Northern Ireland Railways > Reviews > NIR a rail network to be proud of

Author's product rating:   

Frequency of trains	Good
Reliability of trains	Mostly on time
Comfort of trains	Very comfortable
On-board facilities	Excellent

Advantages:	New trains
Disadvantages:	Rail network in Northern Ireland not extensive enough

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Gone are the days when only the bravest of passengers would dare travel by train in Northern Ireland. Only 5 years ago this would involve sitting in old, delapidated trains in use since the 1970s! However today the picture is different with more and more people choosing to commute by train. I often commute from Antrim to Belfast and I am always very pleased with the service. The price of a return ticket is £6.80 which is a bit expensive however I don't mind paying this because of the quality of the trains and the service.

Today NIR have introduced 23 brand new trains to the system bringing it into the 21 century. Unlike the old trains these new trains are fitted with automatic doors. This is a huge relief for many people including myself who dreaded opening and closing the doors manually. The new trains are extremely comfortable, with soft seats with some 4 seat tabled bays, these are great when travelling in groups and for long journeys. Each train is capable of carrying around 200 people in 3 cars and can reach speeds of 90mph. The trains are also fitted with 2 toilets and are capable of carrying bikes free of charge. Another useful feature is the LED and audio passenger information system which informs passengers which station they are at, which services are avaliable from this station and where the next stop will be.

The frequency of the trains really depends on the line but most of the time the frequency is good with more trains scheduled over rush hours. However I believe there is demand for a more frequent service as everytime I travel the trains are always well filled.

The main disadvantage of NIR is the size of the network, vast areas of the province are unconnected. I would like to see more connections from Belfast to the west of the province. A rail connection to towns such as Enniskillen, Omagh, Dungannon would be good. Also a rail link to Belfast International airport would be useful as the railway passes along the airport boundry anyway.

NIR main train stations are modern and always clean for example Belfast Central and Belfast Great Victoria Street. However some of the smaller train stations are in need of some attention. These stations would benifit from new facilites such as new toilets and a small newsagents at each station.

Northern Ireland Railways staff have always been very plesant and helpful towars me and other passengers. Their friendly service is unique.

NIR caters well for disabled passengers. On my last 2 journeys I noticed blind passengers using the braile sinage. The trains are Wheelchair accessible with dedicated accommodation for 2 wheelchairs. One of the train toilets is also wheelchair compatible.

I would definetly advise Northern Ireland Railways..