Luxury carriages begin Irish exit for life elsewhere

THE first of Belmond’s premium Grand Hibernian Mk.3 coaches, No. 55 60 88-87 101-2 Sligo – former Iarnród Éireann Mk.3 No. 7171 – was removed from Inchicore Works, Dublin by Reid Transport on January 11, to Assenta Rail in Hamilton for refurbishment and regauging by road via Belfast and Cairnryan. Earlier in the day, 071 Class No. 078 shunted seven Mk.3 coaches around Inchicore, their first movement in over two years, to allow Sligo to be released. Ironically, the set’s last run was a pre-Covid trial train, on its only visit to Sligo on November 15, 2019. Introduced in 2016, Belmond confirmed in February 2021 that operation of the luxury train would not recommence after being suspended due to Covid-19 and would relocate it to “somewhere” in Europe. The Grand Hibernian offered land cruises over a 2-, 4- or 6-day period across the island of Ireland. Made up of 10 refurbished former IE Mk.3s withdrawn in 2009 and refitted by Belmond at a cost of €7 million, the train set consisted of five sleeping carriages, two dining cars, an observation lounge, staff accommodation carriages and a generator van laid out in a distinctive blue livery. The carriages were originally built by BR for CIÉ between 1980 and 1989.