Will Brexit affect Irish railways?

[Noel]

With a new British PM closer now, I noticed that she has said in the past that "Brexit" will "inevitably" lead to border tariffs or controls.

 

Apart from the utterly retrograde aspect of this generally, how will this affect the "Enterprise"?

 

In the past, the dining cars (pre-1957 or so) for some years had separate tills north and south because of varying taxes either side of the border - despite the currency all being the one until 1979.

 

Will we have officials getting on and walking down the train at Dundalk and Newry? Or Connolly and Central?

 

Who knows JB! Some commentators speculate that the exit may never actually happen, or if it does it may be highly diluted (EFTA, etc). Only time will tell and thats possibly two to three years away. I suspect common sense will prevail on trains here either way, just as it currently does on air flights between EU and USA, and flights between Switzerland and EU countries.

[jhb171achill]

Let's hope so, Noel.

[jhb171achill]

News bulletin:

 

Upon Brexiting, NIR have announced changes to their future operation. At the exact point of the border, and all areas north of this, all railway tracks including those of the DCDR and Giant's Causeway Railway will be relaid to 1435mm gauge.

 

All rolling stock will be repainted in either BR blue or GNER whatever livery, and all trains will carry the double-arrow logo and stale BR sandwiches from henceforth. New signage will be applied to all stations with double-sausage totems. NIR will become the Northern Region of British Rail and will start operating merry-go-round coal trains from Poyntzpass to Cullybackey. Meanwhile, the DCDR will receive a major boost in becoming the permanent home for 60103 "Tornado" and the "Flying Scostman".

 

Whitehead has begun drawing up plans to re-gauge locomotives No. 4, 85, 131, 171 and 461 to 4ft 8 1/2 inch gauge. No 4 will be turned out in GWR green, 85 and 461 in BR green and black respectively, 131 in LMS maroon and 171 will be turned out in LBSCR loco yellow.

 

At the Giant's Causeway, elderly Tube stock will replace the current recent stock which was converted from biscuit tins and runs on organic soup.

 

The whitehead carriage set will be all repainted in BR blue and grey, complete with stale sandwiches.

 

The Portrush branch will be operated by single-unit railcars with those chimneys up the ends.

 

On the "Enterprise", as it is cross border and now international, every coach will have one bogie of 1435mm gauge and one of 1600. This is believed to be a unique arrangement.

 

Remember where yiz heard it first.

Edited July 12, 2016 by jhb171achill

[Broithe]

News bulletin:

 

Upon Brexiting, NIR have announced changes to their future operation. At the exact point of the border, and all areas north of this, all railway tracks including those of the DCDR and Giant's Causeway Railway will be relaid to 1435mm gauge.

It would be simpler to just replace the dual gauge track section on the Boyne Viaduct.

 

 

There's enough distance there to jack the wheels in and out without stopping to do it.

[dave182]

I think that there is a lot of hype relating to all of this. As an example look at say Norway (not EU) and Sweden (EU). In terms of railways there seems to be reasonable free movement of people and goods across the borders with minimal fuss, all with 2 different currencies and tax rates. Look at the network of railways in the north of the two countries and the ore flows from LKAB mines in Sweden, exported through Norwegien ports.

[jhb171achill]

I hope so. It's even possible that greater hassle will affect roads, not the railway.

 

Possibly regulatory matters might diverge, with the north potentially following a British ruling or operating standard that wasn't applied in Europe, or vice versa.

[Broithe]

I hope so. It's even possible that greater hassle will affect roads, not the railway.

 

Possibly regulatory matters might diverge, with the north potentially following a British ruling or operating standard that wasn't applied in Europe, or vice versa.

 

Especially when the Republic starts driving on the right.

[jhb171achill]

And Mrs Merkel has us all speaking German. Maybe they'll reopen the West Clare with Harz narrow gauge stuff!

[Broithe]

And Mrs Merkel has us all speaking German. Maybe they'll reopen the West Clare with Harz narrow gauge stuff!

 

Otto Skorzeny had a place in Kildare - "the most dangerous man in Europe"...

 

[Old Blarney]

How might these EU Rules be implemented in the case of Brexit?

 

 

• 1999 Vilnius Protocol on Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF)

• Declaration under Article 42(1) of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF)

• 2007 Luxembourg Protocol on Matters specific to Railway Rolling Stock to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (UNIDROIT)

 

 

Regulation EC No 579/001 Harmonization of railway gauges between member States and Non-European Union Members States.

 

The Council of Ministers, The European Commission, The European Parliament are agreed there must be a single standard of railway gauge throughout the European Union (EU). Where there is a land border between a Member State and a Non-Member State of The European Union the European Standard Gauge of 1435 mm must be used by the Member State.

 

Article 50. In the event of a Member State wishing to leave the European Union and that state or part of that state having a railway gauge that is non-standard to The European Union (EU) standard gauge of 1435 mm there must exist a facility for the interchange of traffic between The European Union State and the Non-member State.

[16miller]

Didn't the 'Save Our Railways' campaign on NIR happen while we were IN the EU?

[Junctionmad]

whatever the effect on full size railways here, It will be a right pain for us railway modellers, VAT at point of import again, and given the postie doesnt take money anymore, double plus pain and mega difficulties for things like Parcel Motel

[jhb171achill]

Post will be an issue, yes, unless May can pull some serious rabbits out of hats.

 

The rules re borders are crass and unnecessary. If a country wants to leave, they can do what they want with gauges. If they want to stay, they'll continue with the same gauge they have not only now, but a century before the EU existed!