IÉ 22000 Class

In 2005, the Irish Government announced the €34 billion Transport 21 proposal for significant improvements to transport infrastructure, with major emphasis on the railway network. As part of this, large-scale replacement of rolling stock was planned, then made up entirely of locomotive-hauled coaching stock, mostly British Rail Mark 2 and Mark 3. In 2005 IÉ ordered 120 new diesel multiple unit vehicles, to form 10 six-car and 20 three-car trains.^[6] This order was extended to 150 vehicles in 2005, to 183 vehicles in 2007^[7] and to 234 vehicles in December 2008.^[8]

In 2018, it was announced that Iarnród Éireann were seeking to procure a further 41 new 22000 Class vehicles, with the ultimate aim of returning the fleet to a mix of three- and six-car sets.^[9] 41 additional centre cars were ordered in 2019 for delivery from 2021.^[10] The first of these were delivered in September 2022,^[11] with the final delivery in March 2023.

All units underwent an in-service interior overhaul between 2019 and 2022. This programme included replacing the original cloth seats with leather and adding USB power sockets at each seating bay, amongst other changes intended to reduce ongoing maintenance and cleaning costs.^[12]

Supplied by Mitsui of Japan for approximately €400 million, the fleet was built by a partnership between Rotem of South Korea, who did the primary work, and Tokyu Car Corporation of Japan, who supplied the bogies. The first sets were delivered in March 2007,^[7] while the final sets were delivered in April 2012.

In March 2007, a €79 million order was placed for a further 33 vehicles to be used primarily on the outer Dublin commuter network. This was added to with an additional 51 commuter vehicles in December 2008. As of 2025^[update], there are 63 sets in four different layouts: 21 three-car sets, 20 four-car sets, 10 premier class six-car sets and 12 high capacity six-car sets.

Two of the three-car sets, 22010 and 22011, were delivered in July 2007 with corrosion damage received in transit from South Korea. IÉ did not accept delivery and stored the sets until October 2008 when they were returned to Rotem for repair, with a revised delivery date of early 2009.^[13] It was later determined that it was uneconomic to repair them, so Rotem added two additional units to the last order at no additional cost to IÉ.^[5]

The 22000 class was primarily ordered for InterCity routes^[14] except the Dublin-Belfast services operated by Enterprise and the Dublin-Cork service, for which IÉ purchased 67 locomotive-hauled coaches in 2006, but they have also been used on off-peak Dublin-Cork services since November 2009. 22000 units have now replaced coaching stock on services from Dublin to Galway, Westport, Limerick, Waterford and Tralee, and 2800 Class and 29000 Class DMUs to Sligo and Rosslare Europort.

The expansion of the Dublin commuter belt led IÉ to need dedicated long distance Commuter trains. 33 carriages were ordered for use on services to destinations such as Portlaoise, Carlow and Athlone.^[7]

Plans to improve Enterprise services included the potential of purchasing DMUs to replace its locomotive-hauled coaching stock. Among the options under consideration was the purchase of further 22000 Class units.^[15]

NI Railways was offered a variant of the 22000 Class to meet its "New Trains Two" requirement, before ultimately choosing a design similar to its existing Class 3000 unit, which became the Class 4000.^[16]

Unit types

As delivered, the first 30 units were of three cars, for use on InterCity routes, as were ten of the 15 six-car units. The remaining five six-car sets and the 17 three-car sets ordered in 2008 were configured for long-distance Commuter services from Dublin. Combinations of two 3-car sets, three 3-car sets, two 4-car sets, a 3-car set and a 4-car set, and two 5-car sets are possible.

• A1 22131–35, 40: Driving car, catering, wheelchair accessible WC, one wheelchair space, 36 1st class seats
• A11 22136–39 :A1 car with NIR signal & radio system
• A2 22207–30,41–63: Driving car, standard WC, 66 seats
• A22 22201–06: A2 car with NIR TPWS/AWS & radio system
• A3 22307–63: Driving car, wheelchair accessible WC, two wheelchair spaces, bicycle storage, 54 seats
• A33 22301–06: A3 car with NIR signal & radio system & parcels/bike space
• B 22401–63, 631–45, 731–45: Intermediate car, standard WC, 72 seats
• B1 22531–45: B car with sanding system
• B2 22511–27, 441–52, 641–52: Intermediate car with multipurpose space

In 2013, IÉ announced plans to reform the 22000 class units from 3 and 6-car sets into 3 and 4-car units, to obtain better flexibility from them in regards to passenger numbers per train. However, it soon became apparent that replacing 6-car units with 4-car ones would lead to overcrowding, which caused IÉ to subsequently alter the proposal into sets of 3, 4 and 5-car lengths.^[17] The 20 cars taken off the original 6-car sets 22031–45 and inserted in the original 3-car sets 22011–30 got additional numbers 22811–30 but also kept the original number 22531–540, 641, 741, 642, 742, 643, 743, 644, 744, 645, 745.

• Engine: MTU 6H 1800 R83, 12.8 L, 6 cylinder, 483 bhp gross, 386 bhp (288 kW) traction per car.
• Transmission: Voith T 312 R^[5]
• Top speed: 160 km/h (100 mph)
• Body: high quality stainless steel with some corrosion-resistant carbon steel components^[5]
• Automatic PA and information display systems (Supplier: SA Viewcom)
• Fully air-conditioned (Supplier: Toshiba)
• Saloon, external view of doors and front-facing CCTV camera and recording system (Supplier: Verint)
• Catering facilities (some trains have buffet bars)
• Individual base seating
• Fire safety to BS 6853 Cat 1B, automatic fire extinguishing system for engines & fuel tanks
• All sets have Irish standard CAWS signaling systems and train radio.
• 3-car sets 22001–22006, as well as 6-car sets 22036–22040 have TPWS/AWS for operation on Northern Ireland Railways.

Irish Railway Models announced an 00 gauge model of the 22000 Class in October 2022.^[21]

In January 2012, Set 22033 was damaged in Athenry during an incident. It was hauled back to Laois Train Care Depot by IE 071 Class Loco 076.

On 17 July 2018, unit 22016 was involved in an incident at Laois Train Care Depot when the set collided with the buffers. The set sustained minor damage.

On 29 June 2024, the 21.28 from Belfast Lanyon Place to Dublin Connolly operated by IE 22000 Class DMU 22037 was damaged outside Drogheda due to a deer strike. The set eventually made it to Dublin and was reinstated in service the following morning.

On 10 February 2025, unit 22039 collided with a Timber Train in Westport. One of the DM cars (22139) was badly damaged.

On 7 May 2025, unit 22036 was involved in a deer strike near Dundalk while working the 05.50 Dublin to Belfast train. The set was terminated at Dundalk and returned empty to Dublin and picked up the diagram the next day.

On 8 April 2026, unit 22351 caught fire while working the 12.45pm service from Dublin to Westport, forcing passengers to detrain 15 kilometres from Roscommon town. No passengers or Irish Rail staff were injured.

On 3 September 2026 at approximately 15:50 hours, 22026 was involved in a collision with a tractor at level crossing XA008 between Portarlington and Tullamore while operating the A806 service from Dublin Heuston to Westport. 22000 class set 26 was then brought to Tullamore where passengers disembared unharmed. ^[22]

On 3 September 2026 at approximately 20:45 hours, 22019 was involved in a serious collision with a road vehicle at level crossing XM160 (Kiltybo) near Ballyhaunis while operating the A808 service from Dublin Heuston to Westport, resulting in a overnight and morning line closure. Tragically this incident resulted in the death of a child. No rail passengers were injured.^[23]

• Multiple units of Ireland
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