IE 22000 Class

Iarnród Éireann 22000 Class "ICR"
A 22000 Class train at Limerick Colbert station.
In service	2007-
Manufacturer	Hyundai Rotem Co.
Family name	ICR
Number built	63 trainsets (building)
Formation	3 and 6 car trainsets
Capacity	See separate list
Operator	Intercity Commuter
Specifications
Maximum speed	160 km/h (99 mph)
Weight	63 tonne per car
Engine(s)	MTU 6H 1800 R83
Transmission	Voith T211 re.4
Gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Irish gauge See Rail gauge in Ireland

The 22000 Class "InterCity Railcar" is a Diesel multiple unit type in service with Iarnród Éireann in Ireland.

In a new departure for Iarnród Éireann they will be the first railcars to have been built specifically to serve on InterCity routes and are capable of up to 100 mph (160 km/h).

History

In 2005, the Irish Government announced the €34billion Transport 21 proposal, intended to implement significant improvements to Ireland's transport infrastructure, with major emphasis on the railway network. As part of this, large-scale replacement of rolling stock was planned. At this time, this was made up entirely of locomotive hauled coaching stock, the majority of which was based on the British Rail Mark 2 and British Rail Mark 3. IÉ ordered a total of 120 new vehicles to replace the existing coaching stock. In a major departure, it was announced that the new trains would be 3 and 6 car Diesel Multiple Units rather than locomotive hauled trains. This order was extended to 150 vehicles in 2005 and again to 183 vehicles in 2007. A further order for another 51 vehicles was made in December 2008

Deliveries

Supplied by Mitsui of Japan in an order totalling approximately €400 million, the fleet is being built by a partnership between Rotem of South Korea and Tokyu Car Corporation of Japan, who supplied the bogies. The first sets were delivered in March 2007.

The initial order for 120 vehicles was increased to 150 in 2005 for InterCity services. In March 2007, a €79 million order was placed for a further 33 vehicles to be used primarily on the outer Dublin commuter network. This was added to with an additional 51 Commuter vehicles in December 2008. There are to be 63 sets in all: forty-eight 3-car sets and fifteen 6-car sets of two different layouts

Two of the 3-car sets, 22010 and 22011, were delivered in July 2007 but had suffered corrosion damage in transit from South Korea. As a consequence, Iarnród Éireann never accepted delivery and stored the sets until October 2008 when they were returned to Rotem for repair, with a revised delivery date of early 2009. It was later determined that it was uneconomic to repair these units, which will see two additional units added to the latest order at no cost to Iarnród Éireann.

Operations

The 22000 class was primarily ordered for use on most of Iarnród Éireann's intercity routes. The exceptions are the Dublin-Belfast services operated by Enterprise and the Dublin-Cork service, for which IÉ purchased 67 brand-new locomotive hauled coaches in 2006. However, they will be used on off-peak Dublin-Cork services from November 2009. 22000 units have now replaced coaching stock on InterCity services from Dublin to Galway, Westport, Limerick and Tralee, as well as the 2800 and 29000 class DMUs to Sligo and Rosslare Europort.

The expansion of the Dublin commuter belt has led to IÉ seeing the need for dedicated long distance commuter trains, and so purchasing additional 22000 Class units for use on Commuter services to destinations such as Portlaoise, Carlow, Athlone, Dundalk, Kildare, Longford and Navan.

Plans by Enterprise to improve its services included the potential of purchasing new DMU rolling stock to replace its existing locomotive hauled coaching stock. Among the options under consideration was the purchase of further 22000 Class units.

NI Railways was offered a variant of the 22000 Class to fulfil the specification for its "New Trains Two" requirement, before ultimately choosing a design similar to its existing Class 3000 unit.

Unit types

The ICRs are divided into three car sets and six car sets, and have two internal configurations. The first 30 units are all three cars, and are all intended for use on InterCity routes, as are ten of the 15 six car units. The remaining five 6-car sets, plus the 17 three car sets ordered in 2008 are configured for long-range Commuter services from Dublin. Combinations of two 3-car sets, three 3-car sets, two 6-car sets and a 3-car set + a 6-car set are possible. In case of emergency, they can operate in formations of up to 18 cars.

• A1: Driving end car, Catering, wheelchair accessible WC, one wheelchair space, 36 1st class seats
• A2: Driving end car, standard WC, 66 seats
• A22: A2 car with NIR TPWS/AWS & radio system
• A3: Driving end car, wheelchair accessible WC, two wheelchair spaces, bicycle storage, 54 seats
• A33: A3 car with NIR signal & radio system
• B: Intermediate car, standard WC, 72 seats
• B1: B car with sanding system
  • 3-car sets: A2 (or A22) - B - A3 (or A33)
  • 6-car sets: A1 - B - B1 - B - B - A3 (10) & A2 - B - B1 - B - B - A3 (5)

Fleet details

Class	Number	Year Built	Cars per Set	Seating Capacity	Unit Numbers	Routes Operated	Notes
22000	31	2007	3	190	22001 - 22009 22012 - 22030 22046	Intercity & Commuter	22001 - 22006 Fitted with TPWS and AWS for use on NIR 22010 and 22011 returned to manufacturer
	17	2011	3	190	22047 - 22063		Includes two new units to replace 22010 - 22011 Enter service early 2012
22000 (HC)	5	2008	6	406	22041 - 22045	Intercity & Commuter	High Capacity
22000 (P)	10	2007	6	376	22031 - 22040	Intercity	Premier Class

Features

• Engine: MTU 6H 1800 R83, 12.8 L, 6 cylinder, 483 bhp gross, 386 bhp (288 kW) traction per car.
• Transmission: Voith T211 re.4
• Top speed: 161 km/h (100 mph)
• Automatic PA and information display systems
• Fully air-conditioned
• Saloon, external view of doors and front-facing CCTV camera and recording system
• Catering facilities
• Individual base seating
• Fire safety to BS 6853 Cat 1B, automatic fire extinguishing system for engines & fuel tanks
• The first six 3-car sets will be fitted with TPWS/AWS for operation on Northern Ireland Railways.

Dimensions

• Length: 3-car set, 70 m. 6-car set, 139 m
• Width: 2.84 m
• Height: 4 m
• Weight: 63 tonne, each car

Routes

Intercity services

• Dublin to Galway/Westport Mainly 3 car services operate on these services. At peak times two 3 car services travel from Heuston to Athlone. At Athlone the train splits in two and one travels to Galway whiles the other diverges for Westport, except on Fridays where all six cars head to Westport with a rail replacement bus to Galway.
• Dublin to Sligo This was the first line the 22000 class operated. Most services are made up of two 3 car sets.
• Dublin to Rosslare Europort Operated by 3-car sets, as 6-car sets would be longer than the platforms at some stations on the line.
• Dublin to Limerick On January 3, 2008 a mixture of 3 car and 6 car trains began to operate on this line. This was the second line to have 22000 class.
• Dublin to Tralee Mostly 6 car premier sets operate to Tralee.
• Dublin to Cork (off-peak) 6 car premier set.
• Dublin to Waterford Mostly two 3 car sets operate this route.

Commuter services

• Dublin to Portlaoise As of November 2009, 22000 class services began operation on the Kildare commuter line. There is one 6 car premier set operating on the Newbridge to Heuston train. All passengers are allowed in the premier car, even though premier class tickets are not available on commuter routes. All restaurant facilities are closed on this service. A 6 car made up of two 3 car sets operates from Heuston to Kildare and a 6 car set operates to Portlaoise.

See also

• Steam Locomotives of Ireland
• Diesel Locomotives of Ireland
• Multiple Units of Ireland

External links

• Iarnrod Eireann press release including photograph
• Eiretrains - Irish Railcars & DART units
• Tokyu Car press release, 12/07/2006
• Rotem press release, 02/01/2005
• for some shots inside Inchicore works taken during driver training- more information will be included as its released by Iarnród Éireann