IE 2600 Class
Encyclopedia
The 2600 Class is a type of Diesel Multiple Unit
operated on the Irish railway network
by Iarnród Éireann
, used mainly for short-haul Commuter services. At present the entire class is based in Cork
, and is used on local services to Mallow
, Midleton
, Cobh
and on token services to Tralee. The hybrid unit is based in Limerick
.
service. A total of seventeen individual railcars were constructed by the Tokyu Car Corporation
in Japan and delivered between 1993 and 1994 for use on the commuter service between Dublin and Kildare
. The stock were the first rolling stock to be delivered in "Arrow" livery, initially used to refer solely to the Dublin-Kildare commuter service upon which they were deployed, although they were rebranded in 2003 to the new Commuter livery. They were the very last Iarnród Éireann rolling stock to ship branded with the firm's original "IR" logo, though this was replaced with the "IÉ" version shortly after the trains entered service.
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
operated on the Irish railway network
Rail transport in Ireland
Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
by Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
, used mainly for short-haul Commuter services. At present the entire class is based in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, and is used on local services to Mallow
Mallow
Mallow or Mallows may refer to:Nature:* Malvaceae, family of plants; in particular the following genera:** Abelmoschus** Althaea – Marsh mallow** Callirhoe – Poppy mallow** Corchorus – Jews Mallow, Molokia, Mlukhia...
, Midleton
Midleton
Midleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...
, Cobh
Cobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
and on token services to Tralee. The hybrid unit is based in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
.
Description
The 2600 Class were the first modern set of diesel railcars purchased by Iarnród Éireann, who for several years had only ran multiple units on the electrified DARTDublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
service. A total of seventeen individual railcars were constructed by the Tokyu Car Corporation
Tokyu Car Corporation
is a manufacturer of heavy rail cars in Japan. The company is based in Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Japan, and a member of Tokyu Group. Tokyu Car manufactures rail vehicles not only for Tokyu Corporation but for other Japanese operators, including various Japan Railways Group companies and...
in Japan and delivered between 1993 and 1994 for use on the commuter service between Dublin and Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
. The stock were the first rolling stock to be delivered in "Arrow" livery, initially used to refer solely to the Dublin-Kildare commuter service upon which they were deployed, although they were rebranded in 2003 to the new Commuter livery. They were the very last Iarnród Éireann rolling stock to ship branded with the firm's original "IR" logo, though this was replaced with the "IÉ" version shortly after the trains entered service.
Deployment
Class 2600 were initially deployed on the brand new Dublin-Kildare Arrow service (now rebranded South Western Commuter). Although purchased for the new service, which began in 1994, they were also to be seen up until the early 2000s supplementing the locomotive hauled "Craven" coaching stock on Western Suburban (now Western Commuter) services, and occasionally on other lines also. Since January 2010, all 2600 class railcars have been moved to Kent Station Cork, where they work Cork-Cobh, Cork-Midleton and Cork-Mallow services.Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Number | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2600 Class | Commuter | 8 | 1993-1994 | 2 | 2601/02 - 2615/16 | 2609 operates as a hybrid 2-car unit with 2716 |