Hello all! Since Belfast's brand-spanking-new terminus station has just finished the second week of rail operation, and the cross-border & Enterprise service has (as of yesterday) become hourly, I feel like it's the perfect time to bring Northern Ireland back into the suggestion spotlight with Belfast Grand Central to Newry & Bangor. This route would comprise two of Translink NI Rail's commuter lines heading South and East of Belfast city centre, both originating from Belfast Grand Central station, a total distance of 65 miles (give or take), and including the Adelaide Train Depot south of the city centre. The new station is in itself a marvel to behold: a large glass structure boasting 8 platforms (an unheard of number in recent NI memory!), and modern PIS display screens, which has brought NI rail straight up to the present day, and is a massive improvement over the previous terminus at Great Victoria Street (and the one platform over at Lanyon Place station used for the Enterprise before it transferred to BGC). Heading East first, the Bangor line enjoys a half-hourly commuter service along the south shore of Belfast Lough, passing many landmarks and points of interest as it winds east, hugging the coast. Beginning by curving through the centre of Belfast, past City Hospital and through Lanyon Place station, the line crosses the River Lagan before passing the SSE Arena and iconic Samson and Goliath, the famous yellow Harland & Wolff cranes that dominate the Belfast Skyline in the historic docks of the Titanic Quarter. Belfast City Airport can be seen next, where the planes take off and land in parallel to the running lines at Sydenham station. Working through Holywood, Cultra and Helen’s Bay, passengers enjoy views of a beautiful mix of sandy beaches and lush woodland, before terminating in the picturesque seaside city of Bangor. Services are provided along the 12-mile line by DMUs at 30-minute intervals (mixed express and stopper at peak times), all terminating at Bangor. The 53-mile Newry Line is a different beast altogether. Here, the tracks are shared between Translink NI Rail and Enterprise services, and the line covers a much greater distance through the rolling hills and fields of Co. Down and Co. Armagh. Heading south from Grand Central (previously Lanyon Place before the big move), Translink services (again provided by DMUs with a mix of express and stopping pattern) make a string of close stops between Adelaide (and the nearby Adelaide Train Depot), through the suburbs of South Belfast, and further out to Lisburn. From here, stations space out, before running over the stunning Craigmore viaduct into Newry. Most Translink services actually terminate at Portadown with a select few continuing on to Newry, in contrast to most Enterprise services that usually run fast to Portadown before calling at Newry and continuing across the border towards Dublin (certain services do call at Lisburn and Lurgan on weekends however).
In terms of rolling stock, the aforementioned Enterprise cross-border service takes centre stage. Driven by a 201 class diesel locomotive hauling a mk3 generator van and rake of De Dietrich rolling stock, these Hibernian powerhouses storm up and down the line from Dublin to Belfast daily, offering quick and comfortable border crossings between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The fleet is part owned by each state's national operator (Translink and Iarnród Éireann), leading to some interesting variations in livery, three of which I propose come packaged with this route: The standard Enterprise livery, worn by the majority of the locos operating the route: The 'common' livery - for use on other duties on both sides of the border, this livery is a neutral black stripe that appears on two members of the shared fleet (image flipped for the purposes of easy comparison): Finally, the ex-Belmond Grand Hibernian livery - a rich blue that adds a touch of class if you happen to see it! The De Deitrich stock also comes with a cab car (which bares many external similarities to the 201 class) included at the opposite end of the rake: Also with this route included is the CAF C3000 (or C3K), a 3 car DMU which fulfils the regular Translink NI Rail services on both the Newry and Bangor lines, as well as all other lines across NI: Six of these units are also equipped with the safety systems used in the Republic, so can also be used to cover cross-border services if needed, which could form the basis of an interesting scenario!
DLC up next! Looking over the longer term with this route, I feel that two DLC could be added to change up or enhance gameplay: Firstly, the CAF C4000 or C4K. This is the newer sibling of the C3K, and thanks to recent investment to improve capacity on key routes, this DMU comes in both 3-car and 6-car variants. In terms of gameplay offering, this DMU could sub in for any C3K commuter services running on both Bangor and Newry lines. These units are (unsurprisingly) very similar, so would be more for variety out of the cab window than any major gameplay changes. This unit could also form the basis of another route, seeing use on either the Derry~Londonderry/Portrush lines, or the Larne Line (those suggestions are for another time though). For a more contrasting experience, a further DLC could come in the form of the NIR 110 class: These three workhorses (numbered 111, 112 and 113), used to operate passenger services across the border (another scenario opportunity perhaps?), but now enjoy more departmental duties, often seen pulling ballast trains along the length and breadth of the NI Rail network. Having this locomotive class added would bring a change of pace and operation style to the very passenger focussed rails of Northern Ireland. In summary - although I have no idea what Translink’s stance is on licensing, as NI has yet to be represented in game and they are the sole government operator in the country, this route could be a great way to feature part of a criminally lesser-known railway network which has a good amount to offer whilst having all of the upsides of being relatively self-contained. This would provide a satisfying and varied gameplay experience (with room to expand beyond to the other three NI Rail lines if demand were high), whilst also showcasing the newest and very best of what Northern Irish railways has to offer!
It would be great to see something from Ireland - north or south - in game, but being realistic might not have the iconic sales potential DTG are looking for. Just got to check how many payware Irish routes have been released for TSC, none unfortunately and going back further think there was one for MSTS.
The MSTS payware was a two-parter, Enterprise South and Enterprise North, both of which could be combined into one continuous route. https://web.archive.org/web/20190718191406/https://www.uktrainsim.com/index2.php?form_reader=iesouth I do agree on getting some Irish content into the game, from either side of the border. Broad gauge, interesting equipment, beautiful countryside... it'd certainly be a welcome break from the endless Class 66 and DB red Dopplestock monotony.
Ahh be we can dream, right Vern?? Sorry for bumping - I got married so it all got a bit busy back there and I didn't have a chance to revisit this thread. It's a tough one, as I know the consumer interest likely isn't there, which is a real shame. It would be nice to have a series of showcase routes that highlight maybe a single line and associated rolling stock in a country, just to broaden the spectrum of representation a bit, but in the end, I can totally see why routes such as this may stay simply a pipe dream. Being cheeky, DTG Matt - has NI ever come up in conversation at DTG, even in passing?
