonderry. Unfortunately, this was terminated at Bellarena because of late running by an earlier service which had caused knock-on delays. The return service, 14.38 exLondonderry, started from Bellarena. The third extended unit, No. 4015, was working mileage accumulation trips during the period under review. A refreshment trolley service was available once again between Belfast and Coleraine on some trains after being suspended because of Covid-19.

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION:

Mainline steam operations by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) recommenced on October 30. A programme of ‘Wizard’s Express’ trains was planned to run that day and on the 31st between Whitehead RPSI Excursion Platform and Belfast Lanyon Place. The first day’s trips ran as planned, but the following day’s second return trip was worked by NIR DMU No. 3014 after the train of seven RPSI Mk.2s was failed at the society’s Whitehead base because of a central door locking problem. A 08.35 Lanyon Place-Connolly, 17.05 return Rugex on November 6 was worked by a 2x3-car 3000 Class DMU. A third De Dietrich/Mk.3 train was available for traffic on and from November 8. However, a five-car ICR DMU continued to be booked to work the 07.35 ConnollyLanyon Place, 10.35 return, 13.20 exConnolly, 16.05 return. Also booked to be worked by this DMU type was the 10.00 ex-Connolly, 13.05 return on Sundays.

LOW RAIL ADHESION

The diagramming of an ICR DMU was because of low rail adhesion, which multiple units are better at overcoming, particularly on the difficult climb from Dundalk to Newry. 3000 Class units of the 3001-6 Cross Border pool also continued to work on the route as required. Signalling problems saw the 06.05 Portrush-GVS cancelled on November 11, the 06.20 Portadown-Londonderry was delayed at Ballymoney and the 08.10 GVS-Londonderry started from Antrim. The unit booked to work the 07.00 Portadown-Newry, 07.30 return on the 12th was failed and both services were cancelled, as was the 07.57 Bangor-Lisburn. Two Footex, 22.05 Adelaide-Bangor (which avoided GVS) and 22.08 Adelaide-Portadown, operated on the 12th. It was reported that a clearance test run was carried out on the Londonderry line and Portrush branch by six-car unit

No. 4019 after end of service on the 12th. Two Rugex ran from Lanyon Place to Connolly and return on the 13th. A Footex ran Adelaide-Bangor and another Adelaide-Portadown during the evening of the 15th.