Mallon welcomes delivery of first new train carriages as part of £60million project

Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon today welcomed the delivery of the first three of 21 new train carriages which will enhance the capacity of the existing Translink fleet.

The delivery of the new carriages made by Spanish train manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) marks a major step in the development of the local rail network, supporting Northern Ireland’s green recovery. The project, which also includes changes to depot infrastructure, represents a total investment of over £60million from the Department for Infrastructure.

The 21 new carriages will be used to convert the capacity of seven existing Class 4000 three car trains to six car sets. The existing trains are currently undergoing major refurbishments. The result will feel like completely new trains throughout, with the first one due to enter passenger service this autumn following intensive testing and commissioning.

Minister, Nichola Mallon is pictured with Chris Conway, Chief Executive of Translink and Dr Michael Wardlow, Chair of the Board of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company.

Welcoming the new arrivals, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said:

“My priority as Minister is to work on transport infrastructure that improves people’s lives, connects communities and tackles the climate emergency through prioritising active and sustainable transport options.

“I believe that rail has huge untapped potential to deliver multiple benefits across our island. It is therefore vital that we continue to invest in and modernise our rail network as we work to build back greener and more responsibly from Covid-19.

“This significant investment of over £60million by my Department in new rail carriages and depot infrastructure will ensure we can offer attractive rail travel for future generations, encourage more people to use public transport and in doing so tackle the climate crisis.

“So I am delighted to be here today to see the arrival of the first three new carriages which will come into service later this year providing passengers on some of our busiest routes with more capacity, space and comfort on their journeys.”

Chris Conway, Group Chief Executive, Translink said:

“Translink is leading a transport transformation and this latest major milestone is further good news for our customers. When all the new carriages are in operation it will mean around 1,600 more train seats available on our network.

“This development is crucial as we emerge from the pandemic re-building and growing public transport use which had reached record levels pre-Covid.

“The new carriages will also be more energy efficient as we aim to tackle the climate emergency and air pollution levels alongside increasing sustainable transport use while also supporting key outcomes in the draft Programme for Government.

“We’d like to thank CAF for their ongoing hard work to deliver these trains on schedule and the Department for Infrastructure for essential project funding. We look forward to keeping our customers informed as the carriage roll-out progresses.”

The ‘walk-through’ six-car train roll-out will be phased with all 21 of the new carriages due to enter passenger service by summer 2022.

When the project has been completed the new train carriages will provide around 1,600 additional seats every day.

The new train carriages will have similar features to the current fleet including: automatic opening doors at 1/3 and 2/3 intervals, air conditioning, carpeted floors, overhead luggage racks, litter bins and tinted and laminated glass windows.

Safety features include: digital CCTV, a fire detection and control system and the latest in environmental and passenger safety facilities.

All carriages will be fitted with external destination displays on the sides as well as audible and visual passenger on-board information, signage in Braille and embossed lettering. Accessibility features include wheelchair access and dedicated accommodation for two wheelchairs and companion seats. There will also be a fully wheelchair accessible toilet and accommodation for four bicycles.

CAF, based in Northern Spain, is an international market leader in the design, manufacture, maintenance and supply of railway vehicles, equipment and systems. CAF specialises in rail rolling stock for passenger transport.