[Solair]

The comparison with Switzerland is not really accurate to be honest. You'd want to be comparing with rural Northwestern France, parts of Norway or Scotland to get anything remotely similar to the West of Ireland in terms of population densities and spread.

Then you have to factor into the mix in Ireland that there is no onward connection to major urban centers and absolutely no way of using long-distance rail freight.

If you take a look at a country like Spain for example, which has excellent rail infrastructure, far flung and low population centre cities like Pamplona are only served from Madrid 4 times per day!

Pamplona has an urban population of 198,000 and a metropolitan population of 319,208, so it's about the size of Cork.

Dublin-Cork can justify more services because the distances are shorter, but even so similar population centers elsewhere do not really get stellar service.

[Hungerford]

Originally Posted by foggy_lad

Biel/Bienne and Lausanne are much larger areas than Limerick and Galway and Lausanne is part of a major urban area which includes geneva.

Not really. The entire canton of Biel/Bienne has a population which is only around 15,000 people greater than Galway city. Meanwhile, Lausanne is around 40 miles from Geneva - they aren't even in the same canton. There isn't really any real major urban area in Switzerland besides the cities - it's striking how quickly you end up in the countryside once you leave them.

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by Hungerford

Not really. The entire canton of Biel/Bienne has a population which is only around 15,000 people greater than Galway city. Meanwhile, Lausanne is around 40 miles from Geneva - they aren't even in the same canton. There isn't really any real major urban area in Switzerland besides the cities - it's striking how quickly you end up in the countryside once you leave them.

What, no bungalow bliss? no one-off housing heaven? no paradisical cookie-cutter monster scale housing estates in villages?

[ninja900]

Isn't it their right as Swiss people to build whatever they like on their land? Are they living in some sort of Zurich-4 dictatorship?

[ninja900]

Originally Posted by Hungerford

Not really. The entire canton of Biel/Bienne has a population which is only around 15,000 people greater than Galway city. Meanwhile, Lausanne is around 40 miles from Geneva - they aren't even in the same canton. There isn't really any real major urban area in Switzerland besides the cities - it's striking how quickly you end up in the countryside once you leave them.

You hit the nail on the head. Entirely unintentionally, I suspect.

[westtip]

Originally Posted by ninja900

Isn't it their right as Swiss people to build whatever they like on their land? Are they living in some sort of Zurich-4 dictatorship?

No I think they are living in a planned civilised modern state, in which the actions you take - for example trying to build anything you want on "your land", which you only borrow by the way for your lifetime, is answerable and subject to the rules that govern this planned civilised modern state.

Of course there is the option of urban sprawl chaos, bungalow blitz with Sh*tholes in every back garden seeping into the rural water table, linear development along main roads, and as you say having the right to do whatever you want on "my land". Scatterings of super size mansions that in years to come will be unsaleable (if not already) containing one or two elderly people - having raised their two children in a mansion they can no longer heat and reying on the rural bus transport system to get them to bingo.... the future of rural ireland....maybe how knows but this is one possible fallout of our chaotic planning.

Of course in relation to the WRC this right to do what you want on "my land" now includes the steady erosion of the corridor with squatting rights along the route as there is more and more encroachment with landowners parallel to the corridor nicking a bit here and there. So in a way it is our chaotic attitude to planning and enforcements that is going to ultimately scupper the WRC. How ironic is that?

[bk]

Originally Posted by Solair

The Cork-Dublin service is actually used quite heavily and does resemble a proper InterCity service.

To be honest, even Cork-Dublin is in serious trouble IMO.

As a regular user on the line (Corkonian living in Dublin), it is very noticeable the reduction in passengers on even busy peak time services like Friday at 5pm from Dublin.

Many of my friends who use to take the train to Cork, all drive now as it is significantly faster and cheaper then by train.

Once someone starts a direct non-stop bus service between Cork and Dublin, this train service could be in serious trouble.

Which shows how ridiculous it is building, opening and operating such a loss making service like the WRC when even your premier lines are in trouble.

[westtip]

Whats the drivetime now Dublin Cork - compared to the train time?

[corktina]

The AA say 2 hr 51 minutes. I can always do it quicker than they say though without busting the limit.

train is about 2 hrs 25 i think.

[roundymac]

Last april I left Balbriggan at 15.40 and I was at the Jack Lynch tunnel for 18.30. I was driving a 99C Passat, so I can assure you I was not speeding in any way. Averaged 70mph the whole way.

[corktina]

if you averaged 70 mph you would do it it quicker than that...do you mean you were crusing at about 70 mph?

[roundymac]

Yes, crusing is what I ment to say.

[corktina]

in all likely hood then your 70 on your speedo is actually about 64 making you 11 mph under the limit so you could have bettered your time by a good bit which would make the actual time about the same as the train I guess(my maths wont let me guessimate any closer than that :-)

[foggy_lad]

Originally Posted by corktina

The AA say 2 hr 51 minutes. I can always do it quicker than they say though without busting the limit.

train is about 2 hrs 25 i think.

Fastest train time is 2hours 45minutes and slowest is 2hours 58minutes.

[corktina]

my bad! so car is about the same time or faster than the train