Córas Iompair Éireann¹ (CIÉ) (English: Irish Transport Company) is a statutory authority which is owned by the Irish Government, and since the enactment of Transport (Reorganisation of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act, 1986 CIÉ is the shareholding company of Bus Éireann - Irish Bus, Dublin Bus - Bus Atha Cliath and Iarnród Éireann - Irish Rail - the three largest internal transport companies in Ireland.

Current government policy is that Córas Iompair Éireann should be wound up and the three individual companies focusing on their own business areas and thus increasing competitiveness. Despite this, legislation to enact this change has been frequently delayed, and has yet to be published as of 2005.

1944: "The Flying Snail"

Córas Iompair Éireann was originally established to provide road and railway transport, and later water. For most of its existence the company made large and year-on-year losses, particularly the railways division, this caused the public and politicians to demand "make CIÉ pay". Thus, similar to the pattern in many countries, Ireland's railways were rationalised and faced severe cutbacks while the road division was expanded.

1964: "The Broken Wheel"

Córas Iompair Éireann was formed, as a private company, by the Transport Act, 1944 and incorporated the Great Southern Railways Company and Dublin United Transport Company. At this point CIÉ adopted the logo of the latter company, "the flying snail". Great Southern Railways (Ireland) incorporated in 1925 been previously Great Southern Railway since 1924, this was essentially a monopoly on transport. The Transport Act, 1950 amalgamated CIÉ and the Grand Canal Company and formally nationalised CIÉ, changing its structure from a private limited company to a board appointed by the Minister for Transport. The Northern Ireland Great Northern Railway Act, 1958 transferred the lines of Great Northern Railway Company, south of the border, to CIÉ. In 1990 CIÉ sold its nine Great Southern Hotels to Aer Rianta - the airports authority -, including the hotel in Derry, Northern Ireland.

See also

• Transportation in Ireland
• Diesel Locomotives of Ireland

Footnote

1. Literal meaning "Irish Transport System", pronounced CHORUS UM-PAIR AIR-INN.

External links

• Official site - Córas Iompair Éireann