Waterford/Rosslare Strand Railway reaches the buffer stops (again)!

Aidan1

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0407/breaking53.html

Confirmation of closure.

Cookie_Monster

link above wrote:

Iarnród Éireann said it is maintaining services on other routes identified in the McCarthy report and has cut staff costs, length of trains and timetabled services in a bid to keep lines open.

but they didn't really do that did they...

Judgement Day

Just seen this post in the Wexford forum. All the things that have been said about the line do not need repeating but all the crap CIE are coming out with about a heritage railway is sickening. As has already been pointed out here, the railway line does not belong to CIE but to the Fishguard & Rosslare Railway & Harbours Company which appears to be a profitable concern and which pays CIE a dividend every year as a shareholder. If ever there was a case for taking a railway away from CIE control this is it and their offer to let it turn into a 'heritage' railway could be the rock that they perish on.

smackyB

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0407/breaking53.html

"Iarnród Éireann has confirmed it is to cease passenger services on the Waterford to Rosslare line in the southeast.

The company said it will explore the possibility of keeping the line open as a tourist/heritage railway, but it maintained that with passenger numbers at 25 per day, the route was "unsustainable".

A closing date for the route, which was one of those identified for examination by the recent McCarthy report, is expected to be announced by Iarnród Éireann soon.

Iarnród Éireann plans to maintain services on other routes identified in the McCarthy report and has cut staff costs, length of trains and timetabled services in a bid to keep lines open, according to a statement due to be delivered by CIÉ chairman John Lynch at the Oireachtas Committee on Transport this afternoon.

The company has frequently warned of falling passenger numbers on the Waterford to Rosslare line while the sugar beet freight business, which sustained the route, ceased in 2006.

A trial extension of the passenger service from Rosslare to Wexford was under-utilised the company said.

A recent survey of passengers indicated most users were heading for Waterford Institute of Technology. Accordingly, the company said a bus service would replace the train, taking passengers to the institute, in about the same time, for about the same price.

Iarnród Éireann said there would also be environmental benefits of running a small bus, as opposed to a train.

It is understood that discussed have taken place with staff working on the route interested in redeployment within Iarnród Éireann. Voluntary severance is also to be offered.

The company said rail transport was "a volume business" and the passenger numbers spoke for themselves."

Our man in Havana

Terrible news.

Once the line closes and enters "Care and Maintenance" there is no way back.

lord lucan

Bond-007 wrote: »

Terrible news.

Once the line closes and enters "Care and Maintenance" there is no way back.

If it's lucky the only traffic the line will see is the weed sprayer!

alpha2zulu

Very interesting comment and picture from somebody on the facebook page to stop the closure.

A poster describes 65 people connecting from the train in Fishguard last week to the Stena 2.30pm sailing to Rosslare...and while they are docking just before 6pm, the sight of the 5.55pm train to Dublin winding away from the port.

Pretty much sums up all the connectivity problems that seems to blight rail/ferry services at Rosslare.


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=54942&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=367387502018&aid=-1&id=100000880938276

DWCommuter

Ah yes. Typical CIE behaviour. Pull the plug, just before the drones are rolled out at a public meeting tonight.

dowlingm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

but they didn't really do that did they...

read the sentence again - "they cut... timetabled services" - they did that all right!

purplepanda

This is an absolute disgrace, it seems obvious that IE have never had any intention of providing a adequate passenger service on this railway line for decades. What was the point of stations timetabled without any connections to Dublin or other regions of the rail network??:mad:

As per usual the SE region gets nothing despite recent & further projected population increases. Meanwhile the West demands further railways, infastructure & will probably get their wishes.:rolleyes:

South Wexford & indeed the whole of the county with soon be left with a rail connection to Gorey, the south coast will be left totally isolated from New Ross to Wexford town transport wise, Bus Eireann don't run in Southern Wexford unless Rosslare. Next the new Barrow Bridge New Ross Bypass will be cancelled because of cutbacks.

Time for the South Eastern counties & people to stand up & demand the investment in transport infastructure that other regions receive from both goverment & EU funds

Hungerford

Remarkably enough Dan Boyle is tweeting that the line has been mismanaged and should be saved.

For those Green Party members who are slow on the uptake...

Your party is in Government you muppet. Your mate Cuffe is a junior transport minister. And if the line closes, your chances of re-election are 0.00%.

Judgement Day

Hungerford wrote: »

Remarkably enough Dan Boyle is tweeting that the line has been mismanaged and should be saved.

For those Green Party members who are slow on the uptake...

Your party is in Government you muppet. Your mate Cuffe is a junior transport minister. And if the line closes, your chances of re-election are 0.00%.

In fairness Dan Boyle is the only man left in the Greens with enough balls to say what he thinks and not blindly follow the Cowen/Gormley line. You're right about Cuffe though and I will be sending him another email tonight when I get through sticking pins in his doll. I emailed: Newstalk,Today FM and Mary Wilson before 4.30pm today but I don't think they covered the item. Beat FM(?) did a particularly stupid vox pop on the line but I didn't hear anything else. I'm not giving up on this yet although I felt like it earlier.

FlameoftheWest

Bond-007 wrote: »

Terrible news.

Once the line closes and enters "Care and Maintenance" there is no way back.

It's history now. That's it.

Judgement Day

This post from IRN tonight, from a big wheel in the 'nordie' railway preservation scene, shows the lie that CIE/IE are perpetrating by saying that they are discussing the heritage operation of the line with the RPSI. They (CIE/IE) are probably referring to the May 7th visit to the line by an RPSI steam tour. :rolleyes:

'Ah well, all the freight locos, container wagons, and railcars they need to use on that service will be used elsewhere, no doubt.

Seriously, I wonder if the recent events at Malahide caused someone to wonder if they'd have to spend zillions on poking about the Barrow viaduct? Or, perhaps they have done that and implied that it is a cost of running the railway in order to make it look even less an economic proposition.

Keep it as a heritage line? Just how could that possibly be financially viable?'

Transportuser09

Judgement Day wrote: »

This post from IRN tonight, from a big wheel in the 'nordie' railway preservation scene, shows the lie that CIE/IE are perpetrating by saying that they are discussing the heritage operation of the line with the RPSI. They (CIE/IE) are probably referring to the May 7th visit to the line by an RPSI steam tour. :rolleyes:

'Ah well, all the freight locos, container wagons, and railcars they need to use on that service will be used elsewhere, no doubt.

Seriously, I wonder if the recent events at Malahide caused someone to wonder if they'd have to spend zillions on poking about the Barrow viaduct? Or, perhaps they have done that and implied that it is a cost of running the railway in order to make it look even less an economic proposition.

Keep it as a heritage line? Just how could that possibly be financially viable?'

I've yet to see any indication that Irish Rail are discussing a heritage line with the RPSI, they just suggested it be used as a heritage line, no group was mentioned. I wouldn't say that they mean the railtour either tbh. I'd agree though that keeping it as a heritage route seems unlikely.

Judgement Day

Transportuser09 wrote: »

I've yet to see any indication that Irish Rail are discussing a heritage line with the RPSI, they just suggested it be used as a heritage line, no group was mentioned. I wouldn't say that they mean the railtour either tbh. I'd agree though that keeping it as a heritage route seems unlikely.

I've seen an article which specifically mentions the RPSI and the Waterford & Suir Valley Railway as being the two possible parties -I'll post a link if I can find it again. However, it is just a red herring being pushed by the IE spin doctors.

lord lucan

Judgement Day wrote: »

I've seen an article which specifically mentions the RPSI and the Waterford & Suir Valley Railway as being the two possible parties -I'll post a link if I can find it again. However, it is just a red herring being pushed by the IE spin doctors.

I doubt any of the Heritage groups would have the resources,both financially and manpower wise,to maintain the route. Running on IE/NIR metals suits the RPSI/ITG etc as they don't have to worry about route maintenance.

Transportuser09

lord lucan wrote: »

I doubt any of the Heritage groups would have the resources,both financially and manpower wise,to maintain the route. Running on IE/NIR metals suits the RPSI/ITG etc as they don't have to worry about route maintenance.

The same thought struck me, I wouldn't even say any of the UK heritage railways would be as long as the Waterford-Rosslare route, and these wouldn't even have a structure like the Barrow bridge to maintain.

Judgement Day

lord lucan wrote: »

I doubt any of the Heritage groups would have the resources,both financially and manpower wise,to maintain the route. Running on IE/NIR metals suits the RPSI/ITG etc as they don't have to worry about route maintenance.

Of course they wouldn't it's just a distraction. Another report here from IRN outlining what was said in the Dail this evening. Another masterly inept performance by our utterly useless politicians.

'Nothing about timescales. Barry Kenny and Dick Fearn and Dr Lynch were there. Barry Kenny said that bus was more enviornmentally friendly. Dick Fearn said that most of the passengers were going to WIT and that they would have an arrangement with their sister company Bus Eireann to provide a similar service direct to the college at the same price. Barry Kenny blamed the good road from wexford to Waterford for the non viability of the extension of the service to wexford. They also said that the line ceased to be viable after the sugar beet traffic finished and that they had tried to make it viable and had held it open. Shane Ross then brought up the upcoming court cases. There were some TDs who questioned about the closure but the questions soon finished as if no one cared.'

lord lucan

Transportuser09 wrote: »

The same thought struck me, I wouldn't even say any of the UK heritage railways would be as long as the Waterford-Rosslare route, and these wouldn't even have a structure like the Barrow bridge to maintain.

Exactly. If it was say a 20 mile stretch of line with no major structures on it ie. Barrow bridge,multiple level crossings etc.,then it might be relatively easy to maintain for 30/40 mph running. The Barrow bridge alone is a massive undertaking to maintain and would represent a huge drain on resources.

lord lucan

Judgement Day wrote: »

Of course they wouldn't it's just a distraction. Another report here from IRN outlining what was said in the Dail this evening. Another masterly inept performance by our utterly useless politicians.

'Nothing about timescales. Barry Kenny and Dick Fearn and Dr Lynch were there. Barry Kenny said that bus was more enviornmentally friendly. Dick Fearn said that most of the passengers were going to WIT and that they would have an arrangement with their sister company Bus Eireann to provide a similar service direct to the college at the same price. Barry Kenny blamed the good road from wexford to Waterford for the non viability of the extension of the service to wexford. They also said that the line ceased to be viable after the sugar beet traffic finished and that they had tried to make it viable and had held it open. Shane Ross then brought up the upcoming court cases. There were some TDs who questioned about the closure but the questions soon finished as if no one cared.'

Amazing how it now suits them to say the bus is a more enviromentally friendly means of transport than the train. Is it some vain attempt at appealling to the Greens sensibilities?

steamengine

We entered the 'Celtic Tiger' era with road and rail infrastructure that wasn't up to the mark by European standards. Luckily a lot of the motorways have come on stream during this period. We played catch up and got away with it in a sense.

Its all very well closing down railway lines at the drop of a hat, but what about the future? - will it be the same old story ? That line connects Rosslare Port to the rest of the country and Wexford to Waterford, and may very well be a necessary part of infrastructure for the next economic 'boom', which will inevitably occur sometime in the future.

Have we lost all our vision? - time for SpecSavers ?

lord lucan

steamengine wrote: »

We entered the 'Celtic Tiger' era with infrastructure that wasn't up to the mark by European standards. Luckily a lot of the motorways have come on stream during this period. We played catch up and got away with it in a sense.

Its all very well closing down railway lines at the drop of a hat, but what about the future? - will it be the same old story ? That line connects Rosslare Port to the rest of the country and Wexford to Waterford, and may very well be a necessary part of infrasture for the next economic 'boom', which will inevitably occur sometime in the future.

Have we lost all our vision - time for SpecSavers ?

What they'll do is spin it in such a way as to say the line will be mothballed and could be re-opened in the future. Much like Mullingar-Athlone!:P

Judgement Day

lord lucan wrote: »

What they'll do is spin it in such a way as to say the line will be mothballed and could be re-opened in the future. Much like Mullingar-Athlone!:P

More like New Ross or Midleton/Youghal I suspect. :mad:




The latter picture shows New Ross 'mothballed' as CIE quaintly call it!
Pic by Ciaran Cooney, Eiretrains.

steamengine

lord lucan wrote: »

What they'll do is spin it in such a way as to say the line will be mothballed and could be re-opened in the future. Much like Mullingar-Athlone!:P

I would have grave doubts about their mothballing skills!

DWCommuter

IE have not been challenged effectively on the closure of this line. Plain and simple. Between all the interested "railway web sites" run by either enthusiasts or "those just concerned", the response has been pathetic. As a co-founder of P11/RUI, I am very disappointed with their particular reaction to it. I say that here, because to say it on that forum, I'd probably be accused of some kind of "bitterness", which is usually the reaction from an organisation to an ex committee member.

A sad day because IE are getting away with something that they are actually responsible for. Its almost as if the WRC provided the distraction that was needed. Unfortunately thats because they consider any internet discussion on railways to be the work of enthusiasts and with a new line to ride, they think the ruse has worked. Sadly, a look across the internet tonight, proves them correct.

dowlingm

That "sister" company is IE's biggest problem. You never hear BE saying we need more trains, they just pack on more buses.

Cookie_Monster

Judgement Day wrote: »

More like New Ross or Midleton/Youghal I suspect. :mad:

sure a strimmer will sort that

DWCommuter

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

sure a strimmer will sort that

Thats an old photo. Its worse than that now.

lord lucan

DWCommuter wrote: »

Thats an old photo. Its worse than that now.

It's a lot worse now. I was down that way in October last year to see a friend and the alignment and station were virtually impossible to make out.