Cross border ‘Enterprise’ service celebrated
The 75th anniversary of the introduction of the Belfast-Dublin express service was well covered by the media mid-August. Photo displays also featured at Connolly and Lanyon Place stations.
The introduction of the premier service by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) on August 11, 1947, was to combat competition from a rival air service and road transport, but also to improve journey times and reduce delays caused by customs examinations en route. Initially the ‘Enterprise Express’ name applied to a few nonstop trains in each direction, but later became a generic brand name for all through trains.
Through working between Belfast and Cork was operated between 1950 and 1953 and, for a limited period in the late 1980s, between Belfast and Dun Laoghaire. The GNR was dissolved in the 1950s and a diverse collection of steam and diesel traction continued to work the service until 1966, when steam was displaced.
Thereafter, various DMU and loco-worked trains of CIE/IR and UTA/ NIR saw use until 1997, when De
Dietrich stock in a common livery was introduced and powered by dedicated 201/8201 Class locos.
■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: A significant number of substitutions and reliability issues occurred on the route during the period under review. On July 28 the DMU working the 08.40 ConnollyDrogheda failed near Laytown, which saw the 10.10 Drogheda-Connolly start from Balbriggan. Knock-on delays also affected cross border services.
On August 4, GM No. 206 was failed between Rush & Lusk and Skerries while working the 11.20 Connolly-Lanyon Place. A 2xfour-car DMU Nos. 29x21+29x27 was in use on the route until later that day, as was NIR three-car DMU No. 3005.
A bridge strike between Portmarnock and Malahide at around 14.00 on July 5 saw services suspended until the structure was inspected and declared safe. A DART EMU working the 07.52 Malahide-Greystones on July 8 failed at Portmarnock which resulted in significant delays to following services. Later the same day, the De Dietrich/ Mk.3 train powered by No. 8208 that was to work the 16.05 Lanyon PlaceConnolly was failed at Lanyon Place. As a consequence, significant delays were experienced for the remainder of the day, with a three-car 3000 Class DMU reported to have worked the 18.05 exLanyon Place and 20.50 ex-Connolly.
The loco-powered train working the 11.20 Connolly-Lanyon Place on August 10 experienced a “train fault” en route, which saw it delayed, while the 13.20 ex-Connolly the same day departed 60 minutes late for the same reason. The 16.05 ex-Lanyon Place was worked by a three -car unit as far as Portadown, where passengers transferred to the train that was working the Belfastbound service. Both trains then returned to their respective starting points. This procedure was repeated on the 12th, when unit No. 3004 worked the 20.05 ex-Lanyon Place and a loco-powered train worked the 19.00 ex-Connolly. Earlier, No. 228 had failed while working the 14.05 ex-Lanyon Place. No 3004, which had worked a relief to the 10.35 ex-Lanyon Place worked the 16.50 ex-Connolly, but many passengers had to wait until the 19.00 departure, as No. 3004 departed full and standing. The next day (13th) it was reported that units Nos 3001+3004 worked the diagram that starts with the 06.50 ex-Lanyon Place. On the 18th, No. 3005 worked the 18.05 ex-Lanyon Place and 20.50 ex-Connolly, while No. 3006 worked a relief to 19.00 ex-Connolly. The latter unit worked a 19.20 Connolly to Lanyon Place extra on the 19th.