Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

westtip

Muckyboots wrote: »

Michael Fitzmauice- unaligned independent "The new Minister for Transport Shane Ross will have to ensure that a proper transport infrastructure plan for the West of Ireland is drawn up and he will have to bypass a lot of the advice that he is being given by Department of Transport.
In the past week we have seen statistics about the use of rail in the Western region allegedly coming from the Department of Transport. These figures are totally incorrect according to independent analysis that has been done. Once again we see no word about any possible Dunboyne to Dublin route or indeed any other routes in the West and I would like to see the figures on those. Shane Ross will have to cover his ears when some of these Department officials are trying to fill his head with skewed information and I hope he stands up to the mark and does his own investigations on these matters.
Over the past few years we know that there has been a chronic lack of transport infrastructural developments in the regions. The statistics will tell you that 80% of the staff in the Department of Transport are from the Dublin area. It would follow that people who live in the Dublin area will want to solve the problems that they encounter in their daily lives. I would like these officials to come to the West of Ireland, or indeed why not move the Department to the West altogether. Let these officials try to move around in the West as easily as they can in Dublin and they might then realise the dire need for immediate transport infrastructural projects in the West. I hope that Shane Ross will not listen to the waffle that I have heard from the Department of transport last week. Incidentally now that Sean Canny is a Minister for State I hope that he will move on the things that he has talked about in the recent past as well, as his colleague Shane Ross is now the Minister for Transport."
"or indeed why not move the Department to the West altogether" now there is something that worked well for the country before! Election please.

Several reasons why not to vote for an independent candidate, talking of independent, what will happen if the independent review of the Western Rail Corridor backs up what every reasonably minded economist has said for years, it would be a waste of money and there is no justifiable reason to build it. Will the Minister then be told to ignore this independent advice!

Muckyboots

westtip wrote: »

Several reasons why not to vote for an independent candidate, talking of independent, what will happen if the independent review of the Western Rail Corridor backs up what every reasonably minded economist has said for years, it would be a waste of money and there is no justifiable reason to build it. Will the Minister then be told to ignore this independent advice!

I think Fitzmaurice is saying to the Minister, who has built his stall on the principle of good corporate governance to ignore all advice and ignore facts.:)

Grandeeod

Muckyboots wrote: »

Michael Fitzmauice- unaligned independent "The new Minister for Transport Shane Ross will have to ensure that a proper transport infrastructure plan for the West of Ireland is drawn up and he will have to bypass a lot of the advice that he is being given by Department of Transport.
In the past week we have seen statistics about the use of rail in the Western region allegedly coming from the Department of Transport. These figures are totally incorrect according to independent analysis that has been done. Once again we see no word about any possible Dunboyne to Dublin route or indeed any other routes in the West and I would like to see the figures on those. Shane Ross will have to cover his ears when some of these Department officials are trying to fill his head with skewed information and I hope he stands up to the mark and does his own investigations on these matters.
Over the past few years we know that there has been a chronic lack of transport infrastructural developments in the regions. The statistics will tell you that 80% of the staff in the Department of Transport are from the Dublin area. It would follow that people who live in the Dublin area will want to solve the problems that they encounter in their daily lives. I would like these officials to come to the West of Ireland, or indeed why not move the Department to the West altogether. Let these officials try to move around in the West as easily as they can in Dublin and they might then realise the dire need for immediate transport infrastructural projects in the West. I hope that Shane Ross will not listen to the waffle that I have heard from the Department of transport last week. Incidentally now that Sean Canny is a Minister for State I hope that he will move on the things that he has talked about in the recent past as well, as his colleague Shane Ross is now the Minister for Transport."
"or indeed why not move the Department to the West altogether" now there is something that worked well for the country before! Election please.

I've bolded it and now I will quote it again.

The statistics will tell you that 80% of the staff in the Department of Transport are from the Dublin area. It would follow that people who live in the Dublin area will want to solve the problems that they encounter in their daily lives.

Is this clown for real?? He got elected??

Please tell where these DOT staff are to be found because I want to throw myself at their mercy and get down on my knees to beg and I mean beg them, to deliver DU and a Metro system for Dublin.

Sam Russell

Bray Head wrote: »

That claim is nonsense. Vast majority of housing stock along the southside DART line is pre-1985.

Even pre 1880.

The Dublin Kingstown line opened in 1834. Houses were built to provide passengers for it.

Del.Monte

Sam Russell wrote: »

Even pre 1880.

The Dublin Kingstown line opened in 1834. Houses were built to provide passengers for it.

That's not really so - the railway opened up the county so that merchants could live outside the city but could easily commute. Towns like Bray were villages before the coming of the railway and developed because of it but as for houses being built to provide passengers.

eastwest

Grandeeod wrote: »

I've bolded it and now I will quote it again.



Is this clown for real?? He got elected??

Please tell where these DOT staff are to be found because I want to throw myself at their mercy and get down on my knees to beg and I mean beg them, to deliver DU and a Metro system for Dublin.

These are not facts he is spouting, they are ill-informed and unresearched opinions.
I would guess that he has no figures around where DOT staff come from, this is the usual 'it's all right for them up
In Dublin' whinge. He is also completely off the mark in looking for a Dunboyne-Dublin link given that there's one there already. Unless he's gone into west on track mode and wants another one, just to be sure of losing money.

Sam Russell

Sam Russell wrote: »

Even pre 1880.

The Dublin Kingstown line opened in 1834. Houses were built to provide passengers for it.

Before the railway, commuting simply didn't exist at all as there were no means of travelling any distance at a reasonable speed with any reliability. Once people realized that they could live a few miles from the city and the train would provide a reliable means of transportation, the commuter towns sprung up! The same could be said about tram lines as well.

But the point is that now that high speed personal road transport is in existence, rural rail has a real uphill struggle to be viable.

.

Grandeeod

eastwest wrote: »

These are not facts he is spouting, they are ill-informed and unresearched opinions.
I would guess that he has no figures around where DOT staff come from, this is the usual 'it's all right for them up
In Dublin' whinge. He is also completely off the mark in looking for a Dunboyne-Dublin link given that there's one there already. Unless he's gone into west on track mode and wants another one, just to be sure of losing money.

I was jesting.;)

I know the WRC story backwards, forwards and sideways.;)

Del.Monte

Grandeeod wrote: »

I was jesting.;)

I know the WRC story backwards, forwards and sideways.;)

But I bet you never traveled on a loose coupled beet from Athenry to Tuam.

And you never will now!

Grandeeod

Del.Monte wrote: »

That's not really so - the railway opened up the county so that merchants could live outside the city but could easily commute. Towns like Bray were villages before the coming of the railway and developed because of it but as for houses being built to provide passengers.

I think we are misinterpreting Sams post.

For example and as you know, Bray was developed because of the railway. Not much different to saying "houses being built to provide passengers".

Getting back to the trainspotters dream that is the WRC....one off bungalows don't really count.:D

Grandeeod

Del.Monte wrote: »

But I bet you never traveled on a loose coupled beet from Athenry to Tuam.

And you never will now!

Excuse me!!!!

I .... no, you are right I didn't.:( Does a Westrail Special to Quiet Man territory count?

Del.Monte

Grandeeod wrote: »

I think we are misinterpreting Sams post.

For example and as you know, Bray was developed because of the railway. Not much different to saying "houses being built to provide passengers".

Getting back to the trainspotters dream that is the WRC....one off bungalows don't really count.:D

Build it and they will come.

Grandeeod

Del.Monte wrote: »

Build it and they will come.

In their boxer shorts!:D

mayo.mick

Del.Monte wrote: »

Build it and they will come.

Wasn't *phase 1* built and they haven't come (not in the numbers in the business plan anyway)

Del.Monte

In fairness, the railway has been submerged for quite a percentage of the time since it reopened.

marno21

Del.Monte wrote: »

In fairness, the railway has been submerged for quite a percentage of the time since it reopened.

Not the Ennis-Galway section.

Del.Monte

marno21 wrote: »

Not the Ennis-Galway section.

Yes, but the bulk of the traffic would Limerick/Galway not Ennis/Galway.

Del.Monte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0TkT3ctRIA

Grandeeod

Del.Monte wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0TkT3ctRIA

Ah here! What about the Alien version? Much better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1bzLCIV54U

westtip

Must be summer. Scattered showers abound.

All quiet on the Western Rail Corridor Front.....I can feel a summer thunderstorm about to crack open

savagethegoat

the bulk of the traffic would be Ennis to Limerick, as it was before €103 million was wasted

eastwest

westtip wrote: »

Must be summer. Scattered showers abound.

All quiet on the Western Rail Corridor Front.....I can feel a summer thunderstorm about to crack open

You mean 'it was quiet, too quiet'?

galwaycyclist

eastwest wrote: »

You mean 'it was quiet, too quiet'?

Turns out there are injuns in some of them thar hills


http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/turn-disused-rail-line-into-cycle-way-new-report-urges-34829071.html

eastwest

Well, the cat is well among the pigeons now!
http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/turn-disused-rail-line-into-cycle-way-new-report-urges-34829071.html

westtip

This report now needs to be acted on, it seems to say pretty much what the greenway campaigners have been saying for years, the time has now come to get on with it. No more bullsh~~ting and kicking the can down the road. The position is now clear.....twas all too quiet out there.:D

mayo.mick

""The report, seen by the Irish Independent, was commissioned by the Rural Economic Development Zones project in Tubbercurry to examine how the disused railway line that runs through the town should be used. Consultants Meehan Tully and Associates carried out an "economic assessment" of the line and circulated a draft report in April. The final report is due to be published in the coming days.
The consultants examined three options for the line - re-opening the rail track, turning the track into a recreational greenway for walkers and cyclists, or developing a greenway to run alongside the track.

A draft copy of the report acknowledged that reopening the line had been "long campaigned for by local communities" and "could deliver considerable economic, social and environmental benefits to the region".
However, it added: "Realistically, the reopening of the line will not occur in the short to medium-term.

"As a result, there remains a significant asset in the form of the line infrastructure, eg, ballast, that can be used to the benefit of the region, as demonstrated by the development of greenways in other counties."
Irish Independent""

Del.Monte

I can't help but wonder will Brexit delay the reopening of the Burma Road?

eastwest

Del.Monte wrote: »

I can't help but wonder will Brexit delay the reopening of the Burma Road?

They've delayed the greenway for years for no good reason, unless getting a councillor elected counts!

eastwest

mayo.mick wrote: »

""The report, seen by the Irish Independent, was commissioned by the Rural Economic Development Zones project in Tubbercurry to examine how the disused railway line that runs through the town should be used. Consultants Meehan Tully and Associates carried out an "economic assessment" of the line and circulated a draft report in April. The final report is due to be published in the coming days.
The consultants examined three options for the line - re-opening the rail track, turning the track into a recreational greenway for walkers and cyclists, or developing a greenway to run alongside the track.

A draft copy of the report acknowledged that reopening the line had been "long campaigned for by local communities" and "could deliver considerable economic, social and environmental benefits to the region".
However, it added: "Realistically, the reopening of the line will not occur in the short to medium-term.

"As a result, there remains a significant asset in the form of the line infrastructure, eg, ballast, that can be used to the benefit of the region, as demonstrated by the development of greenways in other counties."
Irish Independent""

The report also says that a greenway on the track bed, something that pro-tourism campaigners have sought for years, would deliver a payback in full to the community in less than two years in the lowest cost scenario.
Given that the County Council is likely to be the developer, the 'lowest cost' option is probably unlikely, but even if they overspend by 100% it would still mean that payback would be less than four years.
Now even the most rabid railway anorak wouldn't see a railway being built in Sligo in a decade at least, so the only argument against the greenway in Sligo at least is just one of being against all tourism and leisure development.
Maybe they're afraid that these Continental types on bicycles will carry away all the comely maidens.

mayo.mick

I'm wondering how much money, taxpayers money, has been wasted/squandered to date, on reports trying to *block* the greenway?

I know there was a report done a year or 2 ago which stated (to the disgust of some people) that the railway was not viable north of Athenry. That cost us 16K if I'm not mistaken? Now this latest report, which could not be any clearer, that a greenway is THE Preferred Option. How many reports to date have been done, and to what cost?