Train line at Heuston

Motorist

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=google+maps+military+road&hl=en&ll=53.346504,-6.302741&spn=0.003632,0.010568&hnear=Military+Rd,+County+Dublin&gl=ie&t=h&z=17&vpsrc=6

Hi all,

Was just looking at the tracks into Heuston Station. Anyone know where these tracks going North in the map end up?

mikemac1

There's a secret stop under the Wellington Monument. Freemasons meet there :eek:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liffey_Bridge_(Phoenix_Park_Tunnel)

They sometimes use it on Sundays for GAA match specials when the train lines are quieter and it gets the fans to Connolly

That was the only time I was in it, a few year ago now

Boring video but gets the point across

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvgt_02WQv4

flyingsnail

They join the Connolly to Sligo line at Glasnevin junction.

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=53.365842,-6.275707&hl=en&num=1&vpsrc=0&gl=ie&t=m&z=16

Motorist

flyingsnail wrote: »

They join the Connolly to Sligo line at Glasnevin junction.

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=53.365842,-6.275707&hl=en&num=1&vpsrc=0&gl=ie&t=m&z=16

I remember getting a match day train from Galway 15 years ago and ending up in Connolly. Was in a drunken state and could never figure out how. Thanks.

coylemj

Motorist wrote: »

I remember getting a match day train from Galway 15 years ago and ending up in Connolly. Was in a drunken state and could never figure out how. Thanks.

Soccer specials (to Dalymount) from Athlone would have used the Athlone to Mullingar lines years ago and gone straight into Connolly along the Sligo line.

The regular train service from Athlone must have used the Phoenix Park tunnel because as a child I remember that all the trains to Dublin went via Portarlington but you ended up in Connolly or Pearse.

Run_to_da_hills

Is it a health and safety issue why this tunnel is avoided for general commuter service?

Niles

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Is it a health and safety issue why this tunnel is avoided for general commuter service?

I doubt it... The likes of GAA specials and RPSI tours have used it recently. I suspect the lack of capacity at Connolly is an issue, plus the fact that you can't directly access Docklands from the route (Glasnevin Junction would have to be reversed in order for this to happen).

Jehuty42

Main use nowadays is freight, it's used most days of the week.

mikemac1 wrote: »

There's a secret stop under the Wellington Monument. Freemasons meet there :eek:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liffey_Bridge_(Phoenix_Park_Tunnel)

They sometimes use it on Sundays for GAA match specials when the train lines are quieter and it gets the fans to Connolly

That was the only time I was in it, a few year ago now

Boring video but gets the point across

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvgt_02WQv4

I like that the tannoy for the passenger information system is apparently turned on and connected to the Heuston system over at platform 10, when it's not open to the public and no train stops there.

coylemj

Niles wrote: »

I suspect the lack of capacity at Connolly is an issue

+1 To accommodate the Dart they had to reduce the mainline traffic in Connolly so the solution was to terminate all Galway and Westport trains at Heuston. This probably eliminated most of the daily passenger traffic through the tunnel.

Losty Dublin

coylemj wrote: »

+1 To accommodate the Dart they had to reduce the mainline traffic in Connolly so the solution was to terminate all Galway and Westport trains at Heuston. This probably eliminated most of the daily passenger traffic through the tunnel.

The trains to and from the west were transferred to Heuston back in the 70's as it got them quicker to Dublin via Portarlington than running via Mullingar into Connolly. For a long time, Heuston operated with just 2 mainline platforms (One for departures and one for arrivals) so it was actually the station that was under pressure unlike today.

There was a time up until about the mid 60's when Sunday services on all mainline routes were rostered to depart from Connolly; can you imagine that happening today?

purplepanda

The relatives in Mayo insisted I was mad a few years back when I was saying that I remember getting a train from Connelly to Claremorris with the Dad in the early '70's:rolleyes:

So I was right all along?

SeanW

Yep you were right! The train could have gone from either Westport-Heuston-Park Tunnel-Connolly, or Westport-Athlone-Mullingar-Connolly.

coylemj

SeanW wrote: »

Yep you were right! The train could have gone from either Westport-Heuston-Park Tunnel-Connolly, or Westport-Athlone-Mullingar-Connolly.

Even when the Athlone-Mullingar line was open, the vast majority of trains from Galway and Westport to Dublin went via Clara, Tullamore and Portarlington so probably Westport-Heuston-Park Tunnel-Connolly.

carlaboi

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Is it a health and safety issue why this tunnel is avoided for general commuter service?

IE contend that the tunnel would not cope with the incresed traffic if it were used on a daily basis.

DDigital

carlaboi wrote: »

IE contend that the tunnel would not cope with the incresed traffic if it were used on a daily basis.

No. They contend that Connolly Station could not cope with the increased traffic if it were used on a daily basis. I've just googled it again to remind myself. One of the things that struck me was this routes complete omission from any future rail plans. That seems a little misguided in my opinion.

coylemj

carlaboi wrote: »

IE contend that the tunnel would not cope with the incresed traffic if it were used on a daily basis.

The bottleneck wouldn't be in the Phoenix Park Tunnel, it would be on the stretch of line from Seville Place to Connolly where there would be contention with the Dart and the service to Belfast.