Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

westtip · 21-06-2010 11:12pm

invinciblePRSTV wrote: »

Is the N17 actually one of the worst roads in the country? I don't really think so to be honest. I feel that there are worse roads than the N17. It appears to be by and large good quality bar the section from Claremorris - Tuam - Galway - (with bypassing Milltown, Ballindine, Tuam and Clare Galway)

?

I think you have answered your own question in one word Yes. In several other words go talk to the parents, siblings and friends of those who have lost their lives on this deathtrap. And don't tell them they will be able to catch the train cos there will be no service on wet miserable nights in the winter with poor driving conditions. This road and the section you highlight is a deathtrap.

wild handlin · 21-06-2010 11:54pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

balina is nothing really it is only a few companies that use rail because it suits them for export but there are much more factories around the country that could not afford to switch to rail due to extra costs as well as needing road freight from the railway stations and then there is the whole reliability issue with irish rails awful record of accidents breakdowns and very late trains!

Thats down to Irish Rail - not the theory of whether railfreight is viable in this country!!

westtip wrote: »

I think you have answered your own question in one word Yes. In several other words go talk to the parents, siblings and friends of those who have lost their lives on this deathtrap. And don't tell them they will be able to catch the train cos there will be no service on wet miserable nights in the winter with poor driving conditions. This road and the section you highlight is a deathtrap.

It is tragic to loose anyone to a road traffic accident, whether on a motorway or a minor road. In my view there appear to be other roads in the West which appear to be in worse condition than the N17; what about the N16 for example? To me it seems as the majority of Tuam residents appear to commute to Galway, then surely rail would be a viable alternative to the motorway*? After all, the EU are constantly pushing for "greener" methods of transport. The train sounds like a non brainer to me. You have a good target market in Tuam - and with promotion and cutting edge fairs (I presume the M17 will be tolled?) then it sounds very promising - with with a station at Oranmore it surely would benafit Galway and it's environs further. I believe it could be sucess - HOWEVER what I will say is that it all comes down to how (well) IE can handle the service & promotion, if/when Tuam link does open.

*Edit: I'm not saying that the N17 motorway isn't needed. What I'm saying is that for the likes of Tuam where commuting takes place to Galway then surely the train would be a viable alternative than the motorway?

corktina · 22-06-2010 8:44am

wild handlin wrote: »

invinciblePRSTV wrote: »

What point are you trying to make here?

My point is that some posters constantly "slag off" the WRC, yet no-one seems to be activly looking at what passenger numbers are on the services etc. When it was made public about the WRC being a far greater sucess than imagined in the first month some posters basically said, 'well - looks like the novelty factor is still on'. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it just appears to me that theres a small bunch of posters on the boards who appear to want the WRC to fail at whatever cost - yet don't even consider that there are far greater wastes happening on IE at present - which don't draw in a single cent of revinue!!

.

Is the N17 actually one of the worst roads in the country? I don't really think so to be honest. I feel that there are worse roads than the N17. It appears to be by and large good quality bar the section from Claremorris - Tuam - Galway - (with bypassing Milltown, Ballindine, Tuam and Clare Galway)

I have had friends who have used the service and I've been reliabily told that the trains by and large seem to be well filled. Do you have any reliable figures to suggest that no one is using the service, and that every service is a "ghost service"?

If freight trains are timetabled properly then there shouldnt (in theory) be any conflict with passenger trains? And - as regards railfreight there is a large demand for freight in this country to go by rail - and not all in the West.
If you look at what Ballina can produce container wise for export then surely what can the likes of Cork, Limerick and Galway for example (which all had similar trains serving them up until the 2000's) can produce for railfreight?

Im not anti-rail...im anti-waste. Lets see those passenger figures, I'll bet there is less than a bus full on each train.Noone in the right mind is going to continue using a service which is dearer and slower than the bus, not to mention the car!

Freight from Ballina is one thing, exports from Galway Limerick and Cork are another as they dont need a train as they all have ports

westtip · 22-06-2010 8:53am

wild handlin wrote: »

Thats down to Irish Rail - not the theory of whether railfreight is viable in this country!!

It is tragic to loose anyone to a road traffic accident, whether on a motorway or a minor road. In my view there appear to be other roads in the West which appear to be in worse condition than the N17; what about the N16 for example? To me it seems as the majority of Tuam residents appear to commute to Galway, then surely rail would be a viable alternative to the motorway*? After all, the EU are constantly pushing for "greener" methods of transport. The train sounds like a non brainer to me. You have a good target market in Tuam - and with promotion and cutting edge fairs (I presume the M17 will be tolled?) then it sounds very promising - with with a station at Oranmore it surely would benafit Galway and it's environs further. I believe it could be sucess - HOWEVER what I will say is that it all comes down to how (well) IE can handle the service & promotion, if/when Tuam link does open.

*Edit: I'm not saying that the N17 motorway isn't needed. What I'm saying is that for the likes of Tuam where commuting takes place to Galway then surely the train would be a viable alternative than the motorway?

tell me how will a service from Tuam to Athenry and into Galway via stops at Oranmore, with a service which we can only presume will be at best a match to the northbound branch line from Ennis to Galway suit commuters - who for example work in shops with long hours, or those who have shift patterns, or those who have to say drive 15 minutes to Tuam station park up and then add a further 25 minutes to their journey at the other end to get to their place of work. How will it suit retail workers working in retail parks a long way from the rail terminals - how will it serve teachers working in schools scattered through the communities, how will it suit office workers working on industrial/commercial campuses,also a long way from the stations - Our planning in the last 20 years has not been designed around 19th century infrastructure, perhaps it should have been, but we have to live with waht we have scattered economic and social activity - for which the only transport solution is the private car and good quality flexible and frequent bus services.

Anyway do you really think all the types of workers mentioned above are all going to add an hour to their journey every day and every night to catch the train - whilst the car they have paid for sits in the drive or at tuam railway station?

Just think about it. Then think why some of us who live in the west can see the folly of all the attention for transport in this part of the world being centred on a railway - which will be useful for a very small minority of the population out here. For example if 40 people a day are now getting the early morning train from Ennis to Galway (and that number is pulled from the air) - so what - you don't go building commuter lines to accomodate this number of people - and the same for Tuam, so what if 30 people a day choose to get say the 7.30 am train from Tuam to Galway. Can this project be justified for those 30 people? the answer is an unequivocal no.when literally thousands a day would use the road (which by the way is to be a shadow toll - ie not payable by the drivers using the road - so effectively free ) this is taken fromt he GAlway coco web site:

The tendering process for the N17 N18 Gort Tuam PPP scheme is being managed by the National Roads Authority. The scheme will be constructed as a four lane road. There will be no tolls on the road. Further details on the scheme can be found on the NRA website at the following link
http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/SecondPPPRoadsProgramme/

It would seem - that if we get this road - the dodo being created in the form of the WRC north of Athenry will be just that - as dead as a dodo. why go ahead and rebuild infrastructure which is not going to be used in our car dependent society? the truth of course lies in those words I wrote a few days ago - We are broke and we will probably get neither.

Anyway - once again just think about it. Is this rail line really the saviour of public transport for the people fo Tuam? BTW I agree about the N16 but it does not carry the same volume of traffic as the N17 (I think but maybe check on NRA site)

Zoney · 22-06-2010 4:57pm

My experience of the mid-morning service (09:35) Limerick-Galway recently was that most people on the train travelled the full distance Limerick-Galway on this particular service. It was about half-full on leaving (two people in almost all rows) and not many boarded or alighted at any station en-route (including Ennis).

Experience of the 12:10 return service the next day was that it was hardly used to Ennis, but at Ennis the platform was full of people waiting and the train into Limerick was more than half-full.

I'd be interested to know what the main traffic flows and passenger numbers are on the route, as I would have expected the midday services to be quieter (what were all those people doing heading into Limerick from Ennis after lunch?).

Galway station is one of the more miserable railway termini I've been to in Ireland! I really don't see the point of Ardrahan and Craughwell (both seem to service open fields) and it is absurd that fancy new stations were built there with none yet at Oranmore! (Not to mention that Galway station can't do much for encouraging people in Galway to use the train!). I have noticed that Limerick station is busier than ever all the time now - it does work well of course having the bus terminus co-located (a pity city bus services don't better connect)! Having so many people using the services from the station does seem to make it feel less dodgy for waiting in (apart from a new coffee dock it hasn't had any more actual polish than the last clean-up a couple years back).

It was a nasty discovery that €20 for a return ticket is day return only, coming back the next day is €36! However, it was possible to use the automatic ticket machines even though you can't buy your ticket online for Limerick-Galway.

The ride quality even in what is a camoflagued commuter rail car was very smooth (of course, not exactly fast in parts!) - it should be a dream if they do use the regional railcars next year!

This is only slightly related, but it was handy having all the city bus services in Galway depart from just outside the railway station at Eyre Square. One glaring omission however by Bus Éireann is that there is no diagram showing where the various services (with a *lot* of suffixed/via services) actually go - you are just supposed to guess if your stop is on the way to a Galway townland you don't know! Despite this they have more timetables up everywhere than in Limerick, so at your end destination there is indeed a timetable showing all the routes passing that stop - the information you needed when at Eyre Square!

foggy_lad · 22-06-2010 9:10pm

so on a lovely summers morning with lots of people going on day trips to galway and lots of schoolkids off until september the morning train was almost half full and the return trip the next afternoon was almost empty until ennis where there was already a regular service to limerick. not very good for a service that is expected to make money.

out of interest were the trains 2 or 4 carriages?

Zoney · 22-06-2010 9:25pm

foggy_lad:

In my experience of bus/rail, that's not bad at all for the time of day. Of course you have to run services at times where they are less used or else your peak services aren't utilised as much either, as people can't rely on using public transport due to lack of options!

The train was three carriages, because they are faking a regional railcar. I assume they've added the single railcar units, of which there were two, to normal two-car units to make this train.

I'm interested to know what peak-time usage is, and whether there is much Ennis-Galway travel at those times.

westtip · 22-06-2010 11:27pm

foggy_lad wrote: »

so on a lovely summers morning with lots of people going on day trips to galway and lots of schoolkids off until september the morning train was almost half full and the return trip the next afternoon was almost empty until ennis where there was already a regular service to limerick. not very good for a service that is expected to make money.

out of interest were the trains 2 or 4 carriages?

Foggy I don't think in fairness it was ever expected to make money, I think even if it is full to the ginnels it won't make money - ever - the issue is just how big will the subvention be - and BTW just how much traffic has it taken off the commuter routes - my guess is on the latter it is hardly noticeable, A real commuter service should by its very nature be packed by the time it reaches its terminal - that is the nature of the beast of commuting, and I guess could the actual number of people on board have been better accomodated on two buses, which in fact woudl be a lot "greener" than a rail car. I am guessing a 45 seat coach will actually use less fuel than train for this distance.

foggy_lad · 23-06-2010 12:51am

it basically returned from galway empty because the people in ennis would be catered for on the regular commmuter service from ennis to limerick! that train should be full in the mornings and half full through the day with so many teenagers around but they will never pay the exhorbitant irish rail rates when they can get the bus which is not only cheaper but faster!

corktina · 23-06-2010 6:41am

the other thing needed for a commuter service is an intensive service of course.

westtip · 23-06-2010 7:37am

corktina wrote: »

the other thing needed for a commuter service is an intensive service of course.

Corky yes you are quite right - any respectable commuter service would start around 6.30 am with regular 20 minute interval trains in the "rush hour" (I use that with a wry smile when thinking of commuters ont he WRC. then hourly services in non peak and back to 20 minute intervals between 4 and 7 and then a service up to 11. Of course this kind of service is feasible in heavily polulated areas but I do think it is grossly unfair dat de people of da wesht are being denied WOT is rightfully theirs. WRC 247 is the new battle cry trains every 15 minutes - da wesht demands a gold standard WRC.....

corktina · 23-06-2010 10:25am

joking apart, thats the problem with having a Park and Ride at Oranmore. Ideally there would need to be a turnback facility (given that no loop is planned) and a shuttle service between the Galway to Dublin and Limerick trains to acheive a decent headway. I'm no timetabling expert but I dont think it is possible on a single line to acheive a close enough headway to attract people out of their cars. People just missing one train will not be willing to wait , what, 40 minutes? for the next one.They will stay in their cars....

Hungerford · 23-06-2010 12:33pm

Zoney wrote: »

In my experience of bus/rail, that's not bad at all for the time of day.

Indeed, you'll find quite a few quiet services on the Northern and Maynooth lines at that time of day and into the afternoon. The positioning runs in advance of rush hour are usually particularly quiet as they are going against the flow of traffic.

Hungerford · 24-06-2010 11:32am

Noel Dempsey told the Dail yesterday that completion of Phase 2 of the WRC may be accelerated because of delays to the interconnector:

"Ironically, the fact that the interconnector and metro will take longer than expected to complete, for environmental and design reasons, will ensure that the next phases of the western rail corridor and the Navan line will proceed on time and perhaps a little ahead of time. It is an ill wind than blows no good."

Fianna Fail are obviously planning a last stand in the West for the 2012 election.

Judgement Day · 24-06-2010 11:55am

Where phase 2 of the WRC goes the Burma Road can't be far behind - looking forward to one more trip over the route.

westtip · 24-06-2010 9:10pm

Hungerford wrote: »

Noel Dempsey told the Dail yesterday that completion of Phase 2 of the WRC may be accelerated because of delays to the interconnector:

Where his lips moving at the time he made the speech - I generally find this is a good indicator he is lying.

DWCommuter · 25-06-2010 12:46am

Hungerford wrote: »

Noel Dempsey told the Dail yesterday that completion of Phase 2 of the WRC may be accelerated because of delays to the interconnector:

"Ironically, the fact that the interconnector and metro will take longer than expected to complete, for environmental and design reasons, will ensure that the next phases of the western rail corridor and the Navan line will proceed on time and perhaps a little ahead of time. It is an ill wind than blows no good."

Fianna Fail are obviously planning a last stand in the West for the 2012 election.

Im trying to avoid this thread and I also avoided quoting what you did. I predicted in 2004 that the WRC would damage the development of rail transport in Ireland and it will. Fianna Fail will continue to spend cheap to keep certain constituencies happy.

Westtip - Do not underestimate these gob****es. While Dempsey usually talks out of his arse, phase 2 of the WRC could happen. But I'm intrigued by his reference to the Navan line. That is now a project that isn't needed, flies in the face of commonsense and will cost an absolute fortune considering they ploughed through key aspects of it (with no provision) when building the M3.

westtip · 25-06-2010 1:22am

DWCommuter wrote: »

Im trying to avoid this thread and I also avoided quoting what you did. I predicted in 2004 that the WRC would damage the development of rail transport in Ireland and it will. Fianna Fail will continue to spend cheap to keep certain constituencies happy.

Westtip - Do not underestimate these gob****es. While Dempsey usually talks out of his arse, phase 2 of the WRC could happen. But I'm intrigued by his reference to the Navan line. That is now a project that isn't needed, flies in the face of commonsense and will cost an absolute fortune considering they ploughed through key aspects of it (with no provision) when building the M3.

Thing is DW. The WRC is so irelevant to the majority of people in the west that it will have little impact on the election. In fact I am pretty sure based on the poeple I know out here - if he said we are not going to build the WRC north of Athenry but we will invest immediately in N17 and the N26 (bohola Ballina link) then that would be a greater vote winner. I know you have been off the thread but out here most people couldn't give a tuppeny toss about the WRC.

Neworder79 · 25-06-2010 10:33am

I agree 100% westtip, anyone I ever mention the WRC to shrugs and say it would be good to have in the longterm but they wish they'd fix the roads first.

THE N5/17/84/26..etc should be priority number 1, we've been promised some of these schemes as far back as 30 years and people are angry that years of boom and objective 1 status have left little visible infrastructure in the west bar a few treatment plants. For safety, access and sustaining industry in the region, the roads impact far more on the lives of people in the West everyday than the WRC north of Galway will.

Many on this board think there is a big lobby for this in the West, I thought the Limerick-Galway link made some sense, but I can assure you most people would line up behind the roads candidate any day.

Hungerford · 25-06-2010 11:10am

DWCommuter wrote: »

But I'm intrigued by his reference to the Navan line. That is now a project that isn't needed, flies in the face of commonsense and will cost an absolute fortune considering they ploughed through key aspects of it (with no provision) when building the M3.

I'm puzzled about why you think the Navan line is unnecessary - I think that provision of a commuter rail link from a major commuter town would seem like a no-brainer to me. It's likely to carry more passengers in a week than the WRC would manage in a month.

DWCommuter · 25-06-2010 11:18am

Hungerford wrote: »

I'm puzzled about why you think the Navan line is unnecessary - I think that provision of a commuter rail link from a major commuter town would seem like a no-brainer to me. It's likely to carry more passengers in a week than the WRC would manage in a month.

Navan is a classic example of our diabolical planning from the Celtic Tiger years whereby people could only afford homes miles from Dublin. Building this railway was just an attempt to feed that frenzied expansion. Now that its all gone bang, its time to get back to some commonsense. Furthermore this line has just been a literal carrot dangled by local politicians to secure votes. Their real agenda was the M3 and they got it. With that road in place the publics appetite for a railway will disappear.

I was always a supporter of it in comparison to the WRC, but I very quickly noticed how seriously uncommitted to it the Government was. The evidence has been outlined on this forum many times. So as I said above, time to get back to reality and move on from building badly planned commuter towns that require €500 million (and thats conservative) railways. In a funny way, its almost as bad as the whole WRC debacle.

dynamick · 25-06-2010 3:14pm

Navan Phase II is likely to proceed now that phase 1 is nearly complete and metro and interconnector are behind schedule. Something Dempsey can do for his constituency that will live on after him. He can point at a (little used) M3 and railway and say that was him.

A completed phase I makes phase II more viable. Also they might save some cash by shutting down the freight line to drogheda and using the new route.

Hungerford · 25-06-2010 5:36pm

DWCommuter wrote: »

Navan is a classic example of our diabolical planning from the Celtic Tiger years whereby people could only afford homes miles from Dublin. Building this railway was just an attempt to feed that frenzied expansion.

Last time I checked the promotion of public transport was a strategic government policy (not that it means much around here). You could also argue that the reopening puts one of the worst closure decisions ever made by CIE right [behind Harcourt St-Bray].

Navan badly needs improved transport links with Dublin and, unlike the WRC, the plans seem relatively sane in terms of engineering and potential ridership.

While we can argue about the dreadful planning which led to the explosion in the town's population, the fact remains that we have to provide for the people who live there now. We can't turn back the clock.

foggy_lad · 25-06-2010 6:10pm

Back onto the whest and galway where although there was a large Que of people waiting to board the Dublin train the ticket checker shut the gate shutting down the boarding to help elderly passengers on with their luggage. A real Victorian scene!

Where are the automated barriers? The west are too backward to deserve a rail corridor at all!

unit 1 · 25-06-2010 6:27pm

Kenny for WRC anyone:D

DWCommuter · 26-06-2010 1:23am

Hungerford wrote: »

Last time I checked the promotion of public transport was a strategic government policy (not that it means much around here). You could also argue that the reopening puts one of the worst closure decisions ever made by CIE right [behind Harcourt St-Bray].

Navan badly needs improved transport links with Dublin and, unlike the WRC, the plans seem relatively sane in terms of engineering and potential ridership.

While we can argue about the dreadful planning which led to the explosion in the town's population, the fact remains that we have to provide for the people who live there now. We can't turn back the clock.

Navan has been provided for. Its called the M3. When the line closed it was NOT one of the worst closure decisions by CIE and NOT even comparable to the Harcourt st line.

Hungerford · 26-06-2010 11:57am

DWCommuter wrote: »

Navan has been provided for. Its called the M3.

But that's not a public transport link.

My attitude would be that while we would all like to turn the clock back and prevent the horrible planning of the Celtic Tiger era, I think that it is important that we put the public transport infrastructure in place in the Dublin region to support future growth.

Then again, I support the development of commuter rail links around all the country's major cities.

DWCommuter · 27-06-2010 1:45am

In my opinion Navan commuters will be more than happy with the tolled M3. (based on the long established cultutre of car ownership and driving everywhere.) Im now on the side of the drawbridge mentality in terms of public transport. (Abort plans to feed the careless and failed development practises.)

A lot of houses in Navan were sold on the basis of the railway, to guillable people. The town should not actually be part of any future growth from now on. The city of Dublin hasn't been developed to its maximum potential yet. T21 is a failed document and will always be based on the Celtic Tiger buiding frenzy. Its now time to assess and re-evaluated what is required in the current situation as this dictates the future

The WRC was and is nothing more than a politically motivated exercise that amounts to a waste of time..

westtip · 28-06-2010 10:22am

DWCommuter wrote: »

The WRC was and is nothing more than a politically motivated exercise that amounts to a waste of time..

and money...

Cookie_Monster · 28-06-2010 10:23am

westtip wrote: »

and money...

and rolling stock...

westtip · 28-06-2010 11:19am

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

and rolling stock...

and likely passengers, and drivers, and a timetable that will work....

Judgement Day · 28-06-2010 12:12pm

and post space on Boards.ie

dowlingm · 28-06-2010 4:29pm

Well, it's now government policy that we can only have so many miles of rail - so the price of Tuam will be Nenagh and the price of Claremorris will be Clonmel. The fact that both of those cut are bigger than both of those added is irrelevant, naturally...

westtip · 03-07-2010 11:06pm

was having a pint with somone who lives in cork today visiting his elderly parents here in sligo, he said he would never use the WRC if it went from Sligo to Cork could somene tell me what drugs these people are on?

dynamick · 05-07-2010 11:22am

Sunday Business Post...

CIE seeks €60m for unprofitable rail connection
04 July 2010 By Nicola Cooke

CIE is looking for more than €60 million to carry out the second phase of a rail connection, despite the fact that the route will be unprofitable and will require an ongoing subsidy.

The company is applying to the Department of Transport for funding for phase two of the Western Rail Corridor, a 24-kilometre stretch from Athenry to Tuam.

Engineers and other experts are currently carrying out topographical surveys of the existing line and the lands that surround it, to assess what would be required for the upgrade and how much it would cost.

CIE still owns the existing line, which was closed 30 years ago, and no railway order will be required.

When the surveys are complete, an application for funding will be made.

A CIE spokesman said the track bed and possible changes to the land on the line had to be analysed.

The section of the route would be expected to carry 65,000 passengers in its first year of operation, increasing to double that within five years.

There is more...

T Corolla · 05-07-2010 12:19pm

I would have more faith in this section been more sucessful that the Limerick-Galway section. I see it been similar to that of the midelton rail line opened last year

GM071class · 05-07-2010 12:35pm

dynamick wrote: »

CIE is looking for more than €60 million... ...despite the fact that the route will be unprofitable and will require an ongoing subsidy.

Shocking really,

They'll close the South Wexford because it's 'un-profitable' but they'll open a new un-profitable line instead???

Who's at the controls, and doesn't realise that it's not just a game of toy trains???

corktina · 05-07-2010 2:00pm

T Corolla wrote: »

I would have more faith in this section been more sucessful that the Limerick-Galway section. I see it been similar to that of the midelton rail line opened last year

how can a 24 km line to a very small town be more sucessfull than a line twice that length between two cities?:rolleyes:

L1011 · 05-07-2010 2:01pm

corktina wrote: »

how can a 24 km line to a very small town be more sucessfull than a line twice that length between two cities?:rolleyes:

There may, possibly, be more people from that small town looking to make the journey than people from the two cities. Potentially.

I'd want them to have very well done independent traffic surveys to prove that though.

Victor · 05-07-2010 2:48pm

corktina wrote: »

how can a 24 km line to a very small town be more sucessfull than a line twice that length between two cities?:rolleyes:

Its a different type of travel.

Based on societal / economic / educational hierarchies (neighbourhood / village, town, local city, bigger city, capital, international centre), most people from Tuam travel to Galway at some point. However, only specific people would travel between Galway and Limerick as the two carry out similar functions, but may travel more often.

Southsider1 · 05-07-2010 2:50pm

From Today's Independent:

The next day, a farmer died after he was struck by a train while attempting to herd livestock across a railway line.
James McInerney (62), from Newmarket-on-Fergus in Co Clare, was attempting to move livestock when he was struck by the 9.45pm Ennis to Limerick train.
The bachelor, who lived alone, died instantly when he was hit by the train at the townland of Ralahine, near Newmarket-on-Fergus, just after 10.15pm.
It is understood that he was used to herding livestock across the line, but may have got into difficulty when he was forced to run after some cattle that had escaped down the tracks.
It is also thought that he may have believed the trains had stopped running for the night and, as a result, moved the livestock on his own.
Just the train driver and one passenger were on the train when the accident occurred .
An Iarnrod Eireann probe into the deaths is ongoing, and a spokeswoman said new warning signs are being rolled out at level crossings across the country.

So they're running trains with a driver and just one passenger on this line and they close the Wexford/Waterford line.... Why?

Victor · 05-07-2010 2:54pm

Southsider1 wrote: »

So they're running trains with a driver and just one passenger on this line and they close the Wexford/Waterford line.... Why?

I was the only passenger on a 6-car DART twice (zero dark hundred / Dalkey-Killiney at 0730). Close the DART?

KC61 · 05-07-2010 4:13pm

Southsider1 wrote: »

From Today's Independent:

So they're running trains with a driver and just one passenger on this line and they close the Wexford/Waterford line.... Why?

To be fair the train was at 2150 from Ennis to Limerick which follows directly behind another Ennis to Limerick train at 2105.

Hardly peak travel times. They are effectively positioning trains back to Limerick. Better to have them in service than not.

GM071class · 05-07-2010 4:18pm

Victor wrote: »

I was the only passenger on a 6-car DART twice (zero dark hundred / Dalkey-Killiney at 0730). Close the DART?

Brilliant idea!! Haha,

corktina · 05-07-2010 7:18pm

Victor wrote: »

Its a different type of travel.

Based on societal / economic / educational hierarchies (neighbourhood / village, town, local city, bigger city, capital, international centre), most people from Tuam travel to Galway at some point. However, only specific people would travel between Galway and Limerick as the two carry out similar functions, but may travel more often.

do people from Gort or Ardrahan not travel to Galway then?

westtip · 05-07-2010 11:09pm

Look folks this government is seeking to save money - we all know the capital spending projects are going to be cut - this one is going to join a queue and be assessed for priority. so think about it this way - how far down the queue will this project be. My guess is a long way. It simply is not a priority and priorities are the only ones going to make it to the consideration stage.

Colm McCarthy will make a judgement on this one, in his review of semi-state bodies and we all know his opinion on this little subject.

oh and by the way I wonder how the silent majority in the west will feel about this little project going through in preference to any developement work on the N17/18 and N 26......

DWCommuter · 05-07-2010 11:58pm

westtip wrote: »

Look folks this government is seeking to save money - we all know the capital spending projects are going to be cut - this one is going to join a queue and be assessed for priority. so think about it this way - how far down the queue will this project be. My guess is a long way. It simply is not a priority and priorities are the only ones going to make it to the consideration stage.

Colm McCarthy will make a judgement on this one, in his review of semi-state bodies and we all know his opinion on this little subject.

oh and by the way I wonder how the silent majority in the west will feel about this little project going through in preference to any developement work on the N17/18 and N 26......

I hate to disagree with you Westtip, but this line will go ahead because;

1. Its low cost and appeases the western fraternity after years of "traditional" lobbying for the restoration of their "trean".

2. It creates the "illusion" that Transport 21 is actually in motion when its really just a mechanism for developmental announcements. The key difference is that in Dublin its mere planning and preconstruction works due to the real cost of serving millions, while in the west, its easy and cheap relaying of track to provide a pitiful service to thousands.

Thats politics!

highlydebased · 05-07-2010 11:59pm

While I may have advocated phase 1, phase 2 will be a huge farse and must not proceed. I'd love to see the people of Tuam have a train, but I'm sure I'd be used just as much as the people in Ardrahan use theirs...not at all!

DWCommuter · 06-07-2010 12:15am

Neon-Circles wrote: »

While I may have advocated phase 1, phase 2 will be a huge farse and must not proceed. I'd love to see the people of Tuam have a train, but I'm sure I'd be used just as much as the people in Ardrahan use theirs...not at all!

Despite your agreeable points I think we both know that it will proceed and provide all the evidence one needs to finally declare Irish Public transport policy to be a ****ing joke beyond all jokes.

Like all things Irish, mere joe soaps develop an interest and belief. This then morphs into a frenzied need for something that is usually beyond their ability. But in the interests of politics, if its cheap enough then we'll do it regardless of merit.

Its a bit like a mirage.:D

Zoney · 06-07-2010 9:10am

DWCommuter wrote: »

2. It creates the "illusion" that Transport 21 is actually in motion when its really just a mechanism for developmental announcements. The key difference is that in Dublin its mere planning and preconstruction works due to the real cost of serving millions, while in the west, its easy and cheap relaying of track to provide a pitiful service to thousands.

Actually that's a bit of an exaggeration - it is low hundreds of thousands (100-200,000 conservatively) in the Galway/Limerick regions and high hundreds of thousands (even if a bit past *one* million) that would be served by the developments in Dublin. Millions vs. thousands is not quite on the mark.

Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

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