Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

westtip

Greenway campaign put out this second press release last Friday (4th) after Canney's comments on Sean O'Rourke, the quotes are verbatim, at least we now have Canney on record about alternative uses. Sorry folks, meant to post it up Friday. Of course the issue now is how great a fudge will the Canney report be from the Dept of Transport, with the Can kicking option of who knows maybe in the future lets review it again in five years bull****, who knows they may recommend a bullet train.

Press release From: The Western Rail Trail campaign
May 4th 2018 for immediate release: 330 words (main body text)

• Former independent Alliance minister Sean Canney opens door for Greenway on so called Western Rail Corridor
• Mr. Canney states “if the railway is going to happen it will happen and if not we can look at alternative uses”
• Greenway campaign welcomes comments as an open door to create a greenway from Athenry to Sligo


A spokesman for the Western Rail Trail Campaign – an alliance of community-based campaign groups in Galway Mayo and Sligo campaigning to preserve the alignment of the closed rail line from Athenry to Collooney by utilising the route for tourism and leisure as a greenway until such time as a railway may be possible, has welcomed the comments made by Sean Canney TD on Today with Sean O’Rourke following his resignation from the Independent Alliance.

On the Today with Sean O’Rourke programme on May 4th Mr Canney was asked by Sean O’Rourke about his position on the Western Rail Corridor:

Sean O’Rourke asked Mr Canney “What is your position on the Western Rail Corridor it has got as far as Ennis to Athenry with not many people on the train and some people suggesting what would be a far better idea would be to turn it into a greenway from Athenry to Claremorris what is your view on that”

Mr Canney responded with the answer:

“A Review is being carried out and the process has started on that and that will be concluded in the next number of months and that will decide whether or not the railway is a viable project.”

Mr Canney continued to say “What I am saying is if the railway is going to happen it will happen and if not we can look at alternative uses”

A spokesperson for the Western Rail Trail campaign, Mr. Brendan Quinn said “This is the first time Mr. Canney has said on public record that alternative uses will be considered for the closed railway route and his attitude is to be commended and we are glad to see that Mr Canney now also supports this position”.

The spokesperson continued, “We don’t wish to pre-empt the findings of the Department of Transport report on the so called Western Rail Corridor and hope this matter can be resolved as quickly as possible. If the Report says the railway is not viable, then a greenway must be the way forward to protect the route in public ownership”


ENDS: body text 330 words


Contacts:
Find us on Facebook: sligomayogreenwaycampaign

podcast of RTE interview with Sean O’Rourke

https://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_seanorourke.xml

westtip

Would be money well spent! Bit of coverage on GalwaybayFM of one of the greenway emails from Western Rail Trail

https://galwaybayfm.ie/call-for-e1m-ballyglunin-bridge-replacement-fund-to-be-spent-on-greenway/

voz es

What did I tell you about writing about yourself in tue third person. :-D

westtip wrote: »

Press release From: The Western Rail Trail campaign
May 2nd 2018 for immediate release: 482 words (main body text)

• Ballyglunin Bridge in Galway not going to be rebuilt say Western Media reports
• Common sense decision by Department of Transport say Greenway campaigners who lobbied for bridge project to be halted
• Tax Payers money won't be wasted on bridge that will carry no trains
• €1.2 million for bridge could be focussed on greenway and walking/cycling bridge over N63


A spokesman for the Western Rail Trail Campaign – an alliance of community-based campaign groups in Galway Mayo and Sligo campaigning to preserve the alignment of the closed rail line from Athenry to Collooney by utilising the route for tourism and leisure as a greenway until such time as a railway may be possible, has welcomed the reports in western regional media that the Railway bridge at Ballyglunin, county Galway is not going to be rebuilt to standards suitable for a railway.

Reports in Galway based media this week confirmed the bridge is not going to be replaced at a cost of €1.2 million on a closed railway.

The bridge was removed last year to facilitate road widening as part of the N63 upgrade. At the time it was taken down there were reports the Department of Transport were planning a complete rebuild of the bridge at a cost of €1.2 million despite the fact there are no plans to re-open the railway from Athenry to Claremorris.

“It stands to reason that a railway standard bridge should not be built at a cost of €1.2 million until we know what is going to happen to the closed railway. Options for use of the railway route are being considered as part of a pending report from the Department of Transport” said Brendan Quinn spokesperson for the Western Rail Trail. "We understand a Report may be published in September"

The greenway campaign group lobbied both Galway County Council and The Department of Transport to hold back on building a railway bridge at a cost of €1.2 million to taxpayers on a railway that has not been operational for 30 years. "Until we know the outcome of The Western Rail Corridor report it would seem ridiculous to replace the railway bridge on a closed railway; we are pleased the Department of Transport has called stop to this waste of taxpayers money"

The spokesperson continued “All indications are that the railway will not re-open for many years to come, it is probably decades away from becoming a railway again, if ever. In the meantime protecting the closed railway route should be the priority. Protection of closed railways by utilising them as greenways until such time as a railway is possible is accepted international best practice. The existing trackbed could be used as a greenway to protect the route. The current railway structure, of rails and sleepers is only of scrap value to Irish Rail and would have to be pulled up in the remote chance the railway is going to be re-opened, so a greenway on the route would protect it in public ownership for a railway in a few decades time. It's common sense really”

“When the greenway gets the go ahead to protect the route there will be a need for a walking and cycling bridge across the N63 and this is what the €1.2 million should be earmarked for now” said the spokesperson.



ENDS: body text 470 words


Contacts: via sligomayogreenway page on facebook
Find us on Facebook: sligomayogreenwaycampaign

voz es

Read the following articles in regional papers highlighting Fine Geals Abandonment of the north west.
I used to be one of the partys supporters prior to their move to an urban focused party. We need to hurt this party at the voting boot it is the only way to change things in the north west.

The following are very worthy articles to read for anybody who cares for the north west and western rail corridor.

It is fairly frugal argueing with posters against the rail corridor here some of whom have aparently canvassed for Fine Geal politicians in the past. I would wonder if theor idea is to distract from the bigger picture of Fine Geals decision so impose a funding drought on the north western region.
However we must as not everybody will see this post as they will fill this page with more pointless buffering hiding the facts in the hope of further undermining the western cause.

Here is local reporting on the issue:

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32076-varadkar-decision-cost-mayo-1-430-jobs-expert

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32075-ten-t-how-the-west-was-done

Vote anybody but fine geal if you care for the north west of Ireland!

westtip

voz es wrote: »

Read the following articles in regional papers highlighting Fine Geals Abandonment of the north west.
I used to be one of the partys supporters prior to their move to an urban focused party. We need to hurt this party at the voting boot it is the only way to change things in the north west.

The following are very worthy articles to read for anybody who cares for the north west and western rail corridor.

It is fairly frugal argueing with posters against the rail corridor here some of whom have aparently canvassed for Fine Geal politicians in the past. I would wonder if theor idea is to distract from the bigger picture of Fine Geals decision so impose a funding drought on the north western region.
However we must as not everybody will see this post as they will fill this page with more pointless buffering hiding the facts in the hope of further undermining the western cause.

Here is local reporting on the issue:

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32076-varadkar-decision-cost-mayo-1-430-jobs-expert

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32075-ten-t-how-the-west-was-done

Vote anybody but fine geal if you care for the north west of Ireland!

What this so called revelation from an FOI shows is quite simple, we all know the Western Rail Corridor was excluded from TEN-T, no secret has ever been made of this fact. The reason it failed to be included is because it does not stand up to scrutiny, it never did, it wasn't a Leo Varadkar decision it was a transport planning decision. However what those who are now screaming 5 years after TEN-T was approved by the European Parliament and endorsed by all member states are not saying, is that the Atlantic Road Corridor, actually is part of TEN-T and always has been, this is the bit that is conveniently forgotten. Now each part of the N17/18 and N 4/5 that needs upgrading will be in queue for projects that need doing, but they are there. The N17 upgrade from Tuam to Gort was part of that project, other projects will come on stream, the Western Rail Corridor won't because it didn't match the criteria laid down by TEN-T to be included.

The West on Track campaign has known this since 2013 but are still whingeing on about TEN-T. It's not going to change or at least is highly unlikely to be changed, get used to it because without some portion of structural funding from the EU no major routes either road or rail will be built, and if you are not in the big plan (TEN-T) any project (like the WRC) has no chance of seeing the light of day.

Quackster

voz es wrote: »

Read the following articles in regional papers highlighting Fine Geals Abandonment of the north west.
I used to be one of the partys supporters prior to their move to an urban focused party. We need to hurt this party at the voting boot it is the only way to change things in the north west.

The following are very worthy articles to read for anybody who cares for the north west and western rail corridor.

It is fairly frugal argueing with posters against the rail corridor here some of whom have aparently canvassed for Fine Geal politicians in the past. I would wonder if theor idea is to distract from the bigger picture of Fine Geals decision so impose a funding drought on the north western region.
However we must as not everybody will see this post as they will fill this page with more pointless buffering hiding the facts in the hope of further undermining the western cause.

Here is local reporting on the issue:

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32076-varadkar-decision-cost-mayo-1-430-jobs-expert

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32075-ten-t-how-the-west-was-done

Vote anybody but fine geal if you care for the north west of Ireland!

I'm sorry but I think there's more than a dollop of poor-mouthery there. The 'West' is certainly not a special case in terms of lacking infrastructural investment; I can assure you Kerry certainly does no better and I'm sure over parts of regional Ireland could make similar claims.

While I'm glad of the new M17/M18 motorway, which I've been making some use of, there is no case for extending it north to Sligo, just for investment's sake. Improve the N17 to the required standard for the traffic it's expected to handle, just as for all the many other national primary roads all around the country that are still sub-standard.

Ensuring Cork and Limerick have excellent infrastructural convectively to each other is the single most important thing that's needed to provide any sort of economic counter-balance to Dublin and it's a national shame that that hasn't received the utmost priority thus far.

Isambard

Indeed the M20 should be right up there on everyone's wish list. I live in North Co Cork and we're almost an hour from the nearest Motorway, pity West Cork and South Kerry who are lightyears further away. They have a better case than anywhere on the WRC for a raillinkj.

Lord Glentoran

Isambard wrote: »

Indeed the M20 should be right up there on everyone's wish list. I live in North Co Cork and we're almost an hour from the nearest Motorway, pity West Cork and South Kerry who are lightyears further away. They have a better case than anywhere on the WRC for a raillinkj.

G’ware that. Last time someone suggested rail for West Cork they were hounded to death by keyboard warriors.

Isambard

I'm not saying they have a good case, I'm saying that they have a better case

Grandeeod

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

G’ware that. Last time someone suggested rail for West Cork they were hounded to death by keyboard warriors.

And peace and respect to the chap.

westtip

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

G’ware that. Last time someone suggested rail for West Cork they were hounded to death by keyboard warriors.

If they wanted it they should have been lobbying to get it into TEN-T. Even a well-established rail campaign group like West on Track failed to succeed on that front; People are always coming up with ideas like "sure wouldn't it be great if we had a railway coming here", then the idea becomes a political mantra or dogma, it may not make it a good idea in terms of transport planning but it becomes part of the political language, this in truth is what happened with the Western Rail Corridor, a bunch of well meaning enthusiasts fought hard to get their idea on the political agenda with no hard economic transport planning or demographic modelling to show the idea was anything other than an idea enthusiastically supported by a small number of people. Eventually, these "great ideas" fall on their face, because actually they are not so great an idea. It has taken ten years to change the thinking on the Western Rail Corridor from the accepted norm that the "railway was a great idea we must support" to the more pragmatic thinking that actually it is an idea that does not stand up and there are better more achievable alternatives. Not everyone has yet come on board, thankfully Sligo county council have and several TDs along the route have, Mayo CC are still standing firmly against tourists going to East Mayo and Galway is still on a bit of a knife edge in terms of the council grasping the nettle of reality.

Advice for anyone who is going to start campaigning for a West Cork railway line to be re-opened, prepare yourself for disappointment in the long term, because quite simply the idea, like the Western Rail Corridor, does not stack up.

marno21

West Cork is never happening. The alignment is gone and the N27 lies on the alignment approaching Cork City

westtip

More bad news for railway campaigners from the Oireachtas committee rooms, look at the committee this week looking into flooding on Limerick/Athenry line, as Irish Rail tell the committee it will cost 10 million to fix the flooding problem on the branch line from Limerick to Athenry, can't see anyone coughing that up, best way to get a train from Limerick to Athenry, check weather forecast first

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/video-archive/committees/1692/

At 1.07, Irish Rail start talking about the Ballycar flooding issue he said that the optimum solution for the flooding on the wrc -- raising the track -- would cost 10 million and is unviable.
He also says that Irish Rail sees greenways as the best option for protecting disused alignments in the medium term avoid the mistakes of the past where incursions caused problems.
At 1.42 Michael Fitzmaurice asks a direct question about what IR sees as medium term, and whether there was any plan in the medium term to extend the wrc. Irish Rail spokesman said 5 years was medium term and there is no plan to extend the wrc.

Interesting stuff, I was reminded of Gerry Murray SF cllr for the Charlestown Co Mayo, famously stating on national television five years ago, "The Western Rail Corridor is not up for discussion", he got that one right but perhaps not in the way he meant!

devnull

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