Is the Cork Midleton Rail project still on ice?

Solair

Does anyone know what's going on with the Midleton rail project?

I read somewhere that Séamus Brennan (TD) still hasn't signed off on the railway order which means the project still isn't going ahead as planned.

It seems a disgrace given this is a very serious commuter link and both the city and county councils have done extensive planning/work on getting this into place.

I know if I find out that it's been cancelled I will be giving all FF candidates the bums rush when they come near my door and will be giving them no preferences on my ballot paper!

I am really getting sick to death of these kinds of short sighted decisions.

If anyone has any updates, please post!

MarkoP11

Iarnrod Eireann are ready to roll but Martin Cullen still hasn't signed the order he has had it for several months and done nothing. Cullen has a long history of taking up to 6 months to sign off.

Even if he signed today it would be a further 4 weeks before the order becomes enforcable since that 4 weeks allows for a high court challenge.

Of course if the head of CIE was to critise Cullen he would find himself out of a job a few weeks later

Chris_533976

I bet its being held till Cullen can make an election point about it. When hes campaigning "Oh look Ive signed the order, it can go ahead now"

Pineapple stu

Its starting at the end of the year.

MarkoP11

cymro wrote:

Its starting at the end of the year.

No it will start exactly 4 weeks after Cullen wakes up and signs the order

spacetweek

cymro wrote:

Its starting at the end of the year.

If they leave it that late it will be a total disgrace. It's already been delayed to death, it should have opened years ago. They finally committed to starting it this year, if they leave it till December or something it will be really taking the piss.

KC61

From www.oireachtas.ie : Thursday March 29 - Dail Report:

210. Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Transport further to Question No. 210 of 8 March 2007, if he has made a decision on the railway order application; if he has not signed the railway order, the reason for not having done so; when he expects to sign the order; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12264/07]

Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen): I have decided to grant the Railway Order for the Glounthaune to Midleton Rail Project, in line with the recommendations of the Inspector to the Public Inquiry into the project.

MarkoP11

"Decided" is not the same as I have signed the order and it will be published on day x (the start of the 4 week period) as SIxxx of 2007

I don't care what Cullen says he has Dail privilege and has given misleading information before to the Dail so you will understand why this means nothing until its seen on paper

Zoney

Good all the same to see someone in the Dáil asking him about that! Much as there often (usually?) aren't straight answers given to such questions in the Dáil, it'll be a very worrying day when govt. ministers don't have to face any such queries or questions.

Chris_533976

If I were there Id ask the same question every day to piss him off until he signs the damn thing

daymobrew

Chris_533976 wrote:

If I were there Id ask the same question every day to piss him off until he signs the damn thing

Email info@transport.ie. I did.
Those who would benefit from the line should ask their local non-FF TD to ask that exact question daily.
They should also write letters with the same question as often as possible.

Zoney

You can also email minister@transport.ie

Pineapple stu

As i told you, it will be after september before any major work will be carried out.

dowlingm

since Amgen announced they are pushing back two years Michael Ahern must be screaming blue murder at Cullen for not giving him something to re-re-reannounce by signing the RO before the election - I would if I was him.

http://www.politics.ie/wiki/index.php?title=Michael_Ahern_(Fianna_F%C3%A1il)

Zoney

Minister Cullen has signed the railway order (finally).

News story here on breakingnews.ie

MarkoP11

So 4 weeks to wait till it becomes enforceable. But would he have signed if it wasn't for the consistent coverage??

Chris_533976

So long as the anti-Glanmire Roadbridge people dont mount a highcourt challenge in the next four weeks....

Its about time this went ahead. The final link in this chain should be better feeder buses from Kent Station in Cork into the city centre. The current number 5 bus arrangement is ok, but needs to be better.

Zoney

It'd be good if they even just upgraded the pedestrian corridor - it's no distance really to say the bus station or Merchant's Quay - not like Heuston and Dublin city centre. Have a nice wide right of way with increased priority for the ped lights at the road junctions. Pigs would fly first I suppose.

Limerick doesn't have any sort of bus service directly to the station - you just have to walk it from the station to get to say the bottom of William Street. It's hardly any shorter of a distance. Even getting the bus from Castletroy in to the station you have to disembark about 5 mins walk up the road from the station. Limerick's Colbert station is a disaster too in that it isn't even that car accessible due to messy road layout in the vicinity. No wonder the adjoining bus station is being realigned so that buses can enter/exit from the back of the station area onto the Roxboro road.

Navan Junction

Zoney wrote:

Minister Cullen has signed the railway order

Wow. At last. Great news......................

Now they can start putting up hoarding along it like with the Phoenix Park station

Chris_533976

Zoney wrote:

It'd be good if they even just upgraded the pedestrian corridor - it's no distance really to say the bus station or Merchant's Quay - not like Heuston and Dublin city centre. Have a nice wide right of way with increased priority for the ped lights at the road junctions. Pigs would fly first I suppose.

Limerick doesn't have any sort of bus service directly to the station - you just have to walk it from the station to get to say the bottom of William Street. It's hardly any shorter of a distance. Even getting the bus from Castletroy in to the station you have to disembark about 5 mins walk up the road from the station. Limerick's Colbert station is a disaster too in that it isn't even that car accessible due to messy road layout in the vicinity. No wonder the adjoining bus station is being realigned so that buses can enter/exit from the back of the station area onto the Roxboro road.

Galway is even better, the bus and train stations are in the same building... even the same corridor of the same building in parts

Pineapple stu

work starting on 11th of november and due to finish december 08.

Slice

From today's Irish Times

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has signed an order for the reopening of the railway between Glounthaune and Midleton in Co Cork.

The Minister has also approved the construction of a commuter rail network around Cork city which will involve building stations at Dunkettle on the Cork to Cobh line, and at Blarney and Blackpool/Kilbarry on the Mallow line.

The route of the Midleton line will start at Cobh junction and extend eastwards through Carrigtwohill to Midleton, a distance of 10km.

The project will include new stations at Carrigtwohill and Midleton.

The reopening of the Midleton line and the new stations on existing lines are expected to cost €130 million.

Work will get under way in July.

The railway order - essentially planning permission - allows Iarnród Éireann to proceed with the land acquisition and construction of the railway.

The disused Glounthaune to Midleton railway line is currently single track with sidings at Carrigtwohill and Midleton.

It has been closed for almost 20 years.

It is also part of the former Great Southern railway line between Cork and Youghal.

Regular passenger services to Youghal ceased in 1963 but summer excursions and goods traffic continued until the closure of the Cork to Midleton stretch in 1988.

The Cobh to Cork section is the only part which remains in operation.

CIÉ applied for a railway order for the rail project in May 2006.

This was followed with a public inquiry, and the report of the inspector was published earlier this year.

Detailed design work was completed in December 2006.

Construction work is due to commence this summer and the target date for completion is late next year.

The first commuter trains are expected to enter service in 2009.

Some €20 million of the budget is expected to go towards the provision of new diesel railcars for the services.

The reopening of the railway line was put forward by the Cork area strategic plan and then endorsed by the National Spatial Strategy.

Iarnród Éireann has also said it plans to reopen passenger services between Limerick and Galway, through Athenry.

This section of the former western rail corridor is the first part of the route to be reopened under Transport 21.

Preliminary work on clearance and refurbishment of the line is already under way and, following a resignalling project, passenger services will open late next year or early 2009.

When the line is restored Iarnród Éireann is planning to introduce daily commuter services from Athenry to Galway city centre, via Oranmore.

The developments are expected to relieve frequently severe traffic congestion on the approaches to both Cork and Galway.

Pineapple stu

major work starts in november.