Multiple units of Ireland

A wide variety of diesel and electric multiple units have been used on Ireland's railways. This page lists all those that have been used. Except with the NIR Class 3000, the numbers given by each class in the lists below are those allocated to the coaches that make up the units in that class, otherwise, unit numbers are not used in Ireland.

Republic of Ireland

Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), which controlled the Republic's railways between 1945 and 1987, mainly used locomotives and hauled stock for its passenger trains. What diesel multiple unit cars it did have were numbered in the 26xx series. Since 1987, Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) has been increasing the use of this type of train, to replace older locomotives and carriages. The only electrified railway network in Ireland is the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) system, in addition to the Luas which runs on a separate network. Its fleet of electric multiple units are numbered in the 8xxx series.

Despite appearing to be a DMU (especially the Driving Van-Trailer end), the Dublin Cork service Mark 4 is an 8-car Push–pull train.

Diesel multiple units

Class Manufacturer Date Built Number Built Withdrawn Image Scrapped
AEC Class Initial Order AEC1951–1956661987 65
GNR Order 1951–1956 10 1975 All
Bulleid Order Inchicore Works 1956 1975
BUT ClassBUT1956–1957121972–1975
80 ClassBREL1974 (Hired from NIR)31990
2600 Class (II)Tokyu Car Corporation199317still in use 0
2700 ClassGEC Alsthom1997–1998122012
2750 Class2
2800 ClassTokyu Car Corporation200010still in use 2
29000 ClassCAF2002–200529 0
22000 ClassHyundai Rotem2007–201163

Electric multiple units

Class Manufacturer Year Built Number Built Withdrawn Image Scrapped
Drumm Battery Trains Inchicore Works 1931
1938
4 1949 All
8100 ClassLinke-Hofmann-Busch1983–198440still in use 2
8200 ClassGEC Alsthom1999–200052007–2008 1
8500 ClassTokyu Car Corporation20004still in use 0
8510 Class20013
8520 Class2003–200410

Northern Ireland

3005 stands at Belfast Central

The majority of passenger services in Northern Ireland have been operated by diesel multiple units since the mid-1950s (the major exception being the locomotive-hauled Enterprise service between Belfast and Dublin), under the tenure of both the Ulster Transport Authority (1948–1966) and Northern Ireland Railways (since 1967). From 2001, all items of rolling stock in use on NIR had 8000 added to their number so as to be part of the Translink number series, which incorporates their road vehicles. The 3000 Class stock are the first multiple units to be numbered from new in the Translink series. NIR purchased an additional 20 Class 4000 DMUs which entered service in 2011 and 2012.

NIR purchased a Windhoff Multi-Purpose Vehicle for use as the Rail Head Treatment Train, equipped to lay sandite and high-pressure water. The MPV was procured to replace a converted Class 80 unit.

Class Manufacturer Number Built In Service Withdrawn Image
AEC Class GNR SetsGNR Works,

Dundalk

20 Power Cars

(10 After 1958)

1950–19721972
UTA 6 & 7 UTA Works 2 Power Cars 1951–1972
BUT Class GNR Works,

Dundalk

24 Cars 1957–1980 1980
MED ClassUTA Works14 x 3-car sets1952–19781978
MPD ClassUTA Works2 x 5-car sets
10 × 3 car sets
1958–19811981
70 ClassUTA Works8 x 3-car sets1966–19861986
Class 80BREL22 x 2/3-car sets1974–20172017
RB3BREL/Leyland1 x single car1981–19901990
Class 450BREL9 x 3-car sets1985–20122012
Class 3000CAF23 x 3-car sets2004–presentstill in use
Class 4000CAF20 x 3/4-car sets2011–presentstill in use

Great Northern Railway (Ireland)

The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) straddled the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland, and so was not incorporated in either the CIE or UTA. However, mounting losses saw the network purchased jointly by the Irish and British governments on Tuesday 1 September 1953. It was run as a joint board, independent of the CIE and UTA, until Tuesday 30 September 1958 when it was dissolved and the remaining stock split equally between the 2 railways.

Railcars in preservation

Number Original company In service Preserved by Location
B Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway 1947–1971 Downpatrick & Co. Down Railway Downpatrick
6111 CIÉ 1952–1987
458 458 Northern Ireland Railways 1987–2012
798
788
Two–car

80 Class

69 1978–2017
749
Two–car

80 Class

90
752 1979–2017
RB3 British Rail 1980–1990
RB002 1984–1990 Riverstown Old Mill Riverstown, Louth
Railcar 1 Northern Counties Committee (LMS) 1933–1965 Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Whitehead
Railbus E Great Northern Railway 1921–1965 Ulster Folk and Transport Museum Cultra
1 County Donegal Railways 1906–1956
10 1932–1959
12 1934–1959 Foyle Valley Railway Derry
15 1936–1959 Donegal Railway Heritage Centre Donegal
18 1940–1959 Fintown Railway Fintown
19 1951–1959 Isle of Man Railway Isle of Man
20
712 CIÉ 1962–2005 Irish Traction Group Downpatrick
713 Downpatrick & Co. Down Railway
1498 76773 British Rail 1970–1993 Quirky Glamping Enniscrone
62411
76844

See also

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