[article] Iarnród Éireann initiate study on Shannon rail link

NavanJunction1

Gordon Deegan
28/04/2006

The campaign for a €60 million rail link to Shannon from the Limerick to Ennis line received a boost yesterday when Iarnród Éireann appointed consultants to examine its feasibility.


MVA Consultants have been appointed to conduct the €240,000 study and it is expected to be completed late this year.

The Shannon Rail Partnership, which includes Clare County Council and Shannon Development, has already spent €200,000 on preparatory work on the proposed link, while a line has been preserved in the Southeast Clare Economic Plan to allow for its construction.

The proposed 10km link will form a spur off the Ennis-Limerick line which has enjoyed massive growth since Iarnród Éireann restored the line to mainline standard. Last year passenger numbers went up by some 24 per cent from 45,000 to 56,000.

Shannon Rail Partnership chairman Cllr Seán Hillery (FF) said yesterday: "Today's announcement is great news, and we are very confident that the result of the study will be positive and place Shannon airport as the fulcrum of economic development between Galway and Limerick."

He said a technical sub-group of the partnership has worked closely with Iarnród Éireann over recent months to finalise terms of reference for the study.

Mr Hillery said the costs of purchasing land to allow the project proceed would be lower than usual as half the lands were already in public ownership through Shannon Development, Clare County Council and the Shannon Airport Authority.

Limerick East deputy Jan O'Sullivan (Labour) said yesterday: "It is essential that Shannon is able to compete with Dublin and Cork. Therefore proper infrastructural access by road and rail is crucial in attracting both incoming tourists and Irish people travelling abroad. Many who currently see Dublin as their most convenient airport may choose Shannon if they can access an efficient rail link to Limerick or the west of Ireland.

"Like any other international airport it is imperative that there is an efficient public transport system in operation, linking the nearby industrial estate, the largest in the State outside Dublin, and also Limerick City."

© The Irish Times

Chris_533976

The funny thing is that this study should have been done ten years ago - it should be built by now.

Its crazy. Two of the three biggest airports in the country, Cork and Shannon, do not have rail links. I cannot comprehend why. They should have had a rail link built to both airports soon after they opened.

And Farrenfore in Kerry. Theres a train station a mile or two away from the airport. You have to ask what genius decided that. Could they not just have moved the line so that you dont have to walk a mile to the airport?

Lack of forward thinking.

joolsveer

Chris_533976 wrote:

The funny thing is that this study should have been done ten years ago - it should be built by now.

Its crazy. Two of the three biggest airports in the country, Cork and Shannon, do not have rail links. I cannot comprehend why. They should have had a rail link built to both airports soon after they opened.

And Farrenfore in Kerry. Theres a train station a mile or two away from the airport. You have to ask what genius decided that. Could they not just have moved the line so that you dont have to walk a mile to the airport?

Lack of forward thinking.

Dublin Airport doesn't have a rail link either and the number of users of the airport goes up every year.

Victor

Chris_533976 wrote:

Cork ... do not have rail links.

Cork airport is on top of a hill. you would have to build and underground.

lostexpectation

joolsveer wrote:

Dublin Airport doesn't have a rail link either and the number of users of the airport goes up every year.

Do those two really have anything to do with eachother?

dowlingm

joolsveer - in fairness at Farranfore I think the rail line was there first

as for SNN - when Shannon Town/Airport was built it was the era of the car and trains were being cut back.

joolsveer

dowlingm wrote:

joolsveer - in fairness at Farranfore I think the rail line was there first

as for SNN - when Shannon Town/Airport was built it was the era of the car and trains were being cut back.

I'm sure that the rail link to Farranfore from Mallow probably dates from the second half of the 19th century so you have me there. Is it the only airport/airstrip in Ireland with a railway close by?

Vorsprung

joolsveer wrote:

I'm sure that the rail link to Farranfore from Mallow probably dates from the second half of the 19th century so you have me there. Is it the only airport/airstrip in Ireland with a railway close by?

Dublin Airport is only 3/4 km from the Northern Line isn't it?

John R

Chris_533976 wrote:

The funny thing is that this study should have been done ten years ago - it should be built by now.

Its crazy. Two of the three biggest airports in the country, Cork and Shannon, do not have rail links. I cannot comprehend why. They should have had a rail link built to both airports soon after they opened.

And Farrenfore in Kerry. Theres a train station a mile or two away from the airport. You have to ask what genius decided that. Could they not just have moved the line so that you dont have to walk a mile to the airport?

What a load of moany rubbish.

Neither Cork, Shannon or Farranfore have the kind of passenger numbers that justify rail links. Shannon Also has a large local population and a big industry base that MIGHT provide some kind of viable rail use. Really though it is quite well served by bus links and the benefits of a relatively slow rail line to Limerick is not a certain winner.

The rail line in Farranfore has been there a lot longer than the commercial airport. The sort of traffic that 10 flights a day generate barely warrant a shuttle bus nevermind a rebuild of the rail line. Realistically the majority of non car passengers would be much better served by a bus to Killarney and Tralee.

Chris_533976

Victor wrote:

Cork airport is on top of a hill. you would have to build and underground.

Heh yeah I had a discussion with a few people about this a while back.

Cork airport should never have been built where it is. It should have been built near Little Island or Glounthaune, next to the railway. Back then, there was a ton of land there and its flat, so it would have seemed a lot more logical than putting it where it is

Chris_533976

John R wrote:

What a load of moany rubbish.

Neither Cork, Shannon or Farranfore have the kind of passenger numbers that justify rail links. Shannon Also has a large local population and a big industry base that MIGHT provide some kind of viable rail use. Really though it is quite well served by bus links and the benefits of a relatively slow rail line to Limerick is not a certain winner.

The rail line in Farranfore has been there a lot longer than the commercial airport. The sort of traffic that 10 flights a day generate barely warrant a shuttle bus nevermind a rebuild of the rail line. Realistically the majority of non car passengers would be much better served by a bus to Killarney and Tralee.

It would seem common sense for me if I was building an airport to put it next to preexisting public transport links. That way the airport could become a well connected place rather than just a runway in a field.

Victor

bigjimthefirst wrote:

Dublin Airport is only 3/4 km from the Northern Line isn't it?

You mean 3-4km?