IÉ and NIR move thousands during visit of Pope Francis

by

THE visit of Pope Francis to Ireland on August 25-26 provided logistical challenges for all of the Republic’s public transport providers as hundreds of thousands travelled to Dublin to attend a special mass in Phoenix Park on the Sunday.

These pressures were particularly felt on the railways, with both Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail (IÉ) and Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operating a high number of specials from across the network, and north of the border, to get worshippers to Dublin.

History in the making as Northern Ireland Railways Class 3000 units Nos. 3004 and 3001 wait to depart with the 05.40 Derry/Londonderry-Dublin ‘Papal Special’ at Waterside station on August 26.

IÉ’s special charters worked in and out of all Dublin’s termini, while NIR sent two specials from Belfast, and another from Derry/Londonderry.

Article continues below…
Advert

Enjoy more Railway reading in the monthly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.

Read more in the October issue of The RM – on sale now!


Advert
Subscribe to The Railway Magazine
Enjoy more of The Railway Magazine reading every month. Click here to subscribe.

Railway Reads

From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.


Article Tags:

About the Author