[DWCommuter]

Right. Im sick of all the indecision and pathetic references in disguised threads. Can we finally have this thread to discuss the pros cons and politics of this project, inclusive of all that goes with it.

Alternatively could a mod have the decency to tell us if WRC threads are now banned? If not can we get this one rolling? Its fair to say that a lot of us want to talk about it.

When the Ennis-Athenry line does open other threads can be started to discuss services. Until then all there is to talk about is the ifs and buts of its potential from Limerick to Colooney.

If anyone wants to reference anything in the original thread it can be found at this link;

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=141318

[corktina]

potential...

limerick to ennis quite good
ennis to galway may be Ok
galway to tuam doubtful
tuam northward none

IMHO

[westtip]

Originally Posted by DWCommuter

Right. Im sick of all the indecision and pathetic references in disguised threads. Can we finally have this thread to discuss the pros cons and politics of this project, inclusive of all that goes with it.

Alternatively could a mod have the decency to tell us if WRC threads are now banned? If not can we get this one rolling? Its fair to say that a lot of us want to talk about it.

When the Ennis-Athenry line does open other threads can be started to discuss services. Until then all there is to talk about is the ifs and buts of its potential from Limerick to Colooney.

Here here - but i take umbrage at the word "pathetic" in terms of references in disguised threads, the less than wail collidor was for the time of year - a piece of pantomine. I shall go to that thread for a final post of interest right now...

Now where we all before we got rudely interupted (and I take it we may be again.) Actually at this point in time I don't think I've got much more to say...

[DWCommuter]

From Shane in the thread about a thread. Think it belongs here.

Ya its flooded again. I expect the line to be closed until atleast march or april next year. The water is about 2 feet over the tracks which are laid on a 2meter hign bank !

And if their is nothing done about it it will be flooded again next winter!

Can flooding on this line last that long?

[westtip]

What effect will the budget have on the WRC

Rail projects to be completed next year will include the Western Rail Corridor Phase 1;

but no mention of phase 2 Athenry - Tuam or 3 tuam - Claremorris

both of which I think are dead in the water (not flood water north of Athenry)

here is the full report on Transport from the IT WRC bits highlighted

O'BRIENTRANSPORT: ANNOUNCING DETAILS of the Transport budget, Minister Noel Dempsey said the 2010 provision for roads would be €1.637 billion, €280 million (14.6 per cent) down on the revised 2009 allocation.

Of this, €1.115 billion is to be used on national roads, particularly to complete schemes linking Dublin with the regional cities; and €411 million will be provided for the upkeep and maintenance of local and regional roads.

There will be €920 million for public transport of which CIÉ will receive direct subvention of €276 million. This is a reduction of €27 million (8.8 per cent).

The capital provision for public transport investment is €625 million, €3 million lower than in 2009. Rail projects to be completed next year will include the Western Rail Corridor Phase 1; the Luas extension to Cherrywood; the Kildare Rail Project; and the Navan Railway Line Phase 1. Work will continue on the Luas extension to Citywest for completion in 2011. Planning will continue on Metro North and Dart Underground.

The 2010 provision for road safety is €37.5 million, compared with €37.2 million in 2009. This is intended to help maintain the downward trend in road deaths.

Maritime transport and safety has been allocated €53 million, compared with €49 million in 2009. The principal item is the provision of a search and rescue helicopter service for €27.3 million.

The 2010 provision for aviation is €23.2 million, compared with €26.2 million in 2009.

Public-private partnership (PPP) operational payments will amount to €43.4 million in 2010. This funding is used to make annual payments to PPP operators for road projects where private investment is not remunerated by tolls.

The administrative budget of the Department of Transport is being reduced by €2.9 million in 2010.

Reductions totalling €2 million are also being made in the administrative budgets of a number of agencies, principally the National Roads Authority, Railway Procurement Agency and Railway Safety Commission.

Apart from phase 1 been completed (which in effect aside from some station work) has been done. It does not augur well for the Greens nw programme for Governmetn negotiated with FF in which a committment was made to WRC. Also highlighted what they say about what planning will continue next year - see anything conspicuous by its absence?

Any ducks on those floods south of Athenry. This one appears dead in the water.

[Calina]

Originally Posted by DWCommuter

Alternatively could a mod have the decency to tell us if WRC threads are now banned? If not can we get this one rolling? Its fair to say that a lot of us want to talk about it.

This is my view on the subject.

No, WRC threads are not now banned. However, given the general tendency for them to descend into puerile farce, they get closed with rather alarming frequency and I get reminded by just how idiotic people can be on the internet.

If this thread progresses in a constructive manner, then I don't have an issue with it. If it derails, becomes a safe haven for trolls and idiocy, regardless of what your stance on it is, then it will result in bans and a thread lock.

Ultimately, the fate of the thread is in the hands of the posters. If you collectively have a grown up discussion about it, we're okay. If you don't, we're not.

I'd advise any posters against

1) trolling
2) backseat modding
3) insulting other users
4) generally messing the thread around.

If you the community take this advice on board, I will be saved from having to do any major moderation in here. This would be a boon to be honest.

I am hopeful that this will be the case.

[westtip]

OK calina very interesting. Why not just open the original thread with these rules. Because that thread contains essays arguments newspaper articles links to relevant items --- the list goes on - it is in fact an ongoing commentary of everything that has been debated on the WRC in the past six and half years in one thread here on boards.ie and if new people come in to ask a question they can merely be sent a link to a previous post.

Like DW I am fed up with all this farce that is going on I actually used to quite enjoy debating issues on these boards, but this has now become a battle and clearly the heels are dug in and the thread which contains a massive amount of information on the WRC does not appear to be going to open - All you have to do Calina is open the old thread.

Derek I admire your idea but the thread that should be opened up is the one that should never have been closed, not least because of the massive amount of information it contains.

[corktina]

i dont agree...you can never have 100% of what you want and I think we should move forward from here.You can still access the old thread I believe and refer people to it by means of quoting can you not? Lets ALL stop acting the Maggot and behave ourselves

[Calina]

Westtip, cut the backseat moderating.

If you want to discuss the WRC this is where you are going to do it.

[westtip]

Originally Posted by Calina

Westtip, cut the backseat moderating.

If you want to discuss the WRC this is where you are going to do it.

Fine. Derek good luck with the thread. I take it you are not going to re-open the old thread, and this is not backseat moderating it is purely asking a question.

[Rawr]

I fully endorse this school, amenity, and/or discussion thread.

I'm glad to see a Western Rail Corridor thread finally up and running. I am of coarse saddened that the monster that was the original WRC thread, does not appear to be returning.

However, it remains in place, and shall continue to do so I hope. Instead of focusing on the rukus of the past weeks, I would ask (as a boardsie who loves this debate) for everyone to get back to the debate in earnest.

Having the WRC thread desend into a heated debate about itself merely serves elements of West On Track and their ilk, who seem to have a thing about negative comment regarding the corridor.

I hope for the flooding on the WRC to end soon, in order to actually see what happens. Either way, it will be a good debate in the first few days of it's running.

[T Corolla]

I done some rescearch on the population densities from Sligo to Limerick and was not surprised why there is no case for the WRC beyond Tuam. Here are the totals
Sligo 19400
Collooney 1000
Tubbercurry 3000
Charlestown 860
Swinford 1500
Kiltimagh 1100
Clairemorris 2600
Ballindine 800
Miltown 1500
Tuam 6900
Ballyglunin 200
Athenry 4100
Craughwell 400
ardrahan 400
Gort 1800
Ennis 24300
Sixmilebridge 2100
Compared to Sligo to Dublin which is rumoured to be a loss making services if it is there is no case for Sligo to Limerick
Dublin to Sligo
Colooney 1000
Ballymote 3000
Boyle 2530
Carrick On Shannon 3200
Dromond 510
Longford 8900
Edgeworthtown 250
Mullingar 18500
Enfield 2200
Kilcock 4100
Maynooth 10,715
There is as much of a case for a railway from Waterford to Cork or Cavan to Dublin to Cavan as there is for a railway north of Tuam
Waterford to Cork
Dungarvan 8400
Youghal 6500
Midelton 10000
Dublin to Cavan
Cavan 7900
Virginia 3190
Kells 5250
Navan 25000
Dunboyne 5400
These are the town and envoirn population as per 2006. I think of all the towns on WRC Tuam has the best chance. I intend going back to the web to find the elevation all the towns from Sligo to Tuam are above water level to see how many times it would be shut due to flodding as is the case with the Limerick to Ennis line currently and the Sligo to Dublin line. I understand that the population densities are one of the indicators of determing if a service is viable or not

[dowlingm]

Reopening to Tuam only helps very little (and certainly not without serious upgrades to Athenry-Galway track capacity). Reopening to Claremorris improves system resilency while creating plausible routings like Ballina-Limerick (as part of maintenance movements that will be happening anyway, via Athlone).

Claremorris-Collooney is a WHOLE different thing altogether.

[corktina]

in the current climate i think its academic isnt it? With cutbacks inevitable at IE, will the WRC open at all at this time? or will some other line close to allow it to open?

[DWCommuter]

Link to the original WRC thread if anyone wants to reference some of the very good information there. No nonsense. Just genuine stuff please.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=141318