Dick Fearn gets the lifting machine out...

Hungerford

Reports at IRN indicate that Dick Fearn is prepping the lifting train for the Sligo Quay branch. Once again, it's never been officially closed and has been used for freight in the recent past but the closure by stealth agenda must continue!

Next stop, Rosslare Strand?? :eek:

Judgement Day

One has to ask what point is there in lifting the line other than sabotaging any future attempt to reopen it. Dick Fearn should be fired along with Lynch and Dempsey but it ain't going to happen under this or any other government.

Cookie_Monster

I don't get why they'd lift any track regardless of line closure...

They'll only have to relay it again at some point in the future. (unlikely) but if the track and infastructure remains in place at least in can be used at short notice if something unexpected and useful comes up.

Any mandate from the the NTA or Dept to do this, I'm guessing not

DWCommuter

Has it been used in the last 10 years? What happened to the EU rule about leaving track/right of way in situ for 10 years just in case circumstances change?

Judgement Day

DWCommuter wrote: »

Has it been used in the last 10 years? What happened to the EU rule about leaving track/right of way in situ for 10 years just in case circumstances change?

Derek - I'm surprised at you dragging up this myth. Can you put up a link to this regulation? Former CIE General Manager,Jack Higgins, admitted to a group of us years ago that this was just a ruse used by CIE to take the steam out of closure protests. No such ruling exists - but I am happy to be corrected - and BR were happily pulling up lines in the UK at the same time as CIE were keeping them down for ten years. By using this supposed EU rule CIE were able to say that the tracks etc. would be left in place for 10 years in case traffic materialised.

Hungerford

Judgement Day wrote: »

Derek - I'm surprised at you dragging up this myth.

It certainly seems to be a myth given that IE have done some limited lifting and disconnection on the Foynes and Kingscourt lines.

In the case of the later, some careless person seems to have deposited track panels across the line at Navan level crossing in recent times. That said, Tricky Dicky had the connection from the main national network to the line lifted a few years ago due to 'safety concerns'.:rolleyes:

DWCommuter

Judgement Day wrote: »

Derek - I'm surprised at you dragging up this myth. Can you put up a link to this regulation? Former CIE General Manager,Jack Higgins, admitted to a group of us years ago that this was just a ruse used by CIE to take the steam out of closure protests. No such ruling exists - but I am happy to be corrected - and BR were happily pulling up lines in the UK at the same time as CIE were keeping them down for ten years. By using this supposed EU rule CIE were able to say that the tracks etc. would be left in place for 10 years in case traffic materialised.

Im searching.....;)

highlydebased

Hungerford wrote: »

It certainly seems to be a myth given that IE have done some limited lifting and disconnection on the Foynes and Kingscourt lines.

In the case of the later, some careless person seems to have deposited track panels across the line at Navan level crossing in recent times. That said, Tricky Dicky had the connection from the main national network to the line lifted a few years ago due to 'safety concerns'.:rolleyes:

Foynes is disconnected at Limerick check however the rest of the line is physically in place, mostly.

KC61

Neon-Circles wrote: »

Foynes is disconnected at Limerick check however the rest of the line is physically in place, mostly.

Indeed...but I don't think that Robertstown viaduct is too healthy....

antoinolachtnai

A track, like any other civil infrastructure, requires ongoing investment. In a wet climate like ours, it's a constant fight against the rain. If you leave it unmaintained, it will deteriorate all on its own. It makes little enough difference whether you pull up the tracks and sleepers to use somewhere else.You will have to renew everything anyway if/when you go to open it again.

HeritageRailway

Hungerford wrote: »

It certainly seems to be a myth given that IE have done some limited lifting and disconnection on the Foynes and Kingscourt lines. In the case of the later, some careless person seems to have deposited track panels across the line at Navan level crossing in recent times.

Itinerants moved onto the track a couple of years back hence the track panels being where they are now; to stop them re-entering the line.

Hungerford wrote: »

That said, Tricky Dicky had the connection from the main national network to the line lifted a few years ago due to 'safety concerns'.:rolleyes:

The more moving points you have the greater the risk of an accident, even if it's just a slight chance. If they ever need to reopen the line it will only take about 6 hours work by a PW team to reinstate the junction; hardly abandonment.... yet;)

Judgement Day

HeritageRailway wrote: »

Itinerants moved onto the track a couple of years back hence the track panels being where they are now; to stop them re-entering the line.



The more moving points you have the greater the risk of an accident, even if it's just a slight chance. If they ever need to reopen the line it will only take about 6 hours work by a PW team to reinstate the junction; hardly abandonment.... yet;)

Barry is that you again?

wild handlin

It doesn't appear to make any sence, considering that the points at the station will have to be kept to stable the units on the branch.

DW Commuter - where on earth did you hear that Sligo Quay hasn't been used in the last 10 years?

Judgement Day

wild handlin wrote: »

It doesn't appear to make any sence, considering that the points at the station will have to be kept to stable the units on the branch.

DW Commuter - where on earth did you hear that Sligo Quay hasn't been used in the last 10 years?

Read his post again - he didn't say that.

wild handlin

Judgement Day wrote: »

Read his post again - he didn't say that.

Too true!!

Transportuser09

One guess as to why they don't need to wait 10 years is that maybe the line is classified as a siding rather than a route as such. Only guessing. Either way it seems rather shortsighted in terms of allowing for any future freight flows on the line.

DWCommuter

wild handlin wrote: »

Too true!!

So there!:D