Dickson Requests Info on NI's Rail Decarbonisation

On the 12th April, East Antrim Alliance MLA, Stewart Dickson, asked the Minister for Infrastructure to detail (i) when each class of the current railway rolling stock will come to the end of its useful life; and, (ii) what actions her Department is taking to ensure that future rolling stock is powered by clean alternatives to diesel.

The Minister's response, which is unfortunately lacking information on the department's decarbonisation targets, is detailed below.

Answer: The current rolling stock has a design life of 30 years, however this can often be extended through refurbishment. The current Enterprise fleet is 24 years old and, despite a recent overhaul and refurbishment in 2015, current projections are that the fleet will require replacement by 2027. The current CAF Class 3000 fleet will reach the end of its design life in 2034 with the Class 4000 fleet following in 2041.

I can also confirm that decarbonising the rail network will be considered in the All Island Strategic Rail Review that I recently announced in conjunction with Department of Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan TD. To assist with this work, Translink is currently undertaking an in depth feasibility study to investigate options for decarbonising the whole rail network. This incorporates the infrastructure and fleet requirements to deliver Translink’s fleet strategy and the studies will also consider electrification, hydrogen or indeed a combination of both.