Northern Ireland
Although the majority of passenger services in Northern Ireland have been worked by diesel multiple units since the mid-1950s, a number of hauled coaches have been required under the tenure of both the Ulster Transport Authority (1948–1966) and Northern Ireland Railways (since 1967). NIR operates a single rake of coaches to supplement the DMU fleet. The total of ten were all built as Mark 2s for British Rail, and were purchased by NIR in three batches:
- Generator Van - the set has a single generator van converted from a Mark 2 BFK that was purchased and converted in 1981.
- Passenger coaches - the main part of the set is formed from eight Class 488 unpowered trailers previously operated on the Gatwick Express, which were purchased in 2001.
- Driving trailer - a DBSO was purchased in 2006 for use with the train to allow a greater degree of flexibility in its use. This was finally delivered in the summer of 2009.
From 1998, NIR prefixed their numbers with “8” so as to be part of the Translink number series, which incorporates their road vehicles The table below lists the hauled passenger coaches that were in use until June 2009 plus the never used DBSO (This excludes the "De Dietrich" stock jointly owned with IÉ for operating Enterprise services between Belfast and Dublin:
| NIR Number | Introduced | BR Number(s) | Built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 911 / 8911 | 1981 | 14104 | 1969 Derby | Generator Van (ex-Mark 2B BFK) |
| 8941 | 2001 | 6089 / 72634 | 1974 Derby | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 488318) |
| 8942 | 2001 | 6098 / 72637 | 1974 Derby | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 488318) |
| 8943 | 2001 | 6082 / 72605 | 1974 Derby | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 488305) |
| 8944 | 2001 | 6080 / 72609 | 1974 Derby | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 488305) |
| 8945 | 2001 | 6017 / 72626 | 1974 Derby | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 488314) |
| 8946 | 2001 | 5974 / 72627 | 1974 Derby | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 488314) |
| 8947 | 2001 | 6078 / 72646 | 1974 Derby | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 488319) |
| 8948 | 2001 | 6081 / 72647 | 1974 Derby | TSO (ex-BR Class 488 unit 488319) |
| 8918 | (2009) | 9534 / 9712 | 1974 Derby Rebuilt 1985 Glasgow |
DBSO (ex-Mark 2F BSO) |
Read more about this topic: Coaching Stock Of Ireland
Famous quotes related to northern ireland:
“For generations, a wide range of shooting in Northern Ireland has provided all sections of the population with a pastime which ... has occupied a great deal of leisure time. Unlike many other countries, the outstanding characteristic of the sport has been that it was not confined to any one class.”
—Northern Irish Tourist Board. quoted in New Statesman (London, Aug. 29, 1969)
“... in Northern Ireland, if you don’t have basic Christianity, rather than merely religion, all you get out of the experience of living is bitterness.”
—Bernadette Devlin (b. 1947)