Only in Ireland...

OurLadyofKnock

http://www.linkingeuropeanddonegal.org/index.php


In 1976, the old railway line between Limerick and Sligo was closed. A few years ago, the section between Limerick and Ennis was re-opened, and in March 2010, the section from Ennis to Galway via Athenry was re-opened. This has been hugely successful in terms of passenger usage.


Open the link at the risk of entering a land of magical fantasy...

Oh but it gets even more mystical...

http://donegalmatters.com/petitions.php?parentid=0&lPath=1&osCsid=056a625f87f45dba443451fb5a941077

Brian Bonar.
Donegal is the 7th most populated county in the Republic with 147000 people, we need a railway.

Ann O Kane
Dublin gets everything like port tunnel, luas etc and I feel that Donegal gets nothing, so bring on the trains

AA Davey Sedgwick
I have been on many trains in the past and I find them useful.

C. Lynch
A rail line in Donegal would prevent a lot of young people from having to live outside of Donegal just to enjoy a successful career.

Bradidup

They might as well, no point starting something and not finishing it. LOL.

OurLadyofKnock

Tory Island is being disinfranchised by lack of rail transport.

"I once saw the International Space Station. Donegal needs a Cape Canaveral!"


There really are like children.

namloc1980

Oh dear God....a train for Donegal....I've heard it all now. We can't even get half decent bus services in our major urban centres but Donegal wants a railway.......fuppin' heck!

Someone please tell the good people of Donegal what a waste of money the reopening of the WRC is.

DWCommuter

OurLadyofKnock wrote: »

http://www.linkingeuropeanddonegal.org/index.php


In 1976, the old railway line between Limerick and Sligo was closed. A few years ago, the section between Limerick and Ennis was re-opened, and in March 2010, the section from Ennis to Galway via Athenry was re-opened. This has been hugely successful in terms of passenger usage.


Open the link at the risk of entering a land of magical fantasy...

Oh but it gets even more mystical...

http://donegalmatters.com/petitions.php?parentid=0&lPath=1&osCsid=056a625f87f45dba443451fb5a941077

Obviously they have stopped having sex in Donegal. It is simply the only reason I can offer to justify this insanity.

D.L.R.

Too late Donegal. You blew your wad on this:



and this:



and this:

DWCommuter

"Blew", "Wad" and that picture of Mary makes me want to reconsider my statement about no sex in Donegal.:D However the bridge pics certainly suggest that it has seen its share of "investment".

In the 21st century, Railways are not an entitlement. They are a very expensive commodity that must be justified and implemented on the basis of a detailed and realistic business case. Unfortunately railway proposals in Ireland still resemble some madcap schemes from the 19th century, before the car was even invented!:eek:

corktina

totally pathetic dreamers...

Aard

We need a parody thread of "fantasy" rail projects for disenfranchised Ireland.

SeanW

Re: Mary Coughlan, am I the only one that wonders if Brian Cowen and Ivana Bacik once had an affair ...

Obviously the demand for a railway to Donegal (except perhaps as an extension of the Derry line) is insane. But with Metro North and the Dart Underground both under severe threat, I don't take talk of that sort very seriously.

Rented Mule

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF_yLodI1CQ

dermo88

1. Population densities are insufficient
2. No account of cooperation with Northern Ireland is taken into account.
3. The "natural" route is no longer intact (The former Portadown-Omagh-Derry railway), being covered with bypasses.

Amongst other things. Looks like I'll have to look to my old faithful archive and do a copy and paste as a reminder.

robd

Donegal is the 7th most populated county in the Republic with 147000 people, we need a railway.

Indeed, and the 24th most populated in the Republic (28th in All Ireland) by the more important statistic of persons per square kilometre.

A rather pathetic 30.4

Dublin, by comparison, has 1289.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Irish_counties_by_population

Aard

Exactly. For the 7th most populated county, it's only got 3 of the largest 100 urban areas in Ireland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland_by_population

Cookie_Monster

Somebody paint a bus orange and black and send it up to them, should keep them happy for a few years at least.

D.L.R.

D.L.R. wrote: »

Too late Donegal. You blew your wad on this:


and this:




In fairness, this was needed. How else could they cross the river without a bridge?

robbie_998

salonfire wrote: »

In fairness, this was needed. How else could they cross the river without a bridge?

swim



its what they get for living in the bog arse of nowhere !

Stonewolf

To be fair, that particular bridge was money well spent. Slight conflict of interest though given I use it when travelling out to see the family ...

Once upon a time Donegal had two entirely internal railway systems one of them successful and one which makes IE look like a sensible and well run organisation. The more successful of the two closed down because whilst day to day costs were manageable there was no money left for needed investment. They weren't allowed close until the roads had been improved sufficient for bus replacement. Both systems relied on connections through Derry and suffered badly from road competition and border issues.

Realisticly there isn't a strong argument for railways into Donegal, the Derry route is pointless as it goes via Belfast. A Sligo route would be a completely new build and keep the whole affair in the Republic, However it would be hugely expensive and give a poor return. It's not like the Sligo line represents a high quality link to anywhere and Donegal has very poor population density.

One has to wonder just where the line would run to? One assumes Letterkenny but that would be a short line from Derry and a long one from Sligo. In fact the geography is such that a Sligo line would be just as well either ignoring Letterkenny and going directly to Derry or making a through stop in Letterkenny. Connecting Sligo and Derry is in fact probably the biggest justification that can be made for a railway through Donegal and even that's a bit slim.

In short, it'll be a long time and/or a big change in societal priorities before we see a railway in Donegal again. I wouldn't pay any attention to the "Dublin gets everything" crowd, they just don't get the big picture.

Carawaystick

OurLadyofKnock wrote: »

In 1976, the old railway line between Limerick and Sligo was closed. A few years ago, the section between Limerick and Ennis was re-opened, and in March 2010, the section from Ennis to Galway via Athenry was re-opened. This has been hugely successful in terms of passenger usage.

Can you please provide evidence of the statement in bold or go away


Can you please explain how a train going from Limerick to Sligo would go near Galway? The route went from Athenry to Tuam.

I watched Diarmuid Gavin on the old railway line in Newport converted to walking/cycle track last week. I'd say that has been more successful in numbers of people using it than Athenry to Ennis.

mgmt

Carawaystick wrote: »

Can you please provide evidence of the statement in bold or go away


Can you please explain how a train going from Limerick to Sligo would go near Galway? The route went from Athenry to Tuam.

I watched Diarmuid Gavin on the old railway line in Newport converted to walking/cycle track last week. I'd say that has been more successful in numbers of people using it than Athenry to Ennis.

The OP is quoting from the website he linked to. No need for the attitude.