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
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

How Come a Tiny Town Like Ballina Has a Railfreight Service...

Options
  • 19-03-2014 10:55pm
    #1
    ClovenHoof
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,121 ✭✭✭


    and Cork, Limerick, Belfast etc do not?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    relaxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 572 ✭✭✭relaxed


    ClovenHoof wrote: »
    and Cork, Limerick, Belfast etc do not?

    Same reason as Navan does, it has viable customers nearby.

    Also its because Ballina is a fair distance from Waterford for containers and the timber factory in Waterford.


  • Options
    #3
    Odelay
    Registered Users Posts: 3,784 ✭✭✭Odelay


    Bit off topic, but has anyone some pictures of the rail cars for the timber factory? Wood :D love to see them.


  • Options
    #4
    Captain Chaos
    Registered Users Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Captain Chaos


    Odelay wrote: »
    Bit off topic, but has anyone some pictures of the rail cars for the timber factory? Wood :D love to see them.

    Here they are.They are based on 62ft flats.

    http://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2014Photos/March-2014/i-NMv34PL


  • Options
    #5
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    ClovenHoof wrote: »
    and Cork, Limerick, Belfast etc do not?

    Ballina doesn't have a container port, simple as. They have to bring in containers by road or rail and just manage to scrape enough traffic up to run a rail service. I'd say it isn't a hugely profitable service as they go.


  • Options
    #6
    Copyerselveson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭Copyerselveson


    corktina wrote: »
    Ballina doesn't have a container port, simple as. They have to bring in containers by road or rail and just manage to scrape enough traffic up to run a rail service. I'd say it isn't a hugely profitable service as they go.

    You never miss an opportunity to run down railfreight Corktina. IE will not run any freight service unless it makes a profit.

    Do you have any facts to back up your assertions that DFDS "scrape enough traffic to run a rail service" or is that just speculation on your part?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    Copyerselveson wrote: »
    You never miss an opportunity to run down railfreight Corktina. IE will not run any freight service unless it makes a profit.

    Do you have any facts to back up your assertions that DFDS "scrape enough traffic to run a rail service" or is that just speculation on your part?

    I'm not running anything down, in fact you could say I am praising them for running a service which I believe is marginal. IE are just contracted to provide the trains, they do not run it at all...private venture. IE run lots of services that are loss making,... I don't think they run any freight services in their own right.


    Having said that, you make no comment on my assertion that it is lack of a port that leads to the running of these services so I take it you agree there?


    (You'll note that I said it was profitable, (if not hugely) not loss making... YOU brought in the concept of loss-making


  • Options
    #8
    Kristopherus
    Registered Users Posts: 11,907 ✭✭✭✭Kristopherus


    corktina wrote: »
    I'm not running anything down, in fact you could say I am praising them for running a service which I believe is marginal. IE are just contracted to provide the trains, they do not run it at all...private venture. IE run lots of services that are loss making,... I don't think they run any freight services in their own right.


    Having said that, you make no comment on my assertion that it is lack of a port that leads to the running of these services so I take it you agree there?


    (You'll note that I said it was profitable, (if not hugely) not loss making... YOU brought in the concept of loss-making

    Its not only the lack of the port that Ballina has a freight depot. In the 1970s a Japanese firm built a huge facility out side Ballina to provide synthetic yarn for world markets. The Ballina station was upgraded to provide a depot for what became known locally Asahi Trains, which ran mostly at night. That was the only way Asahi could get their products to a port. All the state agencies pulled the finger out to facilitate the Japs. A whopping good road was provided by Mayo Co Co. ESB provided a mini-power station on the site. Then Asahi cleared off during the mid-90s, but the rail depot remained and is still active. Nowadays the major users are Coca Cola, Hollister & Timber harvesters.


  • Options
    #9
    Copyerselveson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭Copyerselveson


    corktina wrote: »

    (You'll note that I said it was profitable, (if not hugely) not loss making... YOU brought in the concept of loss-making

    Where did I say loss-making?


  • Options
    #10
    crusher000
    Registered Users Posts: 649 ✭✭✭crusher000


    Coco Cola are the main users of this service


  • Options
    #11
    Rootsblower
    Registered Users Posts: 444 ✭✭Rootsblower


    crusher000 wrote: »
    Coco Cola are the main users of this service

    Soon to include a biomass service from waterford I'm told


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    Copyerselveson wrote: »
    Where did I say loss-making?

    You inferred that I believed it to be a loss-making service.


  • Options
    #13
    Copyerselveson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭Copyerselveson


    You said it was marginal, yet you have not backed that assertation up despite being asked. I did not say loss making, yet you are trying to say I bring that up? Ridiculous.

    Why not back up your view that it is marginal? It would give your argument credibility.


  • Options
    #14
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    I didn't say you did say it was loss making...you see what happens when you try to second guess people's opinions?


  • Options
    #15
    Banjoxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭Banjoxed


    corktina wrote: »
    I didn't say you did say it was loss making...you see what happens when you try to second guess people's opinions?

    A silly circular argument where someone wants to have the last word? That's called Winning on the Internet.


  • Options
    #16
    relaxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 572 ✭✭✭relaxed


    corktina wrote: »
    Ballina doesn't have a container port, simple as.

    Its not as simple as.

    Galway, Sligo, Limerick, Tralee, Killarney, Westport etc. etc. are all without a container port but have no container trains.


  • Options
    #17
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    Point taken.I with draw the simple as :-) .


  • Options
    #18
    BuffyBot
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 24,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    I'd like to remind folks to keep personal jibes out of the thread

    I've already had to trim some posts. I would hope I won't have to do it again.


  • Options
    #19
    Geog1234
    Registered Users Posts: 311 ✭✭Geog1234


    Came across this piece recently. Looks like both parties are happy with it.


  • Options
    #20
    Sligo Quay
    Registered Users Posts: 727 ✭✭✭Sligo Quay


    ClovenHoof wrote: »
    and Cork, Limerick, Belfast etc do not?
    Ballina is not connected to the motorway network, the other places you mention are, if and when Ballina is ever connected to motorways you can kiss your railfreight good bye.


  • Options
    #21
    Banjoxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭Banjoxed


    Sligo Quay wrote: »
    Ballina is not connected to the motorway network, the other places you mention are, if and when Ballina is ever connected to motorways you can kiss your railfreight good bye.

    Can't see Ballina being accessed by a motorway anytime soon when Sligo and the Derry/Letterkenny axis isn't. And the M3 didn't kill the flows from Navan.

    Much and all as it must pain any road lobbyists, if Irish Rail can make money out of freight flows it will, as well as being a net benefit to the taxpayer and reducing wear and tear on the roads.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    Jamie2k9
    Registered Users Posts: 10,667 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    Geog1234 wrote: »
    Came across this piece recently. Looks like both parties are happy with it.

    That gives over 80% loads in the first year back which is excellent. There was 3,120 spaces available over a 52 week period and the link states over 2,500 were filled.


  • Options
    #23
    Copyerselveson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭Copyerselveson


    Certainly not marginal profits then.


  • Options
    #24
    sporty56
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭sporty56


    Pretty certain that a Dept Environment condition of operation of Tara Mines from very start was that product for export via Dublin Port must be sent by rail. M3 or any other road not an option.


  • Options
    #25
    Rud
    Registered Users Posts: 937 ✭✭✭Rud


    Kristopherus wrote: »
    Nowadays the major users are Coca Cola, Hollister & Timber harvesters.

    What do Hollister do or what product do they send on the trains?


  • Options
    #26
    goingnowhere
    Registered Users Posts: 4,133 ✭✭✭goingnowhere


    sporty56 wrote: »
    Pretty certain that a Dept Environment condition of operation of Tara Mines from very start was that product for export via Dublin Port must be sent by rail. M3 or any other road not an option.

    Not so Tara Mines has been trucked to Dublin Port in the past

    Also been shipped out via Arklow after coming down by train the whole way from Navan


  • Options
    #27
    Big Nasty
    Registered Users Posts: 22,080 ✭✭✭✭Big Nasty


    Rud wrote: »
    What do Hollister do or what product do they send on the trains?

    Expensive clothing! :D


  • Options
    #28
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    goingnowhere wrote: »
    Not so Tara Mines has been trucked to Dublin Port in the past

    Also been shipped out via Arklow after coming down by train the whole way from Navan

    That's as maybe, but the original planning conditions for the development of Tara Mines specified the use of rail to transport the ore to Dublin Port. Don't ask for a link.


  • Options
    #29
    cbl593h
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭cbl593h





    Ballina. Quite impressive.


  • Options
    #30
    Kristopherus
    Registered Users Posts: 11,907 ✭✭✭✭Kristopherus


    Rud wrote: »
    What do Hollister do or what product do they send on the trains?

    Ostomy & Continence Care products. One of the biggest producers in the world.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement