 They are designed to operate at a maximum speed of 160 km/h (100 mph).In 2005, the Irish Government announced the €34 billion Transport 21 proposal for significant improvements to transport infrastructure, with major emphasis on the railway network.As part of this, large-scale replacement of rolling stock was planned, then made up entirely of locomotive-hauled coaching stock, the most based on the British Rail Mark 2 and Mark 3.