Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

Here - some public transport equipment to operate between Limerick and Athenry

I really get annoyed when I see reference to stuff like Bosnia, or when people say that a region is getting "raped" when its wishlist isn't fulfilled by government. I would really like it to stop on this board because it is deeply disrespectful to a lot of people who would like nothing more than to have the WRC as their worst problem.

This is a simple issue - how are resources best allocated, taking into account demand patterns, available investment and competing transport modes. The people of Galway have been shortchanged by the opening of the Athenry section because the Oranmore station and double tracking has been left undone and will now remain undone for some time.

Not only is the Limerick-Galway bus service far superior in terms of frequency (wait time to next service is a critical component of journey time) to the proposed train schedule but on the Athlone/Dublin routes time has been lost which the roadbuilders have used to create an M6 passage for BE, Citylink et al. By contrast, a vibrant commuter service between Athlone and Galway and reduced hold ups on Dublin-Galway would have created a more favourable market environment for expansion to Limerick, especially if the correct station allocation was done (Athenry-Gort-Ennis-Sixmilebridge-Longpavement/LIT/Thomond Park-Colbert)

What is clear is that the major infrastructural requirement for the West which has the potential to substantially affect the economy is an examination of the regions water management. Between roads and rails hundreds of millions of Euro of investment was either damaged or made temporarily unavailable and people and products stranded or diverted, and that's before considering the direct impact of water damage on farms, homes and industries - damage which should be of a centennial nature but in the current setup is happening several times a decade. A problem of this magnitude is truly one deserving of a pan-regional response and urgent government support - not least because it has the potential to create economic stimulus.

BluntGuy wrote: »

lol

Anyway, ignoring the rest of that silly little tirade, a genuine question:

Can someone give me an explanation of how the transfer at Athenry will work - like, frequency wise and such. I know how the physical transfer will take place (awkward, messy etc.) but what sort of times/delay are we looking at?

I was wondering about this too.
Not knowing the layout at Athenry too well...I wonder...is it at all possible to create some kind of loop there to entirely remove the need to change ends?

It's probably not nessisary given that a good chunk of the rail-fleet is now made of railcars. However, if freight ever did become viable on this line (can't imagine how..but you never know), perhaps such a loop would be useful?

ClovenHoof wrote: »

Makes sense. That's were the communting population is. Frank Dawson's family were train drivers who worked out of the Tuam shed so there is also a sentimental and emotional reason for this. We would all undertake his herculean efforts to restore the line if your father drove the last locomotive on the line.

This does not make it the right thing for the west. I'd also add that from the point of view one who's depended on rural rail services in other countries, not connecting directly to Galway - the larggest agglomeration in the area - makes NO SENSE whatsoever.

ClovenHoof wrote: »

This is a noble and very worthy crusade he has undertaken. We value our heritage in the West. I think sometimes that people from Dublin underestimate just how deep our blood ties run. Perhaps the issue here is as much cultural as anything else. People in Dublin do just not "get" the West and its folk.

I think you have no idea about people in general. There's a lot to be said for improving public transport outside the Dublin area but same as in Dublin, there needs to be cop on and practical considerations taken into account. Your post is not indicative of common sense in this respect. Sentimentality is no valid reason to set up a train system if it is not practical. People need transport, not follies.

ClovenHoof wrote: »

Look at how Luas was all about "bring deh dear and darlin tram back me oul schmosa..." They even had an old time Dublin tram on display for the new Point(less) line. That's not sentimentality?

The Luas was a practical plan to address the public transport problem in Dublin,not some sentimental ideal. The old time tram was just part of the publicity for the new red line extension,not a nod to tram fans!

ClovenHoof wrote: »

But think about it. the Western Rail Corridor opened to Claremorris results in a fully integrated rail system at last. Train passengers from Derry, Enniskillen, Knock, Galway, Ballina and Limerick can interchange there. It would be a Clapham Junction for the West. Development would explode. I really cannot fathom the rationale against such rail integration.

I think the eventual goal of a spur to a new deep ocean port at Belmullet makes a lot of sense too.

Your theory is not really borne out by past experience elsewhere. I'm not sure what you mean by development exploding but in light of the huge problems that Shell are having in Mayo, I'd be stunned if that part of the country was the top of anyone's list of locations to develop in right now. Not only that, Belmullet is isolated and road infrastructure to it is really not suitable for any sort of a deep water port and in any case I can't actually see any practical application for it.

WRC or not I would hesitate to call the rail system in Ireland fully integrated.

ClovenHoof wrote: »

Look at how Luas was all about "bring deh dear and darlin tram back me oul schmosa..." They even had an old time Dublin tram on display for the new Point(less) line. That's not sentimentality?

I have issues with certain decisions that were taken with regards to Luas; however, it should be noted that each project must be assessed on its own merits in terms of integration with a whole. As matters stand I am not sure that this was done for WRC. Ultimately the fact that Luas was funded is not evidence that WRC should be funded if rail travel in the west cannot be supported in its own right. It's a strawman and bringing up funding for other projects as proof that a pet project should be funded is undoubtedly an argument of last resort.