The 2700 and 2750 Classes (nicknamed "Sparrows" panish Arrows were two related types of diesel multiple unit operated by Iarnród Éireann. The 2700 Class units were 2-car sets; 25 cars were built by

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in 1997 and 1998, and began entering service in December 1998. Each car weighed and was fitted with a underfloor

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engine with a maximum service speed of .

History

From July 2004 to April 2005 they were used in six-piece sets on the Dublin-Rosslare InterCity services, before being replaced by newer units. The entire class was then based in

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

, with one set outbased in Ballina to operate the Ballina -

Manulla Junction Manulla Junction railway station is a transfer point for train passengers in County Mayo, Ireland. Description Passengers cannot enter or leave the station; it is only for passengers travelling to or from Foxford or Ballina, who transfer to ...

shuttle, while it also operated an Athlone -

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

service on Fridays. A further set operated morning and evening

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- Galway commuter services during its layover from Limerick - Galway services. Otherwise the class operated all services from Limerick (save direct

- Heuston trains) and services from

Limerick Junction Limerick Junction ( ga, Gabhal Luimnigh) is the interchange railway station for trains originating in , , , , and stations. The station opened on 3 July 1848. The station was highly noted for its layout which prior to 1967 required every t ...

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

. They were capable of operation in consists of up to 10 cars. In addition to the 2-car units, two single car units were constructed. These units were classed as 2750 Class, and had a cab at each end so that they could operate either singly or as part of a set. Even numbered cars had 62 seats while odd numbered cars contained 55 seats and a toilet. There were some exceptions however; the two 2750 Class units had 53 seats each, due to having cabs at both ends, while 2719 and 2721 had 50 seats each and included a bicycle storage area. The original black and orange ''Arrow'' livery was replaced by the newly introduced Commuter livery in 2004, upon the start of the sectorisation of Iarnród Éireann's operations. In 2010, Iarnród Éireann began major overhauls of the 2700 and 2750 Classes, the most prominent feature of which was the removal of the end gangways, which had been unused for some time. This coincided with the addition of a new livery based on the 22000 Class colour scheme. 2716 suffered collision damage on 3 June 2000. Following repairs, it was coupled with 2609, part of the 2600 class. In July 2012, the majority of the class was withdrawn and put into storage; by September 2012 the entire fleet had been withdrawn and was put up for sale. As of 2018, the entire 2700 fleet remains decommissioned at

Inchicore Works Inchicore railway works, also known locally as 'Inchicore' or 'The Works', was founded by the Great Southern and Western Railway in 1846 and emerged to become the major engineering centre for railways in Ireland. Located west of Dublin city ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

and in the sheds at Cork Kent. In October 2017, Irish Rail put out to tender the reactivation and refurbishment of 10 2700 sets, which were due to re-enter service in early 2019 in order to free up ICR sets for busier Dublin area services. However, this plan was cancelled in 2018.

Fleet details

Models

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produce a model of 2715/2716 in Commuter livery.

References

External links

Irish Rail Fleet Information page
{{Ireland Multiple Units Iarnród Éireann multiple units Alstom multiple units Train-related introductions in 1997