NIR Class 4000

Northern Ireland Railways Class 4000 "C4K"
Manufacturer	CAF
Family name	CxK
Entered service	2011–2013
Number under construction	20 sets (60 cars, option for 20 more cars)
Formation	3-car sets, (option for 4th car)
Capacity	216 seated
Operator	Northern Ireland Railways
Specifications
Maximum speed	90 mph (145 km/h)
Engine(s)	One MTU 6H1800R83 diesel of 530 hp (395.2 kW) per car
Transmission	ZF Ecomat-Rail 6 speed ZF Reversing final drive
Safety system(s)	AWS, TPWS
Gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)

Class 4000 are a type of passenger train built between 2009 and 2012 for use in Northern Ireland.

The fleet covers 20 diesel multiple units (DMUs) which are being procured by Translink. None of the rail network in Northern Ireland is electrified, and the use of DMUs goes back to nationalisation. The units will be a development of the Class 3000 units, and will be constructed by CAF. The fleet will be made up in 3 car formations, although the contract between Translink and CAF allows for the purchase of an additional 20 vehicles that will allow the trains to be extended to 4-car units.^[1] In addition to this, it is planned that they could potentially be used on the Belfast-Dublin main line as alternative stock for Enterprise.^{[citation needed]} Included in the specification is a requirement that the new trains be compatible with the existing Class 3000, allowing them potentially to work in multiple.^[2] Construction of the first unit had begun at the start of June 2010,^[3] and it was delivered in March 2011.^[4]

History

Prior to 2000, the rolling stock used by NIR consisted of a mixture of diesel multiple unit types that had entered service between 15 and 25 years previously. The main type was the Class 80, based on the Mark 2b bodyshell. These were a fleet of 3-car and 4-car units built in two batches between 1973 and 1978, with a total of 22 sets eventually constructed. Additional capacity on the network was provided with the entry into service of the Class 450, which consisted of nine 3-car units that entered service in 1985 and were based on the Mark 3 bodyshell. However, chronic underinvestment in the railway meant that by the millennium these were still the newest domestic trains in service. Indeed, by 2000 it was estimated that the network as a whole required investment totalling £183 million simply to bring it up to basic safety standards.^[5]

New Trains

Recognising that the railways serve an important role in the growth of the local economy, the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly granted funding for improvements in December 2000 following the report of the Railways Task Force.^[6] Included in this total funding package was £80 million for the procurement of brand new rolling stock, the largest order for new trains in the history of NIR. The result was the Class 3000, a type of DMU purchased from CAF in Spain. This numbered a total of 23 three-car units intended for use throughout the network, and was designed to replace the increasingly outdated Class 80. The new trains entered service between 2004 and 2005. However, this was a like for like replacement meaning there remained a need for older rolling stock to be retained. As a consequence, NIR was incapable of introducing the service enhancements it desired, due to a continuing lack of trains.

"New Trains Two"

The expanding local economy of Northern Ireland led to increasing pressure to improve the rail network, with recommendations made in a debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly in May 2007.^[7] Among these was the purchase of rolling stock that would, at the very least, replace the remaining Class 80 and Class 450 trains. Translink instituted the "New Trains 2010" (later renamed "New Trains Two") proposal to bring about the purchase of new trains,^[8] but decided that it needed to improve its service frequency to go with the associated infrastructure improvements, which would mean expanding the fleet. The consequence of this was to expand the New Trains Two proposal so that up to 20 new trains would be purchased, which would replace the remaining Class 450 and 80 units and expand NIR's fleet by as many as seven extra trains. The go-ahead for this was given on the publication of the draft budget of the Department for Regional Development, which allocated £137 million over three years to Translink, included in which was the money for 20 new trains.^[9]

Translink issued the invitation to tender (ITT) for the new units in June 2008. Three firm offers were received; Bombardier Transportation offered the Class 172 Turbostar currently being built for operation on the British network; Hyundai Rotem offered a variant of the 22000 Class ICR purchased by Iarnród Éireann (although this was ruled out because of NIR's desire to have units with ⅓ and ⅔ spaced doors); and CAF offered a variant of the existing C3K units.^[10] The similarity with the existing sets led to CAF winning the bid chosen in March 2009.^[11] The first of the new trains was delivered in March 2011 and after testing is planned to enter service in late 2011.^[4][12]

• 

  Bombardier Class 172

• 

  Hyundai-Rotem Class 22000

• 

  CAF Class 3000

Specification

Although the C4K will be externally similar to the C3K fleet, internally they will have significant differences. Each three car train will have a seating capacity of 212,^[4] with fewer table bays and extra standing room.^[10] They will have 1 toilet, rather than 2 in the C3K.^[4] The units will have a new traction system, with an MTU 390kW engine providing power to both the traction motors and auxiliary generators. This, combined with the fact that a three car C4K train will be four tonnes lighter than a C3K, will result in a consequent increase in fuel economy.^[10]

Usage

The C4K units will replace the total of thirteen trains of the existing Class 80, Class 450 and "Gatwick" stock. The capacity increase provided by the introduction of the C4K fleet will see NIR begin to operate longer trains, although the C4K will not work in multiple with C3K trains as standard. Of the seven extra sets, NIR have earmarked five for running in six car formations, with the other two planned to improve the frequency on the Derry line once the renovation work is complete and a new passing loop is laid.^[10]

In April 2009, it was announced that the first C4K units in service would be deployed to the Larne line, displacing the Class 450 units currently used.^[13]

Timetable

The timetable for the introduction of the new rolling stock was released at the same time as the ITT:^[14]

• June 2008: Invitation to Tender
• 25 March 2009: Contracts signed
• 2011: Delivery of Initial trains, commissioning and testing, first trains enter service
• 2013: Last trains enter service

Trains Delivered to Date

• 4001 - 14.03.2011 In service - 17.10.2011
• 4002 - 18.04.2011 In service - 29.09.2011
• 4003 - 24.05.2011 In service - 03.10.2011
• 4004 - 15.08.2011
• 4005 - 18.10.2011
• 4006 - 22.08.2011

Fleet details

Class	Operator	No. to be Built	Year Built	Cars per Set	Unit nos.	In service	Notes
Class 4000	NI Railways	20	2010–	3	4001–4020	3	Option to extend units to four cars

References

1. ^ "Tender Details for NIR Class 4000". Ted.europa.eu. http://ted.europa.eu/Exec?DataFlow=N_one_doc_access.dfl&Template=TED/N_one_result_detail_curr.htm&docnumber=93141-2009&docId=93141-2009&StatLang=EN. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
2. ^ Confidence north of the border - Modern Railways pp56-59, 11/06
3. ^ Translink Press Release: Production of new Translink trains 'underway'>
4. ^ ^{a b c d} "First CAF Class 4000 DMU arrives in Belfast". Railway Gazette International. 14 March 2011. http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/first-caf-class-4000-dmu-arrives-in-belfast.html. 
5. ^ Ulster's rusting trains trundle ever more slowly on weed-choked tracks - "The Independent", 06/08/00
6. ^ Northern Ireland Railways: Funding for New Trains - Lords Hansard, 10/12/02
7. ^ "Northern Ireland Assembly: Development of the Rail Network". Theyworkforyou.com. 14 May 2007. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ni/?id=2007-05-14.3.60. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
8. ^ Core Programme: Better Rail Services^{[dead link]}
9. ^ "Regional Development Minister welcomes draft Budget allocations". Northernireland.gov.uk. http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news-drd-251007-regional-development-minister. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
10. ^ ^{a b c d} Flanagan, Colm (2010). "Optimism in Northern Ireland". Modern Railways 67 (737): 60–64. 
11. ^ Northern Ireland Railways orders CAF DMUs Railway Gazette International 26 March 2009
12. ^ Translink’s Invitation to tender for new train order^{[dead link]}
13. ^ Larne Line is first for new train deployment - Carrickfergus Times, 02/04/09
14. ^ "NIR News 167". Irrs.ie. 1 January 2009. http://www.irrs.ie/Journal%20167/167%20News%20NIR.htm. Retrieved 13 September 2010.