First of high-speed trains delivered

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen presented a vision of the future yesterday - a high-speed intercity train service bedecked in Iarnród Éireann's new silver and green livery.

Eight new carriages were unloaded by crane at 8.30am at Dublin Port. Climbing aboard a first class carriage on the dockside, Mr Cullen admired its blue and grey interior before remarking:

"We'll pretend the sun is shining. This is a big day for train passengers."

Some 223 carriages are on order at a cost of €460 million, an investment programme which the Minister said would move the Republic's train fleet from being one of the oldest in Europe to one of the newest in just three years.

Iarnród Éireann spokesman Barry Kenny said the new carriages would be deployed for an hourly service on the Dublin to Cork line.

It would, Mr Kenny said, be "easily as good" as the Enterprise service" on the Dublin to Belfast line.

The new carriages are available in standard and first-class finishes. In standard class, the seats are configured in groups of four on either side of the aisle and while there are tinted windows, lighting and audio facilities are standard. In first class, each individual seat is reminiscent of a business-class airline seat.

There are overhead reading lamps, arm rests and multi-channel headphones.

Windows are tinted and table lamps are discreetly angled so as to not disturb other passengers. The seats are configured in groups of four on one side of the aisle and two on the opposite side.

"This is the visible bit," said Mr Cullen, touching briefly on the €650 million spent in rail track and signalling since 1999.

Sixty-seven intercity carriages are arriving in phase one of the fleet renewal project, with carriages going into service on the Cork line this December.