Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

Looks good for WRC in my view

Bray Head wrote: »

The leaked programme for government suggests that an independent cost-benefit analysis will be undertaken on the issue of whether it should be extended beyond Athenry.

Interestingly enough for any potential greenway, there is a reference made to nothing being done with the aligment that would preclude potential return to railway use.

A fully independent CBA will bury the line once and for all. I wonder does Sean Canney realise that he may well have killed off the WRC finally, or does he care once he's milked it to get himself a bit of a profile?

BoatMad wrote: »

Looks good for WRC in my view

What, few nice days will dry the line out connecting it to Limerick?

The existing Limerick to Galway train route does not have sufficient passenger numbers.

Multiple buses companies and an imminent M18 motorway have made it a White Elephant. Irish Rail didn't even see the merits of it.

Extending the Western Rail Corridor would be an abuse of the public purse. Even a user friendly timetable won't justify the cost.

I've seen trains from Limerick to Ballybrophy and Limerick Junction to Waterford with no passengers.

Some ideas should be cut down straight away without vested interests becoming involved

Muckyboots wrote: »

Dear Shane Ross- Minister for Transport (and impending industrial actions). Angel of Anti-cronyism and Lord of Good Corporate Governance - gonna splash out €300 million of tax payers money on a white elephant for your buddy and his associates ?

He won't, but he'll throw a few hundred grand at a survey that has only one aim -- to delay the building of a greenway until the government falls in a year or two.
Canney isn't expecting a positive affirmation of the railway argument, but he needs to be able to go back to voters in a year or so and say 'I nearly got you a railway, just give me one more go at it.'

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

The existing Limerick to Galway train route does not have sufficient passenger numbers.

using it, certainly not. a catchment if it had been simply reopened without the new stations, yes absolutely. a service running limerick ennis athenry galway could potentially have got a lot better numbers. but we will never know, we are where we are and we are stuck with it. lines with more passengers will probably go before it.

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

Multiple buses companies and an imminent M18 motorway have made it a White Elephant.

busses and motor ways aren't an argument against it in fairness. the arguments against it being extended, and for ennis athenry not to have reopened really are.
1. the current alinement of ennis athenry.
2. the fact other lines will shut if it is extended as predicted.
3. the fact 1 line shut to allow ennis athenry to open as predicted.

i would go as far as to say that if we were serious about public transport, multiple bus operators operating on a route would be an argument for investing in the network so that there can be competition between 2 methods. it doesn't mean reopening every single little branch line that closed, but it does mean investing in what we have and potentially trying to grow the cities and open more lines around the most populated parts. the country and the cities have a lot going for them but we are in my view stifeling them by not implementing an alternative to road transport.

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

Irish Rail didn't even see the merits of it.

while true, considering their treatment of a number of lines in the country, what irish rail sees the merits in wouldn't even make the list of things to consider when making the decisian on opening/reopening a railway line if i was making the decisian.

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

I've seen trains from Limerick to Ballybrophy and Limerick Junction to Waterford with no passengers.

both have been ran down deliberately in fairness. evidence = 40 years or more of leaving them to rot.

end of the road wrote: »

a service running limerick ennis athenry galway could potentially have got a lot better numbers. but we will never know, we are where we are and we are stuck with it. lines with more passengers will probably go before it.

We know there's zero passengers if it rains, because the line floods and closes.

end of the road wrote: »

Axl Echoing Viper wrote: »

Does "the passenger" at the station press a button to set a signal to red to stop the train or something?

no, uk trains mostly still have a second person on board. one informs the gard should they need to get off at a request stop. if one needs to get on the train, they flag the train down once they see it. the train would be traveling at the normal station approach speed regardless so it would be traveling slow enough to stop. of course here in ireland it would be more difficult as we have a majority driver only railway

Deutsche Bahn have in a few places trains where you just press a button to tell them you're getting off.
No different than a bus.

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

The existing Limerick to Galway train route does not have sufficient passenger numbers.

Multiple buses companies and an imminent M18 motorway have made it a White Elephant. Irish Rail didn't even see the merits of it.

Extending the Western Rail Corridor would be an abuse of the public purse. Even a user friendly timetable won't justify the cost.

I've seen trains from Limerick to Ballybrophy and Limerick Junction to Waterford with no passengers.

Some ideas should be cut down straight away without vested interests becoming involved

There are about 100,000 passengers using the wrc

As for Waterford to LJ, if you run just two trains a day at bizzare times , that used to be a function of the rosslare boat times ( and the train doesn't even run there any more ) provide no sunday service ( so weekend passengers can't return ) , charge a fare multiples of the wrc fare , then FUNNY that , you get no passengers

Irish rail always ensure they generate a lemon line to keep up their sleeves in case the overall financial case of the railways goes into the toilet

They then offer up that closure as if it " solves" everything , after Waterford to LJ is gone , the next one is ballybrophy, or Wexford to rosslare port ( which is a joke with the stop being 500 metres away from the port ) ,
After that , speculation is to remove all services from Waterford

The problem in Ireland isn't railways , it's Frank's and Irish rail that's the issue

eastwest wrote: »

A lot of speculation about request stops etc as though the Canney Deal was going to result in a railway!

actually the request stop question was a general question. the poster was simply wondering could such a request stop system be implemented on lower used lines.

Sunday Independent 06/09/2014
Chances of the Sligo to Galway rail service re-opening remain slim in light of a report which shows passenger numbers falling on another part of the Western Rail Corridor. Indeed, the Galway to Limerick line which opened in 2010 could see a reduction in its services.

Documents seen by the Sunday Independent show senior officials in Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe's department admit that passenger numbers on the €110m Western Rail Corridor from Galway to Limerick, have been "disappointing to date".

The corridor is one of a number of rural railway lines that could face a cut in services. Nationally, passenger numbers have fallen by a fifth, from 45.5 million in 2007 to 36.7 million in 2013,

Over the same period, the level of state subsidy has dropped by over a third, from €203m to €127m. Irish Rail has accumulated losses since 2008 of €147m.

An in-depth review of services across the rail network is under way, which could result in some lines being closed or see service levels reduced.

http://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/sligogalway-rail-hopes-remain-slim-30554478.html

savagethegoat wrote: »

that's about the strength of it...300 per day without looking it up...3 or 4 bus loads.

Evidence shows that where offered and convienent, people prefer trains

eastwest wrote: »

I'd prefer a limo.

Luxury helicopter myself but....


Let me preface my comment , when presented with a choice of bus or train....,