IARNRÓD ÉIREANN / IRISH RAIL
■ FREIGHT:
Retro liveried GM No. 073 re-entered revenue earning service on March 22 after over a year out of traffic at Inchicore Works, following its failure while working a Ballina to Dublin Port IWT container train on March 16, 2021. The locomotive has received a replacement alternator, a wheel bearing overheat warning system and a repaint.
No. 073’s first duty after its reinstatement to traffic was to replace No. 079 at Kildare on a Waterford to Ballina empty timber train. The locomotive worked a Ballina to Waterford loaded timber train on
March 24. Previously, on March 21, a 09.00 Westport to Waterford loaded timber train worked by No. 079 was recessed on the Tuam siding at Claremorris for staff training purposes. The train departed at 11.30. No. 232 and 18 empty container wagons were stabled on the stub of the Ballinrobe branch at Claremorris from March 23 to 25 because of congestion at Ballina. This stub was also used on the 28th to recess No. 073 and its Waterford to Westport empty timber train.
On the 30th, No. 073 was in charge of a loaded timber train at Waterford, while No. 080 and a train of empty container wagons were noted stabled at Claremorris. No. 073 worked a Westport to Waterford loaded timber train on April 4. It was then a regular performer on the timber flow until rostered on the 21st for use on IWT container trains between Ballina and Dublin Port.
Other locomotives used on the
IWT traffic included Nos. 074, 075, 076, 080, 215, 219 and 232. XPO container traffic between Ballina and Belview Port has continued with one return trip per week being operated. GM 071 Class locomotives continued to dominate the workings, with Nos. 075, 077, 079 and 080 each being noted during the period under review. Many of the XPO and IWT trains have been fully loaded. Nos. 072, 077 and 079 were used on the Tara Mines bulk ore flow between Navan and Alexandra Road, North Wall.
■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION:
The unit working the 06.30 Limerick-Ballybrophy on March 28 ran too late to make a booked connection into the 07.40 Limerick to Heuston via Thurles service. However, the 09.13 Portlaoise-Heuston started from Ballybrophy in order to maintain the connection. Demand for travel on April 3 saw an extra 11.00 Longford to Connolly operate and an evening Dublin to Maynooth service extended to Longford. The DMU working the 13.00 Connolly-Sligo on April 5 was failed at Kilcock. Services disrupted as a result included the 16.00 ConnollySligo, which was terminated at Dromod, and the 16.55 ex-Sligo which started from Dromod. Bus transfers were used between Dromod and Sligo.
■ NEWS IN BRIEF:
Irish Rail has invited expressions of interest from firms to supply up to 400 wagons over a 10-year period. The order(s) would be for container wagons and ore wagons of the tippler, side tipping and conventional type. On April 5, MPV No. 790 was used to weed spray the line from Waterford to a location a short distance on the Rosslare Strand side of the Barrow River bridge.