Enterprise, and more

[Ivo]

Hi all,

Just a quickie, if I may; I know that a passport is not necessary for travelling between Belfast and Dublin on the Enterprise, but would I need at least some form of ID? I ask because all I can provide that has a photo on it is a poor excuse for a Student Card and also an ENCTS Bus Pass, neither of which is likely to be accepted. I intend to make this trip on the 17th of May. And speaking of which, if I was to go to Dublin from Belfast on that very day, would it be possible to cover (at the very least) the Luas, the DART and the Enterprise to and from Dublin in the one day? If yes, is anything likely to be possible (specifically Dublin to Cork) If extras are not possible, would it be worth foregoing the locals in favour of the InterCity to Cork? I would be covering NIR the day before, and returning to Britain the day after (and not arriving back in Bath until early on the 19th!).

Merci beaucoup

P.S.: If your username is 4SRKT, or in fact any other name but I know that Thumper can help here, regarding the NIR times you sent me a few weeks ago, are there any "safer" alternatives to cover the entire NIR network in one day that don't involve two-minute connections at Belfast Central, or are said connections through services?

P.P.S: Any ideas for what to do on the 15th (a Sunday) would be most welcome!

 

[4SRKT]

No ID is required between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Once you're on the train at Dublin you'll quite likely not even get gripped.

You can do the NIR network a lot safer than that. The scheme I proposed was doing it in the shortest possible time, with a very relaxed start in the morning.

Northern Ireland on a Sunday? Very, very boring. Once you've done the 08:20 Larne Harbour > Belfast (the only DEMU working before 22:20), there's not a lot to do. Try the Transport Museum at Cultra (a short walk from the station). It's good, but won't kill the whole day. You could take the 'Shankill Safari', that is an open top bus or taxi tour of the trouble spots of West Belfast if you're interested in that sort of thing. Probably best not to call it the Shankill Safari if you do though.

You can easily do the DART and LUAS in a day, plus the local services covering Maynooth, M3 Parkway and Docklands. It's a very nice run on the DART south from Dublin to Greystones. You can get very cheap advance fares to Cork, but watch out because some trains are worked by units now. These are shown as standard class only in the timetable. Personally the idea of being stuck in a sealed up train for hours, straining to hear the (very quiet) sounds of an Irish shed doesn't fill me with much enthusiasm. I'd leave it IIWY and instead maybe do the RPSI diesel tour with an 071 (a proper Irish GM) and PV mk IIs from Dublin to Cobh and Midleton in September. I'm planning to be on this one, although two consecutive nights Railing And Sailing on the boat will be pretty tough.

 

[Ivo]

Would it be worth committing the Sunday to a trip down to Cork and back (assuming it can be done cheaply enough), or is even his not worthwhile? Also, is it ONLY possible to pay GBP and the Belfast end, and ONLY EUR at the Dublin end?

 

[Chester025]

RPSI diesel tour with an 071 (a proper Irish GM) and PV mk IIs from Dublin to Cobh and Midleton in September. I'm planning to be on this one, although two consecutive nights Railing And Sailing on the boat will be pretty tough.

Is that deffo September 9th?

 

[33056]

Is that deffo September 9th?

Yes, though tickets are not yet on sale according to the RPSI website .

 

[Chester025]

Yes, though tickets are not yet on sale according to the RPSI website .

Ah, shame. A week earlier would have been better! Well for me.

 

[4SRKT]

Would it be worth committing the Sunday to a trip down to Cork and back (assuming it can be done cheaply enough), or is even his not worthwhile? Also, is it ONLY possible to pay GBP and the Belfast end, and ONLY EUR at the Dublin end?

NIR will only take Sterling, and Irish Rail only Euros. You can book return fares from either company, but you cannot book a journey to start in the other country, if you see what I mean.

The whole Cork thing is up to you. Personally I wouldn't bother going all that way for 201 class dullness, but then I suppose it depends how desperate you are for loco-haulage. You'll be pushing it to go Belfast > Dublin > Cork > Dublin > Belfast on a Sunday in any case. The first train from Belfast doesn't get into Dublin until 12:13.

On the Sunday you could get the Derry and Bangor lines out of the way which will be CAFs whatever day you do them, leaving you free for much more DEMU bashing to Portrush and Larne on the Monday. Try leaving Belfast on the 08:50 to Larne as far as Whiteabbey to catch the 450 class back for some token Sunday DEMU action. Then take the 09:53 to Derry, arriving 11:58. Take the 13:23 back (Derry is an interesting walled city worth a look around) arriving at Central at 15:24. Out to Cultra on the 15:45 to Bangor for a look at the transport museum (plenty of good railway interest here, including the GSR 4-6-0 Maedbh, like a Royal Scot and the largest steam loco to run in Ireland), before heading on to Bangor and back to Belfast. Diehards might then go in for some extra loco-haulage to Newry on the 19:00 Dublin train before ending up back at Central for the only other DEMU working of the day to Larne at 22:20, for a +3 at Whiteabbey back to Belfast on a CAF.

On Monday you could then head north again to Coleraine on the 06:50, and get two return trips to Portrush on the branch 450 class before heading south and finding yourself back in Belfast at 11:20. You can then pick up the 80 class diagram with the 12:12 to Carrickfergus until it finishes at 18:12, and then take another couple of 450 class return trips to Larne. If you are on time coming south from Coleraine there is a zero connection at Yorkgate at 11:16 into the 11:12 Central > Carrick 450 class, which gives a +3 at Trooperslane into the 10:57 Larne Harbour > Central 80 class working which then forms the 12:12.

 

[Chester025]

Diehards might then go in for some extra loco-haulage to Newry on the 19:00 Dublin train before ending up back at Central for the only other DEMU working of the day to Larne at 22:20, for a +3 at Whiteabbey back to Belfast on a CAF.

There is a dead connection at Portadown for another brick back to Central.