Closure of Waterford/Rosslare railway

Judgement Day

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055851547

Hope this works. I would like to draw attention to this issue which not all Wexford boardsies may have noticed. Your support is needed here as well as for the Helicopter rescue service - don't let the bastards grind you down!

Run_to_da_hills

Once this line closes it will soon be condemmed and never replaced.

Fatswaldo

Biggest poroblem with the service on this line is that it runs at the wrong time. Leaves waterford in th evening before workers can get to the station and leaves campile/wexford in the morning too late to get users to work on time. DUH! Originally it was the boat train but nobody uses it this way anymore. If IE had a tiny bit of sence they would have changed the time and try to drum up a bit of business!

Run_to_da_hills

Fatswaldo wrote: »

Biggest poroblem with the service on this line is that it runs at the wrong time. Leaves waterford in th evening before workers can get to the station and leaves campile/wexford in the morning too late to get users to work on time. DUH! Originally it was the boat train but nobody uses it this way anymore. If IE had a tiny bit of sence they would have changed the time and try to drum up a bit of business!

Thats intentional so figures would look bad on the books and give them an excuse to close the line.

It is a well known trick.

If CIE were serious about increasing passenger figures they would continue the Dublin Rosslare train on to Waterford in Summer and commuter trains from Wexford to Waterford and then on to Limerick Junction to meet other national services.

patff

This line should have been closed years ago!!!

I used this train from Wellington Bridge to Waterford to go to college back in the 80's. Even then it was just full of schoolkids and not much else. Beet and freight is gone, so it's just a heavily subsidised non-descript rail line. I live about 1/2 mile from the old Duncormick station, thats closed about 30 years, and most of the rest soon followed. It's not the most picturesque of rail lines, so it doesn't have any tourism value, apart from the odd person it picks up off the boat in Rosslare.

Sentimentality alone isn't enough reason to perpetuate this kind of drain on taxpayers money ( a rail employee told me that it costs 1 mill/year to maintain the Barrow Bridge).

I must say though, I often take a stroll from Duncormick Station along the line towards Ballyfrory crossing gates (trespassing, I know, but very little danger of being run down by a train) and it's very nice and peaceful.

Judgement Day

patff wrote: »

This line should have been closed years ago!!!

I used this train from Wellington Bridge to Waterford to go to college back in the 80's. Even then it was just full of schoolkids and not much else. Beet and freight is gone, so it's just a heavily subsidised non-descript rail line. I live about 1/2 mile from the old Duncormick station, thats closed about 30 years, and most of the rest soon followed. It's not the most picturesque of rail lines, so it doesn't have any tourism value, apart from the odd person it picks up off the boat in Rosslare.

Sentimentality alone isn't enough reason to perpetuate this kind of drain on taxpayers money ( a rail employee told me that it costs 1 mill/year to maintain the Barrow Bridge).

I must say though, I often take a stroll from Duncormick Station along the line towards Ballyfrory crossing gates (trespassing, I know, but very little danger of being run down by a train) and it's very nice and peaceful.

I am intrigued about your figure of €1 million maintenance cost for the Barrow Bridge - given that from year to year it seems to receive precious little attention save the odd bit of paint.

patff

Judgement Day wrote: »

I am intrigued about your figure of €1 million maintenance cost for the Barrow Bridge - given that from year to year it seems to receive precious little attention save the odd bit of paint.

don't you think that it's inspected on occasion by expensive consultant engineers. but as I said, it was a rail employee that told me this.

Also, I noticed in another post of yours from a different thread that you suggested it was a scenic route. now it's my turn to be intrigued!!!

Judgement Day

patff wrote: »

don't you think that it's inspected on occasion by expensive consultant engineers. but as I said, it was a rail employee that told me this.

Also, I noticed in another post of yours from a different thread that you suggested it was a scenic route. now it's my turn to be intrigued!!!

Maybe I have a different interpretation of the word scenic to you? I think you will find that I described the route from Dublin/Rosslare and the South Wexford line as two of the most scenic routes in the country and I stand by that statement. Perhaps you were too young to appreciate the scenery when you travelled to school on the line? Is it because Duncormick station is closed that you appear to have it in for the line? I should have thought very few residents of south Wexford would regard the closure of the railway as good for the area, that is unless they want to extend their house across the trackbed or, indeed, walk the route as you seem to enjoy.

patff

Judgement Day wrote: »

Maybe I have a different interpretation of the word scenic to you? I think you will find that I described the route from Dublin/Rosslare and the South Wexford line as two of the most scenic routes in the country and I stand by that statement. Perhaps you were too young to appreciate the scenery when you travelled to school on the line? Is it because Duncormick station is closed that you appear to have it in for the line? I should have thought very few residents of south Wexford would regard the closure of the railway as good for the area, that is unless they want to extend their house across the trackbed or, indeed, walk the route as you seem to enjoy.

I would say very few residents of S. Wexford would be aware that this line is live. It is of virtually no economic importance to south Wexford, not that that is of ultimate importance.

The closure of Duncormick station isn't a burden on my mental state, jeez, that'd be 30 years of pain.

A functional line would be great. It was that once. But it was abandoned
because it's not relevant anymore. Sentimentality won't reverse that no matter how hard anyone tries.

Judgement Day

patff wrote: »

I would say very few residents of S. Wexford would be aware that this line is live. It is of virtually no economic importance to south Wexford, not that that is of ultimate importance.

The closure of Duncormick station isn't a burden on my mental state, jeez, that'd be 30 years of pain.

A functional line would be great. It was that once. But it was abandoned
because it's not relevant anymore. Sentimentality won't reverse that no matter how hard anyone tries.

Clearly you have your mind made up so I won't waste time trying to persuade you otherwise. The line was never 'abandoned' but it has been progressively run-down for decades by little Hitler's in their bunkers at Heuston Station and the DoT in Kildare Street and if people accept it, as you appear to do, where will it end? Rural post offices, phoneboxes, hospitals, garda stations, emergency helicopter services etc.etc are all under threat. God helps those who help themselves. Night.

patff

Judgement Day wrote: »

Clearly you have your mind made up so I won't waste time trying to persuade you otherwise. The line was never 'abandoned' but it has been progressively run-down for decades by little Hitler's in their bunkers at Heuston Station and the DoT in Kildare Street and if people accept it, as you appear to do, where will it end? Rural post offices, phoneboxes, hospitals, garda stations, emergency helicopter services etc.etc are all under threat. God helps those who help themselves. Night.

services that are viable will continue. services that are important should continue, no matter. services that only survive for their own sake should be abandoned.

baronflyguy

If CIE dont want the line they should give it to a private company and let them run a Train service on it. Making money would be the primary goal of a private company and so would offer a service that the customer wants and not want suits the unions.

Just my 2 cents.

clarkholm

Clearly it should be closed. No private company in their right mind would take on the service. It is far too expensive, the same job could be done a lot cheaper and efficiently by a bus service. The railway line should be turned into a bike/walking trail. Can't believe people are actually objecting to this....... no one uses it, it is a total waste of money!

Judgement Day

clarkholm wrote: »

Clearly it should be closed. No private company in their right mind would take on the service. It is far too expensive, the same job could be done a lot cheaper and efficiently by a bus service. The railway line should be turned into a bike/walking trail. Can't believe people are actually objecting to this....... no one uses it, it is a total waste of money!

I love posts by people who clearly have no knowledge at all of the subject about which they are posting. No point in trying to respond. :rolleyes:

clarkholm

Judgement Day wrote: »

I love posts by people who clearly have no knowledge at all of the subject about which they are posting. No point in trying to respond. :rolleyes:

Great way to win a debate! Please enlighten me as to where I am lacking in knowledge? I want to learn from you Judgement Day, you seem so wise!!

OK people, lets keep it civil here.

baronflyguy

clarkholm wrote: »

Clearly it should be closed. No private company in their right mind would take on the service. It is far too expensive, the same job could be done a lot cheaper and efficiently by a bus service. The railway line should be turned into a bike/walking trail. Can't believe people are actually objecting to this....... no one uses it, it is a total waste of money!

How do you know no private investor is interested? No body will know till the idea is even thought about in the DoT.
Open you eyes and don't believe all the spin you hear.

Unions and high wages have messed up a lot of these semi state bodies with ridiculous demands like for example the poor train driver wants more money to take on extra responsibility to drive a new train....c'mon please. That would be like me in work getting a brand new fast PC and telling my employer I wont use it until I get trained how to use the new PC and I want more money.

Here is a few examples of success stories that if they believed your way of thinking would never have existed.

Midleton Train
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midleton_railway_station

Cork to Swansea
http://www.fastnetline.com/

RyanAir
http://www.ryanair.com/ie

AerArann
http://www.aerarann.com/

Waterford & Suir Valley Railway - Touristy thing i know but the line is still there and used.
http://www.wsvrailway.ie/

Across the Pond - Virgin
http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/

clarkholm wrote: »

....It is far too expensive, the same job could be done a lot cheaper and efficiently by a bus service.....

CIE smells like another FAS fiasco. No wonder they arent making money.
They blew it all.
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/kickbacks-waste-and-bogus-orders-costing-cie-millions-1910407.html

Like I said, take the line away from CIE since they are not making any money from it and give it to someone else. Give someone else a go. CIE shouldn't have the final say for the decision of this line, they can't even manage themselves.

Judgement Day

clarkholm wrote: »

Great way to win a debate! Please enlighten me as to where I am lacking in knowledge? I want to learn from you Judgement Day, you seem so wise!!

OK, if you're really that interested there are two threads on the Waterford/Rosslare and Connolly/Rosslare rail lines which you might like to look at.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055851547

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055638445&highlight=groundhog

The Irish Times

From The Irish Times

The Irish Times wrote:

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 Waterford to Rosslare route, which was one of the routes identified for examination by the recent McCarthy report, is expected to be announced by Iarnród Éireann today or tomorrow.

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

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.

Judgement Day

Deleted User wrote: »

From The Irish Times

Well, if this is true the meeting in Wellington Bridge tonight is an utter waste of time. What a joke this closure will be and, if reason were needed, another reason for me never, ever to vote Green again. :mad:

DWCommuter

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/iarnrod-eireann-under-pressure-to-reverse-decision-to-close-line-453076.html

Rumours that closure is the end of the month. This would be another tactic of CIE. Close it before the Summer and before it generates slightly increased seasonal numbers, that may persuade Government.

Scorched Earth.

patff

Oh well, maybe somebody will write a sentimental ballad about the great days of the Rosslare Waterford line.

Something like;

train kept a rollin'
nobody paid to ride
the train it kept a rollin'
while people in hospital died

Judgement Day

patff wrote: »

Oh well, maybe somebody will write a sentimental ballad about the great days of the Rosslare Waterford line.

Something like;

train kept a rollin'
nobody paid to ride
the train it kept a rollin'
while people in hospital died

You could say that about all Irish Rail's services and as I have been pointing out, every Euro that CIE/IE wastes means more people lying on trollies in A+E, or special needs assistants being cutback or cervical cancers innoculations being cancelled. It is not remotely funny and CIE needs to be stopped dead in its tracks - sorry - but that is not to say that the railway system should be got rid of because the fools presently in charge can't run a piss-up in a brewery. :mad:

DWCommuter

The Minister for Transport was quoted today as saying that the Waterford - Rosslare line is being closed so the losses can be transferred to the loss making and newly opened line from Limerick to Galway. A report has claimed that the Western Rail Corridor will make an annual loss of 2.4 million. The minister has stated that because more passengers travel on the western line, then it makes more sense to transfer the loss there as the department cannot increase the CIE subsidy.

Now considering 100 million plus was spent on the WRC, since 2008, while absolutely nothing financial was put into the Waterford - Rosslare line or even anything creative in terms of actually running it, then it all seems a little disjointed, farcical and stupid in terms of running a transport service. The WRC was reopened on the basis of regional development and equality. No equality is being demonstrated on the Waterford - Rosslare line. Even the station timetables are two years out of date.

Southsider1

patff wrote: »

Oh well, maybe somebody will write a sentimental ballad about the great days of the Rosslare Waterford line.

Something like;

train kept a rollin'
nobody paid to ride
the train it kept a rollin'
while people in hospital died

So you think that by closing this line, the money they save will keep people alive in hospitals? The hospitals that are run by similar bungling idiots as run the railways - and I'm talking about the hospital management not the Medical staff!! Wow, You're clever!! So they should take away the money from CIE and give it to the hospital management to piss away instead. Hmm. Yeah:rolleyes:

patff

Southsider1 wrote: »

So you think that by closing this line, the money they save will keep people alive in hospitals? The hospitals that are run by similar bungling idiots as run the railways - and I'm talking about the hospital management not the Medical staff!! Wow, You're clever!! So they should take away the money from CIE and give it to the hospital management to piss away instead. Hmm. Yeah:rolleyes:

No, you're drawing your own conclusions there. I didn't make any of those points.

But, as you point out, bungling idiots are the common denominator and thats unlikely to change anytime soon.

So, what do you do? Keep loading them with cash and still get no return, or say enough is enough.

Southsider1

patff wrote: »

No, you're drawing your own conclusions there. I didn't make any of those points.

But, as you point out, bungling idiots are the common denominator and thats unlikely to change anytime soon.

So, what do you do? Keep loading them with cash and still get no return, or say enough is enough.

Well, here's where they're spending the money they saved from closing the line: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/consultants-for-new-rail-lines-to-be-paid-836450000-2134302.html

So now you see what we're dealing with. So, in answer to your previous post no! the hospitals aren't going to benefit...

patff

Southsider1 wrote: »

Well, here's where they're spending the money they saved from closing the line: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/consultants-for-new-rail-lines-to-be-paid-836450000-2134302.html

So now you see what we're dealing with. So, in answer to your previous post no! the hospitals aren't going to benefit...

I'd be seriously disinterested in DART lines for Dublin.

As for the Waterford Rosslare line, it would be great to have a good service. I live 1/2 mile from one of the old stations, but it's closed maybe 30 years ago. There's a reason for that; it was a waste of money!!

Judgement Day

From the Save the Rosslare railway Facebook site:

'Irish Rail lodged their application to the National Transport Authority on March 26th. The NTA is presently considering this application. It is of huge importance that objections are lodged to this application. There is no formal process for public consultation however the NTA will accept submissions.

There is no charge for lodging an objection, it will be accepted in electronic form. Anyone can object to the proposal from within the country or outside. email your objections to info@nationaltransport.ie and mark them Rosslare Waterford Railway.

Play your part at home or abroad.'

Seems like a damn good idea to me and my submission is going in tomorrow.

jpb1974

Forgive my ignorance but what is the argument for keeping the line open?

Circa 25 passengers a day sounds disturbing... surely not enough to run a viable business?

Is it simply the case that if the services to and from Waterford were rescheduled that numbers would increase significantly... enough to justify keeping the line i.e. turn a profit?

Southsider1

jpb1974 wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance but what is the argument for keeping the line open?

Circa 25 passengers a day sounds disturbing... surely not enough to run a viable business?

Is it simply the case that if the services to and from Waterford were rescheduled that numbers would increase significantly... enough to justify keeping the line i.e. turn a profit?

None of the hospitals in Ireland turn a profit so should they be shut too???

Some services are provided, or should be provided by Government regardless of profitability. However every effort should be made to reduce the burden on the Tax payer. CIE do neither. They scrap services and waste money on other services. As has been stated before on this and other posts, had they marketed the service properly, run the services at user friendly times then it stood a far better chance of success.

Judgement Day

jpb1974 wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance but what is the argument for keeping the line open?

Circa 25 passengers a day sounds disturbing... surely not enough to run a viable business?

Is it simply the case that if the services to and from Waterford were rescheduled that numbers would increase significantly... enough to justify keeping the line i.e. turn a profit?

I will forgive your ignorance but would suggest that you inform yourself about the economics of rail transport before posting. Passenger rail systems worldwide lose money - every line in Ireland - and no matter what is done with the Waterford/Rosslare line it is not as you put it going to 'turn a profit'. But then why should it be expected to as nobody expects our roads to make a profit.

patff

Judgement Day wrote: »

......Passenger rail systems worldwide lose money......

fair enough but many rail lines that lose money are justified simply through the service provided, and are well worth subsidising.

Judgement Day

patff wrote: »

fair enough but many rail lines that lose money are justified simply through the service provided, and are well worth subsidising.

Yes, and in case you hadn't noticed that is the very point campaigners for the Waterford/Rosslare line are making - significant savings could be made by the provision of a proper service and thus kill two birds with one stone.

patff

Judgement Day wrote: »

Yes, and in case you hadn't noticed that is the very point campaigners for the Waterford/Rosslare line are making - significant savings could be made by the provision of a proper service and thus kill two birds with one stone.

it's very difficult not to notice the points they are making, especially when the Shinners are involved! Does'nt mean they make any sense.

And in case you haven't noticed, such campaigns generally depend on sentiment and anecdotes to get their point across.

Judgement Day

patff wrote: »

it's very difficult not to notice the points they are making, especially when the Shinners are involved! Does'nt mean they make any sense.

And in case you haven't noticed, such campaigns generally depend on sentiment and anecdotes to get their point across.

Don't understand your point and I would have thought that the campaign involved people of many political persuasions (excluding FF and their pathetic Green Uncle Toms). I am coming from anything but a sentimental viewpoint on this issue and I think all the anecdotal type of stuff such as I never use the line but my Dad used to bring me down to station to wave to the train only serve to distract from the real issues.
I have a background in running tourism projects and several years ago wished to develop a tourist product which would have involved using the South Wexford line but the utterly useless timetable prevented this. I know of another major railtour operator (for general visitors NOT anoraks) who would use the route if it were possible. Between the dire timetable on the South Wexford line and the appalling 'commuter' trains which operated on the Dublin/Rosslare route until last November, developing any sort of tourist business was non-starter. Now with the inter-city railcars on the Dublin/Rosslare line one part of the jigsaw is in place but with the new 'connectionless' timetable introduced on the South Wexford line in Nov.2009 any such plan cannot proceed. That is one of my selfish reasons that I want to see the line stay open.
From a strategic point of view closing a rail link to one of the major access points for UK visitors is lunacy, especially with Brian Cowen's much trumpeted plan for FREE rail travel for overseas OAPs. The advent of cheap air travel did much to reduce the number of foot passengers on the ferries but there are signs that this is already beginning to change, and the days of cheap air travel will end but nobody in authority seems prepared to face up to this stark reality.
In as much as there is sense in retaining any railway lines in Ireland there is sense in keeping the Waterford/Rosslare line - for local commuters, for tourists and for long term strategic reasons. CIE/IE are not part of the answer they are part of the problem and their answer to losses is never to generate more revenue but always to cut services.
What's your own agenda because even if the line closes don't expect any extra beds in A+E or a tax rebate in the post - Ireland doesn't work like that?

patff

Judgement Day wrote: »

What's your own agenda because even if the line closes don't expect any extra beds in A+E or a tax rebate in the post - Ireland doesn't work like that?

No agenda, gives me a more objective standpoint.

patff

Judgement Day wrote: »

Don't understand your point and I would have thought that the campaign involved people of many political persuasions (excluding FF and their pathetic Green Uncle Toms). I am coming from anything but a sentimental viewpoint on this issue and I think all the anecdotal type of stuff such as I never use the line but my Dad used to bring me down to station to wave to the train only serve to distract from the real issues.

my point being that Sinn Fein at a local level will jump on any bandwagon.

I have a background in running tourism projects and several years ago wished to develop a tourist product which would have involved using the South Wexford line but the utterly useless timetable prevented this. I know of another major railtour operator (for general visitors NOT anoraks) who would use the route if it were possible. Between the dire timetable on the South Wexford line and the appalling 'commuter' trains which operated on the Dublin/Rosslare route until last November, developing any sort of tourist business was non-starter. Now with the inter-city railcars on the Dublin/Rosslare line one part of the jigsaw is in place but with the new 'connectionless' timetable introduced on the South Wexford line in Nov.2009 any such plan cannot proceed. That is one of my selfish reasons that I want to see the line stay open.

frankly, that is a shame.

From a strategic point of view closing a rail link to one of the major access points for UK visitors is lunacy, especially with Brian Cowen's much trumpeted plan for FREE rail travel for overseas OAPs. The advent of cheap air travel did much to reduce the number of foot passengers on the ferries but there are signs that this is already beginning to change, and the days of cheap air travel will end but nobody in authority seems prepared to face up to this stark reality.

I was a passenger on that line for many years (before the advent of cheap air) and don't recall many tourists travelling back then.

Judgement Day

'I was a passenger on that line for many years (before the advent of cheap air) and don't recall many tourists travelling back then.'

patff - I think we will have to agree to differ on this one but as regards your last point - if you travelled on the route at any time since the 1970s, it is not surprising that you didn't see that many tourists as the timetable and level of service has been bad and worsening for four decades! It's a classic from the CIE handbook of "How to close down a railway by stealth". That said I can assure you that I travelled on the route at many times over the last thirty five years and during the summer the boat trains were well filled. But if you strive to make a railway more and more useless you will eventually make it more and more irrelevant to the majority of people. In the light of that I'm surprised at the level of protest over the impending closure. Good night.

patff

Judgement Day wrote: »

if you travelled on the route at any time since the 1970s, it is not surprising that you didn't see that many tourists ................ I travelled on the route at many times over the last thirty five years and during the summer the boat trains were well filled.

2010 minus 35yrs is the 1970's.

the only conclusion here is that we've never been on that train at the same time.

jpb1974

but would suggest that you inform yourself about the economics of rail transport before posting

I tell you what.. I'll forgive your ignorance even though you didn't request that I do so.

If you read my original post it was comprised of 3 questions... not 3 statements of fact.

Are you telling me that I have to do a cert/diploma/degree in rail transport before I am entitled to ask a question?

I would suggest that you inform yourself about respect and the rights of others to contribute to this thread and all threads on this public forum.

Good man.

jpb1974

Actually... it's quite odd that... you ask a question about the rail service and the response you get is that 'you need to inform yourself about the rail service'... :rolleyes:

Even if I were of the opinion that line should be closed (because it wasn't economical to keep it in service) does that mean I am not entitled to a personal opinion?

Judgement Day

jpb1974 wrote: »

I tell you what.. I'll forgive your ignorance even though you didn't request that I do so.

If you read my original post it was comprised of 3 questions... not 3 statements of fact.

Are you telling me that I have to do a cert/diploma/degree in rail transport before I am entitled to ask a question?

I would suggest that you inform yourself about respect and the rights of others to contribute to this thread and all threads on this public forum.

Good man.

I tell you what here's another suggestion, why don't you try reading the various threads on the Waterford/Rosslare line and you might find some answers? I never said that you had no right to post on the subject but rather that you should inform yourself better before jumping in. Don't be so precious.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055851547
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055638445&highlight=groundhog

amongst others.

jpb1974

Ah right, I see.. I have to do my homework before I can play ball with the self appointment Lord Mayor of the Wexford forum.

Looks like it's all be said and done in 2 other threads... so best not waste anymore time on this one so.

Terribly sorry about that.

Less of the personal attacks please people.

Attack the post, not the poster and all that.

baronflyguy

Just a thought to put it out there......

With the current Volcanic Ash cloud grounding flights for X days and possibly becoming a regular thing if more volcanic ash is emitted, it is quite possible ferrys and trains will take up the slack of people wanting to travel in comfort.

The last time something like this happened in Iceland was in 1783, so no one really knows what type of disruption this may cause for current flying transport environment.

maybe I am over analysising what I hear and read about this volcanic ash cloud but I am amazed how it has grounded irish, uk and other european planes.

DWCommuter

baronflyguy wrote: »

Just a thought to put it out there......

With the current Volcanic Ash cloud grounding flights for X days and possibly becoming a regular thing if more volcanic ash is emitted, it is quite possible ferrys and trains will take up the slack of people wanting to travel in comfort.

The last time something like this happened in Iceland was in 1783, so no one really knows what type of disruption this may cause for current flying transport environment.

maybe I am over analysising what I hear and read about this volcanic ash cloud but I am amazed how it has grounded irish, uk and other european planes.

Nice sentiments and perfectly sound too. But CIE/Irish Rail don't care about using their rail service to assist dependent ferry passengers.

Its tradition!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fsEPru64Wo

If you really feel that CIE/Irish Rail are failing Wexford, then join this facebook group. Thanks.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=117098984972045

delsutton2008

Call me late, but just heard about the closure of the Rosslare-Waterford line :eek: Living on the other side of the pond doesn't help!

Obviously if only 25 people a day are using it, it's nonviable for Iarnród Éireann, especially in these more testing times, but still always a shame to see infrastructure like this going to be consigned to history. It would be great if it had some heritage value and it became another tourist attraction for Wexford rather than just being allowed to rust to oblivion, but it would need to be something special to draw the crowds.

In the UK there are some old lines that have been adopted by steam preservation groups and they run very successfully. I wonder if that is a possibility in this case?

Judgement Day

delsutton2008 wrote: »

Call me late, but just heard about the closure of the Rosslare-Waterford line :eek: Living on the other side of the pond doesn't help!

Obviously if only 25 people a day are using it, it's nonviable for Iarnród Éireann, especially in these more testing times, but still always a shame to see infrastructure like this going to be consigned to history. It would be great if it had some heritage value and it became another tourist attraction for Wexford rather than just being allowed to rust to oblivion, but it would need to be something special to draw the crowds.

In the UK there are some old lines that have been adopted by steam preservation groups and they run very successfully. I wonder if that is a possibility in this case?

In one word - NO. There is a far more comprehensive thread in the Commuting + Transport forum.

Cantona's Collars

Why not turn it into a freight line? Collect the containers etc. from the ferry that are destined for the south west of Ireland and return outgoing freight to the terminal in Rosslare. The greens are always nattering about reducing the amount of trucks on the roads.Either that or lay a road over it and mothball the train service.No matter what campaigning we do it looks like the line is doomed.