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Portlaoise train maintenance facility at the start of the M7

  • 24-03-2008 2:49pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭


    I only copped on to this recently when driving back from Limerick on the left hand side of the M7 at Portlaoise. I nearly ran in to the back of the car in front of me when this brand new facility with spanking new trains in fresh livery caught my eyes. Is this the trend latest for CIE to decentralize their operations from Inchicore?

    portlaoise-depot.jpg


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 19,015 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Well a property company like CIE can't be sitting on high value land in Dublin when it can be sold off like the family silver for a pittance.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    murphaph wrote: »
    Well a property company like CIE can't be sitting on high value land in Dublin when it can be sold off like the family silver for a pittance.
    I would have suggested CIE to have made that move several years ago, its getting a bit late now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,025 ✭✭✭Ham'nd'egger


    I only copped on to this recently when driving back from Limerick on the left hand side of the M7 at Portlaoise. I nearly ran in to the back of the car in front of me when this brand new facility with spanking new trains in fresh livery caught my eyes. Is this the trend latest for CIE to decentralize their operations from Inchicore?

    Partly, yes it is decentralizing operations; partly it allows earlier trains from the south as well; partly it is a cheaper location for new facilities to handle new trains. Much of the office staff are being moved into Inchicore over time, with office space being let in the city to make a few bob. CIE are one of the biggest owners of property in Ireland and make a lot of money from rent and lease of same.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 621 ✭✭✭Nostradamus


    Been on the cards for about 5 years now. Inchicore deopt is a terrible waste of good development land and with IE having only 10 or so locomotives in the future no need for it either.


  • Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭fitzyshea


    Has this opened yet does anyone know?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Nope, they are still testing track and signals in the area.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,678 ✭✭✭jjbrien


    Been on the cards for about 5 years now. Inchicore deopt is a terrible waste of good development land and with IE having only 10 or so locomotives in the future no need for it either.

    They also have another intercity service depot at Connolly so it makes sence.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,025 ✭✭✭Ham'nd'egger


    jjbrien wrote: »
    They also have another intercity service depot at Connolly so it makes sence.

    That shed is being closed. Inchicore will still maintain loco's in the Dublin area; Portlaois and Drogheda will concentrate on DUM's. DART's are maintained between Fairview and Inchicore.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,316 ✭✭✭KC61


    Hamndegger wrote: »
    That shed is being closed. Inchicore will still maintain loco's in the Dublin area; Portlaois and Drogheda will concentrate on DUM's. DART's are maintained between Fairview and Inchicore.

    Not quite true. The Intercity DMUs for the Sligo and Rosslare will be maintained on a day-to-day basis in Connolly Intercity Traincare Depot (currently the Valeting Plant) (similar to the manner that 2700s are maintained in Limerick).

    All heavy maintenance will be carried out at Portlaoise.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,025 ✭✭✭Ham'nd'egger


    KC61 wrote: »
    Not quite true. The Intercity DMUs for the Sligo and Rosslare will be maintained on a day-to-day basis in Connolly Intercity Traincare Depot (currently the Valeting Plant) (similar to the manner that 2700s are maintained in Limerick).

    All heavy maintenance will be carried out at Portlaoise.

    That is good to hear, KC. I was told (By a guy who works beside it) that it was due for the chop due to the DMU sheds out of town limiting the amount of locos to work on; ironic to hear that DMU's will keep it going for now :)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,316 ✭✭✭KC61


    Hamndegger wrote: »
    That is good to hear, KC. I was told (By a guy who works beside it) that it was due for the chop due to the DMU sheds out of town limiting the amount of locos to work on; ironic to hear that DMU's will keep it going for now :)

    The Connolly locomotive shed may indeed be closing, but the Valeting Plant is becoming an Intercity Traincare Depot servicing the Intercity DMU fleet and the De Dietrich coaches for the Enterprise.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,207 ✭✭✭Rashers72


    If the interconnector ever gets built, there should be a significant increase in the DART fleet serving Maynooth-Greystones and Balbriggan-Hazelhatch.
    Present fleet = 154 DART/EMU carriages (no change since 2004). They plan to order an extra 250 DART carriages in 2008.
    Fairview depot will not cope with this increased fleet, so maybe Inchicore could come into use then (Good location on the new Balbriggan-Hazelhatch route, has the land, sheds, staff, etc.). Funny that they spend so much money building a Diesel Multiple Unit facility in Drogheda, when > 50% of this line may switch to DART by 2015, and therefore not use this facility. Maybe I'm missing something here....
    Unless the expanded enterprise train sets due to be order later in 2008 will be DMU's???


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 621 ✭✭✭Nostradamus


    Apart from being filled with people and a new commuter station, the Government should give serious consideration to developing a national Industry and Transport museum on the site of the Inchicore works.

    It's about time the country had one and Inchicore would be the logical site. Many of them older buildings are listed anyways and would be perfect for large exhibits.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,025 ✭✭✭Ham'nd'egger


    Apart from being filled with people and a new commuter station, the Government should give serious consideration to developing a national Industry and Transport museum on the site of the Inchicore works.

    It's about time the country had one and Inchicore would be the logical site. Many of them older buildings are listed anyways and would be perfect for large exhibits.

    This idea was touted some years ago and was a serious runner at one stage. A site in Mullingar was the intended location (Plenty of space, close to both rail, road, canal and reasonable to get from from most of Ireland) and Irish Rail took on a heritage officer to help get it off the ground. There was a lot of hassle from behind the scenes and suffice to say, there isn't one at present. I am not privy to the exact in's an out's of it all, but it is a bitter topic with the many transport preservation groups and museums in Ireland.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    the country had one

    The country does have a fine transport museum in Cultra, however another one wouldn't be any harm and industrial exhibits would be great. Imagine if the likes of the railway works at Dundalk had bee preserved.


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