System Iarnród Éireann Opened 1847 Owner Iarnród Éireann Stations 21 | Status Operational Character Secondary Locale Republic of Ireland | |
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Type Commuter rail, Inter-city rail
Heavy rail Operator(s) Iarnród Éireann
Commuter
InterCity Rolling stocks IE 29000 Class, IE 22000 Class Terminis Sligo Mac Diarmada railway station, Dublin Connolly railway station | ||
The Dublin to Sligo main line is a railway route operated by Iarnród Éireann in Ireland. It starts in Dublin Connolly station, terminating at Sligo Mac Diarmada railway station in Sligo. The route is double track as far as Maynooth, being single track with passing loops between there and Sligo.
Contents
Between Dublin and Longford, the route is operated as part of Dublin Suburban Rail, specifically the Western Commuter service.
Services
Commuter operates the suburban services operates between Dublin and Maynooth. These start from Pearse Station, which connects with the route to Rosslare Europort. Some trains from Gorey and Rosslare Europort also run through to the Sligo line.
InterCity services to Sligo operate from Dublin Connolly. Freight trains carrying logs also operated from Sligo until December 2008.
Connections at Dublin Connolly
The line is also used by rail passengers changing at Dublin Connolly onto the DART to Dún Laoghaire or Bray Daly for example or travelling to Dublin Port for the Irish Ferries or Stena Line to Holyhead and then by train along the North Wales Coast Line to London Euston and other destinations in England and Wales.
Holyhead can also be reached by Irish Ferries from Dublin Port, reached by walking beside the tram lines around the corner from Amiens Street into Store Street or by Luas one stop to Busáras where Dublin Bus operates route 53 to the Ferry Terminal or to take a taxi.
Passengers can change at Dublin Connolly for the Belfast–Dublin railway line for the Enterprise to Northern Ireland.
Rolling stock
InterCity services are currently operated by the 22000 Class DMUs. They were previously operated by the 29000 Class railcar units, which now only operate the majority of Western Commuter services. The Dublin–Sligo railway line was also the first railway route in the whole of Ireland to get the new 22000 Class DMUs in December 2007. Intercity services were provided by GM 141 and 071 class locomotives hauling craven stock. Trains ran 3 times a day each way, once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once in the evening. These trains often consisted of 12 standard class carriages, two steam generation vans and a cafe carriage with a chipper built in.