 The new trains will replace NI's ageing railway fleet |
Much of Northern Ireland's ageing railway rolling stock is set to be replaced with 23 new state-of-the-art trains. The first of the new generation, three-carriage trains, will be delivered next week from the manufacturers CAF at Zaragoza in northern Spain.
They have been described as "the safest trains in the world" and are all expected to be operating within 12 months.
The poor reliability of Northern Ireland Railways' existing trains has dogged the service in recent years, with frequent breakdowns resulting in delays and cancellations.
Northern Ireland transport company Translink said the �80m investment was designed to meet the needs of rail travellers over the next 30 years.
A further �30m is expected to be spent on parts and maintenance over the first 15 years of the trains' operation.
The first trains will go into service on the Belfast-Bangor line, with roll-out across the province in the following months.
Journey times are set to be cut with the new 90mph trains, which have faster start-up and braking mechanisms.
 |  The �80m investment we have been able to make in rolling stock will go a long way towards improving levels of reliability and comfort, as well as the perception of rail as a modern, convenient means of transport  |
The silver and blue carriages are air-conditioned, carpeted and fitted with aircraft-style seating for up to 200 passengers per train.
They have CCTV, audio announcements, wheelchair access and toilets for the disabled.
Translink said it made a saving of �3.5m on the transaction because of the sterling-euro values.
The trains will be subjected to a rigorous testing and commissioning programme of up to 16 weeks before entering service.
'Latest technical innovations'
Translink general manager Mal McGreevy said the move meant 75% of all trains were being replaced.
The company said its target was increasing rail passenger numbers by 60% over 10 years.
"The �80m investment we have been able to make in rolling stock will go a long way towards improving levels of reliability and comfort, as well as the perception of rail as a modern, convenient means of transport," said Mr McGreevy.
"Every opportunity has been taken during the design period to ensure that passengers will benefit from the latest technical innovations, resulting in a smoother ride and quieter rail travel."
The trains are the first in the world to meet stringent safety standards set by the Association of Train Operating Companies in the wake of the Paddington rail disaster in London.
"We will have one of the safest trains in the British Isles and within Europe," said Mr McGreevy.
"These trains will be with us for the next 20-30 years. We have to look forward to what our passengers will expect and we have exceeded their requirements today."
Last week, a report on the future of rail travel in Northern Ireland said the railway service should be expanded.
The consultants behind the report also said that expanding the railway service would have social and economic benefits.
Trains every 10 minutes on the Bangor line in County Down, and an hourly service to Londonderry were just some of the highlights of what extra expenditure would bring, according to the report.
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