Westport Service.

popebenny16

2700's still on the ballybrophy branch too. heating still set at maximum.

LXFlyer

Irrespective of 2700s still being in service (presumably while 2800s are being refurbished, the point I'm making is that 6-7 sets of ICRs have replaced other rolling stock rather than being additional to the fleet.

end of the road

the night before last i had a nightmare in which i was traveling on one of the horid yokes to dublin from wexford. brought back terrible memories.

YouTookMyName

At least Mark 3's you were nearly sure there'd be a proper feckin shop. And no intercom that wouldn't shut up.

popebenny16

YouTookMyName wrote: »

At least Mark 3's you were nearly sure there'd be a proper feckin shop. And no intercom.

sorted that for you there.

Millem

Travelled to Westport on the 1830 ex heuston last Friday and returned ex Westport on the 1745 on saturday. My first long distance run on a 22k.

Have to say I found the service excellent for the most part, and much faster than the car. As a pt masters student I was able to avail of a €20 return also!

Only caveats to the above are:
- seats are a bit firm, and hard to take on a 3hr + journey
- broadband a bit slow, nightmare if you're trying to upload attachments to email


Heuston to portarlington is an absolute dream, 90-100mph for the most part, think we did it in c. 45 mins ? Portarlington-athlone I think is a 60-70mph section, and afaik we passed crossing trains in geashill, Clara and clonydonnin, so we're a bit slower. Think the Westport branch is even slower again, and it seemed like an age to get from athlone to Westport.

Seems to be a lot of disused / abandoned stations on the Westport line, anyone have any info on these?

Losty Dublin

Off the top of my head, the closed stations include Islandeady which is 5 mile from Westport, Balla which controlled the line to Ballina, Bekan which is between Ballyhaunis and Claremorris, Ballinlough wich is a few miles outside Ballyhaunis and of course Knockcroughery which is the fringe box for CTC control. There was a halt close to the Hodson Bay Hotel which has been closed over 60 years; it's name escapes me but it's remains stand out as it has a red brick shelter on the platform.

You are right, the line does take it's time from Athlone onwards but it's more down to the amount of level crossings en route than anything.

demanufactured

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Off the top of my head, the closed stations include Islandeady which is 5 mile from Westport, Balla which controlled the line to Ballina, Bekan which is between Ballyhaunis and Claremorris, Ballinlough wich is a few miles outside Ballyhaunis and of course Knockcroughery which is the fringe box for CTC control. There was a halt close to the Hodson Bay Hotel which has been closed over 60 years; it's name escapes me but it's remains stand out as it has a red brick shelter on the platform.

You are right, the line does take it's time from Athlone onwards but it's more down to the amount of level crossings en route than anything.

Does Ctc end at knockrockery??

LXFlyer

Mini CTC starts there to Westport and Ballina.

Millem

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Off the top of my head, the closed stations include Islandeady which is 5 mile from Westport, Balla which controlled the line to Ballina, Bekan which is between Ballyhaunis and Claremorris, Ballinlough wich is a few miles outside Ballyhaunis and of course Knockcroughery which is the fringe box for CTC control. There was a halt close to the Hodson Bay Hotel which has been closed over 60 years; it's name escapes me but it's remains stand out as it has a red brick shelter on the platform.

You are right, the line does take it's time from Athlone onwards but it's more down to the amount of level crossings en route than anything.

Thanks for that guys. It's a really lovely journey. Only lamentable thing is the state of the mullingar branch at athlone, very overgrown & weedy.

Losty Dublin

Millem wrote: »

Thanks for that guys. It's a really lovely journey. Only lamentable thing is the state of the mullingar branch at athlone, very overgrown & weedy.

It sure is a lovely journey; far prettier than the run to Galway. The highlight for me is how on a good day you see the Reek from as far away as Castlerea and how it gradually grows and grows until you lose sight of it just as you arrive at Westport. It's a trip I've done many a time and I must say, all the stations en route are lovely and well kept.

purplepanda

Why can't locals at Manulla Junction board train services, is there any reason why this "station" only does passenger transfers? Seems a very strange setup!

Maybe IE should reopen Balla & pick up some local customers instead of Manulla, many of the locals actually go down to Claremmorris to catch the trains.

Losty Dublin

purplepanda wrote: »

Why can't locals at Manulla Junction board train services, is there any reason why this "station" only does passenger transfers? Seems a very strange setup!

Maybe IE should reopen Balla & pick up some local customers instead of Manulla, many of the locals actually go down to Claremmorris to catch the trains.

There isn't passenger access to Manulla station as it's purely used as a transfer station. To be honest it's as close for locals to go to Claremorris station as Manulla or a reopened Balla so there isn't any point in spending the cash on car parks, footbridges etc that it would need.

demanufactured

lxflyer wrote: »

Mini CTC starts there to Westport and Ballina.

Where is it controlled from?

Losty Dublin

demanufactured wrote: »

Where is it controlled from?

Athlone control centre.

purplepanda

Losty Dublin wrote: »

There isn't passenger access to Manulla station as it's purely used as a transfer station. To be honest it's as close for locals to go to Claremorris station as Manulla or a reopened Balla so there isn't any point in spending the cash on car parks, footbridges etc that it would need.

It's 12.8 & 8.4 miles from Manulla Station / Balla to Claremorris Station according to AA route. Manulla is too close to Castlebar to reopen & Balla has grown since the 70's but not by that much !!!

Still it seems very strange to have a functioning railway station that locals can't use at all.

Would they even notice a local getting on a train?

Losty Dublin

purplepanda wrote: »

Would they even notice a local getting on a train?

They'd probably not notice you crossing the tracks with 2 bits of luggage, no

Oscar Bravo

RE Manulla Junction. Up until a few months ago there was "access" to the platform via steps from the road down onto the track(this use to be for whoever was working in the cabin in the Junction ....back in the day) Per way have now tightly fenced off the steps,....ah it was handy for viewing timbers/liners coming off the branch onto the mainline!

Oscar Bravo

And with regards the Westport service its still very bad,ive never heard as much complaints even when IE had freezing cold MK2s etc etc,theres constant articles in the local papers/Radio....about.... Over crowding!! I think if the 22ks were bought as a 4 piece/8 piece instead of 3 and 6,there would be very few problems.

dowlingm

Oscar Bravo wrote: »

And with regards the Westport service its still very bad,ive never heard as much complaints even when IE had freezing cold MK2s etc etc,theres constant articles in the local papers/Radio....about.... Over crowding!! I think if the 22ks were bought as a 4 piece/8 piece instead of 3 and 6,there would be very few problems.

Trouble with stretching the 3 pieces is that the new IE "standard" for rural platforms appears to be 90m which a 4 piece would exceed when needed elsewhere. Better that 6 pieces be made routinely available for Westport diagrams and end the joining/splitting, even if it means a few Galway trains have to change to being shuttles to/from Athlone. Like Tralee and Sligo Mayo is one of the few areas left where the train looks attractive compared to the road alternatives.

Our man in Havana

Oscar Bravo wrote: »

RE Manulla Junction. Up until a few months ago there was "access" to the platform via steps from the road down onto the track(this use to be for whoever was working in the cabin in the Junction ....back in the day) Per way have now tightly fenced off the steps,....ah it was handy for viewing timbers/liners coming off the branch onto the mainline!

I do know that people did use Manulla as a starting point. IE were not too concerned about it.

yachtsman

In light of the fact that serious consideration is being given to making all Mayo services 2x3piece splitters in Manulla it may have been wiser to re-open Balla than invest so much in a massive platform with attendant lighting and drainage at Manulla.

dowlingm

yachtsman wrote: »

In light of the fact that serious consideration is being given to making all Mayo services 2x3piece splitters in Manulla

So the shuttle can be dispensed with? Have they found that 2800 into 2700 doesn't go? :rolleyes: