WH Davis to provide wagons to Iarnród Éireann

WH Davis is to supply 150 wagons to Iarnród Éireann. The wagons, manufactured at Nottinghamshire plant, are expected to be delivered in Summer 2026 and in service in 2027. The number of wagons could potentially rise to 400 over the next decade under plans to expand rail freight services, subject to funding and relevant approvals. The initial contract, which will lead to 20 new jobs, is valued at 44 million GPB. 

Iarnród Éireann’s current wagon fleet is approximately 50 years old and approaching the end of its operational life. Its ambitious freight strategy aims to enhance sustainable transport by expanding rail capacity, supporting a more balanced and environmentally-friendly freight network in line with national climate action targets. 

The wagons estimated design weight is 17 - 20 tonnes, and their payload capacity will be between 62 and 65 tonnes, an increase of 33% on the current wagons in use. The new wagons will see operational maximum speed increase from 80 km/h to 110 km/h. With a 10-year framework in place, it sets out the pathway for a significant increase in operation, raising traffic to over one hundred new freight services weekly should the full 400 wagons ultimately be ordered.

WH Davis, a subsidiary of Buckland Rail, has been designing and manufacturing wagons and containers from its site in Mansfield for over 100 years.