Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Rail tunnel between Ireland and Wales?

Options
«1

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Auvers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,987 ✭✭✭Auvers


    Affable wrote: »
    Why not do it?


    Money


  • Options
    #3
    elmolesto
    Registered Users Posts: 5,721 ✭✭✭elmolesto


    Affable wrote: »
    If you check out a map, the coasts are not that far apart at all. About 100km/35 miles I reckon.

    Why not do it?

    EDIT:found this old story

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/4121001.stm

    100km is 62 miles while 35 miles is 55km


  • Options
    #4
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Its been talked about before, a seabed semi submerged tube, something like the one between Denmark and Sweden which is much shorter.

    Mike.


  • Options
    #5
    RobAMerc
    Registered Users Posts: 5,862 ✭✭✭RobAMerc


    no doubt Vincent Salafia will bring an injunction against it !

    Although it is a silly idea that will never be realized.

    Perhaps one that links NI to Scotland may happen as the Rosslare-Pembroke one would need to be funded solely by us - and eh thats not going to happen now is it !


  • Options
    #6
    Affable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭Affable


    elmolesto wrote: »
    100km is 62 miles while 35 miles is 55km

    Yes whoops, my mistake. Still do-able though.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Adam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,866 ✭✭✭Adam


    Affable wrote: »
    Yes whoops, my mistake. Still do-able though.
    Cool, let us know how you get on!


  • Options
    #8
    elmolesto
    Registered Users Posts: 5,721 ✭✭✭elmolesto


    The channel tunnel was a financial disaster. I think they just broke even this year.


  • Options
    #9
    cornbb
    Registered Users Posts: 6,790 ✭✭✭cornbb


    The channel tunnel is only 20-odd miles long but it cost billions that will never be recouped, following the emergence of budget airlines. You're talking about a tunnel 3 times as long, connecting countries with much smaller populations. It'll never happen.


  • Options
    #10
    Affable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭Affable


    RobAMerc wrote: »
    Although it is a silly idea that will never be realized.

    I don't see that it's any more silly than the London Paris one.


  • Options
    #11
    rollie
    Registered Users Posts: 144 ✭✭rollie


    Affable wrote: »
    Yes whoops, my mistake. Still do-able though.


    as long as you aren't the chief engineer....


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    See above! London 7 million Paris 8 million. UK and France 60 million each.

    Mike.


  • Options
    #13
    Maximilian
    Legal Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 5,400 Mod ✭✭✭✭Maximilian


    Affable wrote: »
    Why not do it?

    Sea Orcs.


  • Options
    #14
    Blisterman
    Registered Users Posts: 7,452 ✭✭✭Blisterman


    Well, if fuel prices keep heading the way they are, I can see this one becoming feasible in the future.


  • Options
    #15
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    cornbb wrote: »
    The channel tunnel is only 20-odd miles long but it cost billions that will never be recouped, following the emergence of budget airlines. You're talking about a tunnel 3 times as long, connecting countries with much smaller populations. It'll never happen.
    Sounds like a perfect candidate for a government sponsored project.


  • Options
    #16
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    Never say never !

    There will come a day when the Green Lobby has ensured that flying will become too expensive for the average person, peak oil will also contribute to this. We currently live in the Golden Age of flying, from here on in prices of flights can only rise as oil gets more scarce.

    And the day when freighting goods by road will become prohibitively expensive will also arrive, prompting a huge shift back to doing it by rail. Trains can transport many multiples of what you'd fit in a lorry so it will eventually make total sense ( if it doesnt already ). Expect to see new rail tracks being built and old ones reopened ( as is the plan with the Dublin-Navan route )

    Id easily predict the day when France and the UK build yet another tunnel to deal specifically with freight and let the current one serve passengers only.

    And it wouldn't surprise me if we get our own link to Wales, if fact within the next 30 years it will begin to make more and more financial sense regardless of the initial outlay.

    I wouldn't go investing in a road haulage company anytime soon....


  • Options
    #17
    Blisterman
    Registered Users Posts: 7,452 ✭✭✭Blisterman


    Also, don't forget, it's much easier to power trains, through sustainable energy, than road vehicles or ships.


  • Options
    #18
    astrofool
    Registered Users Posts: 16,481 ✭✭✭✭astrofool


    Technology has much advanced in tunnel building since the channel tunnel, and it could be built at a much smaller cost today.

    Also, the costs of the tunnel were factored into taking many decades to pay back the loan, if they break even this year, and move into profit in the years ahead, the initial capital investment will be paid back many times over. A tunnel is also far less polluting, and potentially quicker than using air travel.

    However, the populations aren't really large enough to support it, and we're not exactly crying out for capacity that our ports can't handle.


  • Options
    #19
    loyatemu
    Registered Users Posts: 14,818 ✭✭✭✭loyatemu


    I'll get my pick, you bring your shovel, we'll be eating leeks in Cardiff by Christmas!!


  • Options
    #20
    Affable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭Affable


    Wow the rail journey from Dublin to London would only be about the same as London to Edinburgh. Barely anything to Cardiff or Bristol. Think of Irish students using it...


  • Options
    #21
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    I think it would be a much better idea to convince the Brits to make a tunnel between N.I and Scotland.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    astrofool wrote: »
    A tunnel is also far less polluting, and potentially quicker than using air travel.
    .

    Too right, the TGV in France just tested a new train last year that set a world record of 574km per hour ( 357mph ). Thats like Belfast to Cork in an hour, unbelievable!*

    The ones they are using at the moment are clocking 320mph ( 200mph ) with the result that ppl are now commuting to Paris for work from way down as far as the Alps. Flying domestically in France is becoming less viable as the airlines can't compete with what high speed rail offers, especially for journeys under 3 hours. No security, no queues, no baggage limits, no trolly dollies trying to sell you scratch cards, reclining seats you can actually get a proper sleep in with ample legroom....sounds like bliss:)

    All the countries around France ( and the UK )are investing heavily in high speed rail right now, it looks like its going to be the truly luxurious way to travel in the future. Until some little known company called Ryanrail comes in and destroys it all that is:D


  • Options
    #23
    Dublin1600
    Closed Accounts Posts: 62 ✭✭Dublin1600


    Dublin port tunnel disaster springs to mind :eek: "The tunnels are 4.5 km (2.8 miles) in length and total project length of 5.6 km (3.5 miles). It had final cost of approximately €752 million." This equals rougly €215 million per mile of tunnel, so multiply that by 50 miles = €10.75 billion. Where are those poxy celtic tigers when you need one ;) That **** we call our government wasted the best years Ireland will ever see.


  • Options
    #24
    heyjude
    Registered Users Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭heyjude


    Blisterman wrote: »
    Well, if fuel prices keep heading the way they are, I can see this one becoming feasible in the future.

    As fuel prices rise so will the cost of building tunnels etc. , I mean drilling machines and the accompanying equipment use fuel too.

    But I agree with the others that have said that it will never be built. Look at the cost of building an underground metro in Dublin and multiply that many times for a 60 mile long undersea tunnel. Then factor in the relatively low usage that the tunnel would get due to the low population living either side of it and then think of our last major tunnel project, the Dublin Port Tunnel, which finished way above budget, suffered serious delays due to water leaking in and is frequently closed even now due to technical problems.

    So based on past form a tunnel under the Irish Sea would cost several times the projected cost, would be completed years behind schedule and would be subject to regular closures! Not the sort of scenario that would have bankers itching to loan the money for such a project and the taxpayer could never afford the tens of billions of Euro it would cost, even at todays prices.


  • Options
    #25
    Affable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭Affable


    RATM wrote: »
    Too right, the TGV in France just tested a new train last year that set a world record of 574km per hour ( 357mph ). Thats like Belfast to Cork in an hour, unbelievable!*

    The ones they are using at the moment are clocking 320mph ( 200mph ) with the result that ppl are now commuting to Paris for work from way down as far as the Alps. Flying domestically in France is becoming less viable as the airlines can't compete with what high speed rail offers, especially for journeys under 3 hours. No security, no queues, no baggage limits, no trolly dollies trying to sell you scratch cards, reclining seats you can actually get a proper sleep in with ample legroom....sounds like bliss:)

    All the countries around France ( and the UK )are investing heavily in high speed rail right now, it looks like its going to be the truly luxurious way to travel in the future. Until some little known company called Ryanrail comes in and destroys it all that is:D

    Maybe not rational, but something in me doesn't trust those high speed trains to be as safe somehow.


  • Options
    #26
    jester77
    Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    They should sort out the pitiful effort of a train system they run in Ireland before they even think about something like this.


  • Options
    #27
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    jester77 wrote: »
    They should sort out the pitiful effort of a train system they run in Ireland before they even think about something like this.

    True, its hard to believe that CIE boast of their hourly service from Dublin to Cork taking a whopping 3 hours with their flashy new trains. The French and the Japanese have trains sorted big time, we are light years behind.

    And ppl say the French have hassle with unions, in fairness they still get the job done when it comes to transport....


  • Options
    #28
    sharkDawg
    Registered Users Posts: 401 ✭✭sharkDawg


    RATM wrote: »
    Too right, the TGV in France just tested a new train last year that set a world record of 574km per hour ( 357mph ). Thats like Belfast to Cork in an hour, unbelievable!*

    The ones they are using at the moment are clocking 320mph ( 200mph ) with the result that ppl are now commuting to Paris for work from way down as far as the Alps.

    They are awful expensive though, your average person isn't using them to commute from the alps to Paris!


  • Options
    #29
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Someday. Although when teleportation devices become commercialised all these notions of travelling on wheels will become obselete.


  • Options
    #30
    Davidius
    Registered Users Posts: 4,893 ✭✭✭Davidius


    Ah sure I made construction plans for this ages ago. It's a bit of a hobby you see. Give us €150.95 for supplies and I'll have it done by tomorrow.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    more boats!!!
    A bit cheaper! :rolleyes:


Advertisement