Mullingar-Athlone line rumours

Occidental

Much activity and walking of tracks on the Mullingar-Athlone line of late. Rumours that Irish Rail will reopen the line and transfer much of the Galway and Mayo traffic via Mullingar to Connolly, to free up space for additional Cork services. Good news for Moate and Castletown if true, but seems to leave Clara and Tullamore a bit isolated.

Also looks as if the new sheds will go ahead at Mullingar, for the enhanced Longford-Dublin commuter service.

Both of the above would require Irish Rail to get their finger out and get on with the track doubling project between Maynooth and Mullingar.

GerardKeating

Originally posted by Occidental
Much activity and walking of tracks on the Mullingar-Athlone line of late. Rumours that Irish Rail will reopen the line and transfer much of the Galway and Mayo traffic via Mullingar to Connolly, to free up space for additional Cork services. Good news for Moate and Castletown if true, but seems to leave Clara and Tullamore a bit isolated.

And a problem for Athlone, since there is no active station/platform on the Galway-Mullingar line for Athlone, unless they reverse the train..

Occidental

Originally posted by GerardKeating
And a problem for Athlone, since there is no active station/platform on the Galway-Mullingar line for Athlone, unless they reverse the train..

This would be a bonus, as it would allow Irish Rail to refurbish the old station and phase out the current station which they've just refurbished. It would also p!ss off Bus Eireann who've just sunk a stack of money into the new bus station.

GerardKeating

Originally posted by Occidental
This would be a bonus, as it would allow Irish Rail to refurbish the old station and phase out the current station which they've just refurbished. It would also p!ss off Bus Eireann who've just sunk a stack of money into the new bus station.

I suppose they could build a new section of track, to branch off the existing Athlone station on the dublin side, and join the Millingar branch.

dmeehan

Originally posted by GerardKeating
I suppose they could build a new section of track, to branch off the existing Athlone station on the dublin side, and join the Millingar branch.

you left out the sarcasm device: :rolleyes:

Victor

Whats the layout in Athlone - anyone got a sketch?

dmeehan

grabbed from infrastructure.ie

Occidental

There's nowhere close to the town that a link could be put in as it's heavily built up and full of hills. Maybe they could extend the platforms towards the Shannon and pretend it's still the same station.

sligoliner

Irish Rail are to disconnect the Athlone-Mulingar line this tuesday to facilitate relaying of the track in Mullingar Station. The line is most certainly on the cards for upgrade as a double track section. The main purpose to get Galway trains off the Cork route and be a stategic link in the midlands. But none of this is hapening now and not for a while.

There is plans for a Park and Ride station on the Connacht side of Athlone on the outskirts of the town. This is where the trains from Mulingar would serve the town.

There is one really exciting bit of news this week and that is that next week IE PW engineers will begin the relay of the Drogheada to Navan line to be built to passenger level. So it looks like a Navan communter service is on the cards.

Hugh Jampton

sligoliner wrote: »

Irish Rail are to disconnect the Athlone-Mulingar line this tuesday to facilitate relaying of the track in Mullingar Station. The line is most certainly on the cards for upgrade as a double track section. The main purpose to get Galway trains off the Cork route and be a stategic link in the midlands. But none of this is hapening now and not for a while.

There is plans for a Park and Ride station on the Connacht side of Athlone on the outskirts of the town. This is where the trains from Mulingar would serve the town.

There is one really exciting bit of news this week and that is that next week IE PW engineers will begin the relay of the Drogheada to Navan line to be built to passenger level. So it looks like a Navan communter service is on the cards.

Fifteen years on, still no Mullingar-Athlone, and the Lycras will ensure it never happens. Still no Drogheda-Navan, the easiest of wins but still impossible. Those M3 shadow tolls won’t pay themselves!

end of the road

yup. it's depressing when you think of it. ah well, what could have been.

devnull

There are occasionally valid reasons to bump a 15 year old thread - but this one certainly isn't, neither it is a reason to attempt to troll.

Thread closed

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