Railfreight

tabbey

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Thought the reefers were all 45ft, should fit in the CPWs no problem as the LX can handle 45ft max.

Forgive my ignorance, what exactly are reefers?

Captain Chaos

tabbey wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance, what exactly are reefers?

Refridgerated containers, reefers is an Americanised term for them.

J Cheever Loophole

I recall last year asking about the possibility of new freight flows and Losty provided a comprehensive response below;

Losty Dublin wrote: »

As I am aware.....

• Biomass trains to Ballina are a probability. This may be as much as 2-3 trains a day.
• Additional DFDS (Belview) and IWT liner trains (North Wall) from Ballina are introduced as required. North Wall reopened Alexandra Road extension sidings in 2011; an extra siding was also laid as part of these works.
• Additional Timber trains are called on as required as well. Having once been closed for freight, Westport was hastily reopened and is home to many timber trains as Ballina is close to full capacity. Speculation is mounting that Claremorris will have an increased role in handling should traffic increase in the Mayo region with Westport taking on all timber workings as well.
• Zine ore from Pallasgreen to Foynes. This will require an investment to repair and reopen the line to the port. Advanced surveying for same has been done along with costings and, if given the green light, it's costs will be included with the forthcoming Limerick re-signalling and relaying project. Zinc will continue to operate to and from North Wall for the long term and won't be affected by the proposed Foynes operation.
• Galway Port's development plan allows for a rail served terminal.
• Rosslare Europort has long term plans for expansion which include a significant rail freight terminal.

Perennial rumours of a daily Eddie Stobart liner to and from Cork exist; however these are largely without foundation.

Would it be possible to get an update on any of this, and in particular what (if anything) is happening with the biomass trains?

GM228

J Cheever Loophole wrote: »

I recall last year asking about the possibility of new freight flows and Losty provided a comprehensive response below;



Would it be possible to get an update on any of this, and in particular what (if anything) is happening with the biomass trains?

No plans at present for any additional freight although longer trains are in the pipeline.

Biomass is a no go now as work on the plant was halted (was nearly 50% complete) pending additional funding and unknown if the project is permanently stalled, but it's not looking good.

http://www.thejournal.ie/mayo-power-plant-halt-2891808-Jul2016/

Most likely is permanently stalled as Mayo Renewable Power were recently declared insolvent.

kc56

There was an empty timber in Kildare yesterday evening (Thurs). This normally only seen on Mondays.

Jamie2k9

kc56 wrote: »

There was an empty timber in Kildare yesterday evening (Thurs). This normally only seen on Mondays.

Monday is the scheduled day as there is two out of Waterford 11.30 and 15.26, yesterday was the 11.30 but looks like it went at 15.26 instead.

Salmon Leap

Could someone post the current times for the liners to/from NW and if they run at weekends?

ClovenHoof

Zine ore from Pallasgreen to Foynes. This will require an investment to repair and reopen the line to the port. Advanced surveying for same has been done along with costings and, if given the green light, it's costs will be included with the forthcoming Limerick re-signalling and relaying project. Zinc will continue to operate to and from North Wall for the long term and won't b

This has been in the works for decades and is held up as some kind of Holy Grail for the return of railfreight/Foynes etc.

It's beyond silly now still talking about this lemon.

Jamie2k9

Salmon Leap wrote: »

Could someone post the current times for the liners to/from NW and if they run at weekends?

AFAIK only 09.35 ex NW and 08.15 ex Ballina operating at the minute Monday-Saturday.

tabbey

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

AFAIK only 09.35 ex NW and 08.15 ex Ballina operating at the minute Monday-Saturday.

Any idea of intermediate times, and also Mayo - Waterford schedules, timber and Belview containers.?

Jamie2k9

tabbey wrote: »

Any idea of intermediate times, and also Mayo - Waterford schedules, timber and Belview containers.?

Got a specific spot or two in mind?

DFDS departs Waterford at 11.30 on Monday and Wednesday
DFDS departs Ballina at 11.05 on Tuesday and Thursday

Timber departs Waterford at 15.26 on Monday
Timber departs Waterford at 11.30 on Tuesday, Thursday
Timber departs Mayo at 11.05 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Waterford runs usually take around 7-8 hours which include periods of a long stoppage. The run route in Kildare usually happens 13.30-14.15 on ex Waterford and around 15.30-16.30 on ex Mayo ones. Dublin Port usually take 5-7 hours.

tabbey

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Got a specific spot or two in mind?

DFDS departs Waterford at 11.30 on Monday and Wednesday
DFDS departs Ballina at 11.05 on Tuesday and Thursday

Timber departs Waterford at 15.26 on Monday
Timber departs Waterford at 11.30 on Tuesday, Thursday
Timber departs Mayo at 11.05 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Waterford runs usually take around 7-8 hours which include periods of a long stoppage. The run route in Kildare usually happens 13.30-14.15 on ex Waterford and around 15.30-16.30 on ex Mayo ones. Dublin Port usually take 5-7 hours.

Thank you very much for that comprehensive reply.

Jamie2k9

Another test this week planned for IWT, slightly smaller than previous one.

GM228

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Another test this week planned for IWT, slightly smaller than previous one.

Next trial will be with 24 wagons which is expected to become the normal operating lenght (rather than the original trial of 27).

Jamie2k9

GM228 wrote: »

Next trial will be with 24 wagons which is expected to become the normal operating lenght (rather than the original trial of 27).

Any updates on timber sizes?

GM228

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Any updates on timber sizes?

Timber likely to be 17 wagons.

Pockets likely to be 16 wagons (with a possability of 18 if on IWT).

IWT will be 24 wagons and DFDS 23 wagons.

All subject to further testing and a few behind the scenes issues to be sorted.

Captain Chaos

The test for this week is cancelled due to driver shortages in getting excess wagons into position and the CPWs back to the DFDS.

murphaph

Are there any reliable times to see freight at Hazelhatch (if there is any)?

Jamie2k9

murphaph wrote: »

Are there any reliable times to see freight at Hazelhatch (if there is any)?

When they are on time (Mon-Fri) they are scheduled to pass at 10.27 and 13.20. Sometimes they run ahead of time or lather or not at all.

Pete2k

Freight train passed thru ballyhaunis saturday morning around 10 ish. Seemed to be fairly well loaded too. Is this a regular one as I thought it was only weekdays they worked?

Jamie2k9

Anyone know if 14 Timber test will operate tomorrow between Waterford-Carlow-Waterford?

J Cheever Loophole

Apologies for bumping an old thread, but as a long term lurker I can't help but notice the absence of any discussion recently around railfreight. Is that simply an accurate reflection on the lack of any new activity or is there anything at all to report, e.g. any new potential freight flows, increase / decrease in traffic, update on proposed longer freight trains?

Thanks in advance.

h.gricer

J Cheever Loophole wrote: »

Apologies for bumping an old thread, but as a long term lurker I can't help but notice the absence of any discussion recently around railfreight. Is that simply an accurate reflection on the lack of any new activity or is there anything at all to report, e.g. any new potential freight flows, increase / decrease in traffic, update on proposed longer freight trains?

Thanks in advance.

Discussion groups come and go, audiences move around and come and go, some discussion groups forums are ''in and out of fashion'
The internet forums on Irish Railways started around 2000, it was MSN message boards, then that died, then it was Yuku IrishRailwayNews, that became inactive and in fighting developed, and some contributors moved here to boards.ie including myself, discussions here have weaken here somewhat and now Facebook and twitter have taken over, yeah it's all happening on Facebook, there's now a group for just about everything from locomotives, to DMUs, Darts etc etc and of course railfreight, Irish Rail even have their own Twitter account, in time Facebook and Twitter, snapchat etc may go out of fashion and it'll be something else.
But I have a fondness for boards.ie for it's straight talk, shoot from the hip, you don't get that on FB, and that ''newsfeed'' drives me bonkers, discussion never takes off, and you do read a lot of nonsense and wild ideas on railfreight, all the other forums have gone, but boards.ie is still here, just about.
Kind Regards
h.gricer

andrewfaulk

J Cheever Loophole wrote: »

Apologies for bumping an old thread, but as a long term lurker I can't help but notice the absence of any discussion recently around railfreight. Is that simply an accurate reflection on the lack of any new activity or is there anything at all to report, e.g. any new potential freight flows, increase / decrease in traffic, update on proposed longer freight trains?

Thanks in advance.

There’s a good bit happening alright but boards in general seems to be getting quieter..

I think part of the reason that there’s not much discussion on freight is that there’s no new flows or major changes.. Last major service change that people seem to have noticed was back in 2013 when DFDS came back, so perhaps people are losing interest in the existing flows as they become routine.. After all, a well run service doesn’t tend to be particularly news worthy..

dowlingm

I keep thinking that the one potential game changer for railfreight could be Brexit - if a customs boundary becomes a reality, being able to bring 24 wagons north past a massive queue of lorries could be valuable indeed.

Doubly so if issues at Welsh ro-ro ports pushes more traffic to container shipping into North Wall and Belview (and the former IFI Cork but that still seems a long shot)

CarlosHarpic

dowlingm wrote: »

I keep thinking that the one potential game changer for railfreight could be Brexit - if a customs boundary becomes a reality, being able to bring 24 wagons north past a massive queue of lorries could be valuable indeed.

Doubly so if issues at Welsh ro-ro ports pushes more traffic to container shipping into North Wall and Belview (and the former IFI Cork but that still seems a long shot)

Why aren't Irish Rail developing a rail freight terminal at Rosslare. There has never been a greater opportunity than brexit for restoring railfreight.

tabbey

CarlosHarpic wrote: »

Why aren't Irish Rail developing a rail freight terminal at Rosslare. There has never been a greater opportunity than brexit for restoring railfreight.

Rosslare is a roll on - roll off port.

Large numbers of cars mostly from France are delivered for onward delivery by road, on truck & trailer units.
I always thought IR should have bid for this business,at least for deliveries beyond Dublin.

The main difficulty is that road delivery gets to the door of the motor dealers.

The truck and container business generally involves HGVs going from an Irish meat processor to markets in France, Italy or Greece.

end of the road

tabbey wrote: »

Rosslare is a roll on - roll off port.

i'm sure it could be modified for rail freight as well if there was business to be got?

L1011

end of the road wrote: »

i'm sure it could be modified for rail freight as well if there was business to be got?

Realistically no. Container business goes to Belview and will continue to do so. Complete reconstruction to add container docks, gantries etc wouldn't be viable

andrewfaulk

L1011 wrote: »

Realistically no. Container business goes to Belview and will continue to do so. Complete reconstruction to add container docks, gantries etc wouldn't be viable

Container operation no longer requires all of the above..Containers can be carried on Ro/Ro vessels using a thing called a maafi cassette which is loaded with a reachstacker.. This set up was used for a short while in Rosslare by Cobelfret before they moved their service to Dublin..

I like the idea of Rosslare handling freight but I just can’t see the demand being there in terms of volume