Ireland - March 2007

Following our visits in 2005, we returned to Ireland for some loco-haulage, before the new 22000s DMUs enters service. There are still a few 071s and Mk2s about but are there too many 201s. All the Cravens have now been withdrawn and Cork to Dublin is hourly now with push-pull Mk4s. Manulla Junction to Ballina and Cork to Tralee is now units and the last booked 141 service which was the Friday only 19:25 Limerick to Ennis is now a 201. We had planned to visit in 2006 but it did not materise due to work commitments and a family holiday already booked.

  1. 9th March - Connolly & Heuston
  2. 9th March - A afternoon at Kildare
  3. 10th March - Galway
  4. 10th March - Heuston
    1. 11th March - Westport
    2. 12th March - Run round at Kilkenny
    3. 12th March - No luck at Kildare
    4. 13th March - Connolly & Maynooth

    The trains which I travelled on are:

    Date Time From To Arrival Haulage

    9 March

    		 07:50 Bangor Holyhead 08:21 Virgin Voyager
    08:55 Holyhead Dun Laoghaire 10:34 Stena Explorer
    11:03 Dun Laoghaire Connolly 11:27 DART
    12:40 Heuston Kildare 13:14 209
    16:53 Kildare Athlone 17:53 071

    10 March

    		 07:10 Athlone Galway 08:20 077
    09:15 Galway Heuston 11:58 077
    16:25 Heuston Kildare 17:11 084

    11 March

    		 09:17 Kildare Athlone 10:24 206
    10:35 Athlone Westport 12:37 077
    15:30 Westport Kildare 18:44 071
    19:12 Kildare Kilkenny 20:23 088

    12 March

    		 06:56 Kilkenny Kildare 07:57 088

    11:58

    		 Kildare Thurles 12:57 213

    13:17

    		 Thurles Portloaise 13:52 202

    14:09

    		 Portloaise Heuston 15:15 233
    13 March

    10:20

    		 Connolly Maynooth 10:55 2900

    11:25

    		 Maynooth Connolly 12:00 078
    12:37 Connolly Rush & Lusk 13:04 2900
    14:58 Rusk & Lusk Malahide 16:06 2600

    15:30

    		 Malahide Dun Laoghaire 16:15 DART

    18:00

    		 Dun Laoghaire Holyhead 19:39 Stena Explorer

    20:35

    		 Holyhead Bangor 21:05 Arriva Trains Wales