The last couple of years have seen a revival of freight services in Ireland with regular container services between Ballina and Waterford and Dublin ports and timber trains from Ballina / Westport to Waterford picking up pace.
Zinc ore trains also run three times daily between Drogheda and Dublin Port.
To improve the reliability of these services, Iarnród Éireann has given clearance for the 35 year old General Motors 071 class locomotives to receive major overhauls at Inchicore Works.
These are likely to include body repairs and a repaint.
