IE will reduce the length of off-peak commuter trains on Dublin's Dart suburban network so that only two-car emus operate between mid-morning and mid-afternoon and after 19.00. This will bring rolling stock provision into line with demand, as only 35% of passengers travel during the 14 off-peak hours each weekday, while reducing operating costs.
In addition, IE will reconfigure its fleet of 48 three-car and 15 six-car inter-city dmus to form 45 four-car and 18 three-car trains. IE says this will provide it greater flexibility and allow it to run longer trains on some routes which have been suffering from overcrowding, while reducing the length of trains of other services where there is spare capacity.
IE says it has reduced energy consumption by almost 34% since 2007 following the introduction of new trains and through initiatives such as automatic shutdown of engines to cut idling, reduction in the power supply voltage on the Dart network, competitive tendering of electricity supply, expansion of regenerative braking, and by reducing train length.
