Enterprise (long-distance train)
Enterprise is the brand name of long-distance international train services between Dublin in the Republic of Ireland and Belfast in Northern Ireland . The long-distance trains are operated jointly by the Irish rail company Iarnród Éireann and the British rail company Northern Ireland Railways .
history
The Enterprise trains first ran on August 11, 1947 and were operated by the Great Northern Railway . The offer was an attempt to keep up with air and road traffic. The border controls took place at Connolly terminus in Dublin and Central in Belfast. This made it possible to run the trains without intermediate stops. The trial operation proved to be a success. In October 1950, a train connection between Belfast and Cork was set up, but it was unattractive because of the long journey time of six and a half hours and was discontinued in September 1953.
On September 1, the Great Northern Railway Board , a joint venture between the Irish and British governments, took over the operation of the Enterprise trains. The operating company was dissolved on October 1, 1958, the assets and liabilities were divided equally between the predecessors of today's companies, Córas Iompair Éireann and Ulster Transport Authority .
Over the years, operations have been characterized by long interruptions, especially during the Northern Ireland conflict , when the cross-border route often had to be closed due to bomb threats. Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement , however, operations have been practically trouble-free. The calmer political situation allowed increased investment, so the top speed could be increased to 145 km / h (90 mph ).
Rolling stock
Half of the rolling stock is owned by Iarnród Éireann and Northern Ireland Railways.
| Existing vehicles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| model series | image | Type | V / max | number | Construction year | |
| CIÉ class 201 |
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|
Diesel locomotive | 164 km / h | 8th | 1994-1995 | |
|
De Dietrich Ferroviaire Waggons (today Alstom ) |
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|
Passenger cars | 145 km / h | 28 | 1996 | |
| Mark 3 |
.JPG)
|
Passenger car with train busbar | 160 km / h | 4th | 1980 (renovated in 2009) |
|
Route network
Enterprise's only route is from Belfast to Dublin and back with stops in Portadown , Newry , Dundalk and Drogheda . On Sunday there is also a train from Lisburn to Dublin, which also stops in Lurgan . The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is crossed between Newry and Dundalk.