Fastest, longest route in Ireland?

newmug

Hey folks. Say if you wanted to experience that buzz of being spirited along through the beautiful Irish countryside at top speed for as long as possible, what route would be best for that? I travelled from Heuston to Kent recently, and we sped along in (what seemed like) a straight enough line for a good bit of the journey. Are there any other sections of track like that around the country?

corktina

Thats the No1 route but all the lines have something to commend them scenery-wise. Dublin to Belfast would be No2 I'd say

Jamie2k9

Dublin to Belfast would be No2 I'd say

Can't see Belfast being number 2. With the crawl at either end and the DART line as well as a lot of restrictions once over the border no many top speed areas when I last traveled on it. Once the new timetable comes in one of the limited stopping service to Galway could be a good one to try 18.30 down 3 stops or 06.30 up 2 stops although better in summer when it would be bright. Galway will largely being 90 and 100mph.

demanufactured

Athlone - Mullingar is a lovely straight run...oh wait. ..

Losty Dublin

Most scenic line is the run from Connolly to Rosslare. From tunnels to cuttings, lakes, meandering rivers, pretty stations and buildings, green fields, long sandy seaside sections, cliffs, rocks, wetland, high bridges, forests to the now legendary crawl along Wexford Quay and Brunel's folly; it's got everything going for it scenery and history wise. It's best taken in on a RPSI summer run if you can hold out till the summer but on a windy day it has a charm of it's own

LivelineDipso

demanufactured wrote: »

Athlone - Mullingar is a lovely straight run...oh wait. ..

That should of been opened instead of Ennis-Athernry.

LivelineDipso

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Most scenic line is the run from Connolly to Rosslare. From tunnels to cuttings, lakes, meandering rivers, pretty stations and buildings, green fields, long sandy seaside sections, cliffs, rocks, wetland, high bridges, forests to the now legendary crawl along Wexford Quay and Brunel's folly; it's got everything going for it scenery and history wise. It's best taken in on a RPSI summer run if you can hold out till the summer but on a windy day it has a charm of it's own

and see it now before they close it.

end of the road

LivelineDipso wrote: »

and see it now before they close it.

which their itching to do and have been since their inception

mk6705

Mallow - Killarney has some very nice mountainous scenery. Top speed is 80mph however and you could spend a seriously irritating amount of time in Rathmore.

newmug

Getting loads of scenery advice. What about stretches of speed, and the routes they're on?

Captain Chaos

newmug wrote: »

Getting loads of scenery advice. What about stretches of speed, and the routes they're on?

Irish rail don't do speed really. Only on the Cork line and in limited sections at that, otherwise forget about it.

flazio

They do tend to ive it a bit of welly between Attymon and Athenry when they don't stop in Attymon.
http://goo.gl/maps/KY0Oq

Judgement Day

OP is the only person that I've ever heard refer to Cork Station as Kent - apart from (official) CIE that is.

corktina

Glanmire Road....

newmug

Judgement Day wrote: »

OP is the only person that I've ever heard refer to Cork Station as Kent - apart from (official) CIE that is.

Thats cos I only discovered the name of it this year, on my first ever trip to Cork by train! I just assumed if people call Dublin stations Connolly and Heuston etc., then people must call Cork station Kent!!!!!

admiralofthefleet

between greystones and wicklow on a lovely summers evening is amazing

KCAccidental

newmug wrote: »

Thats cos I only discovered the name of it this year, on my first ever trip to Cork by train! I just assumed if people call Dublin stations Connolly and Heuston etc., then people must call Cork station Kent!!!!!

most of us corkonians would call it Kent

dowlingm

Judgement Day wrote: »

OP is the only person that I've ever heard refer to Cork Station as Kent - apart from (official) CIE that is.

What is the sound of one ball hopping?

end of the road

dowlingm wrote: »

What is the sound of one ball hopping?

depends on what the ball is made of

howiya

newmug wrote: »

Thats cos I only discovered the name of it this year, on my first ever trip to Cork by train! I just assumed if people call Dublin stations Connolly and Heuston etc., then people must call Cork station Kent!!!!!

If Dublin you have to differentiate between the two whereas if you're going to Cork from Dublin you end up in the right station. I've known a few friends to turn up at the wrong Dublin station eg Heuston for a train to Sligo....

Not saying there's anything wrong with calling it Kent station, just not used to hearing it

Judgement Day

newmug wrote: »

Thats cos I only discovered the name of it this year, on my first ever trip to Cork by train! I just assumed if people call Dublin stations Connolly and Heuston etc., then people must call Cork station Kent!!!!!

Connolly, Heuston and Pearse were the only (1966) CIE names that have stuck and the others such as Cork (Kent), Bray (Daly), Dun Laoghaire (Mallin), Sligo (Mac Diarmada) etc. never caught on.

I often think it strange that so many stations were renamed after patriots and not one after the any of the well-known railwaymen who kept the railways on track during the Civil War. There was one man in the SE - name temporarily eludes me - who was famous for his work rerailing locos and pulling them out of the River Slaney etc.

Jamie2k9

The staff on the Waterford and Cork trains when they do manual announcements nearly always say we will shortly be arriving in Kent Station Cork or Plunkett Station Waterford. Staff in Kilkenny always say Plunket Station Waterford. Have never heard the official station name for Galway and Limerick being said when I am on board.

Judgement Day

Yes, yes official deluded CIE speak - sure the announcements on the Connolly/Rosslare Harbour services refer to Rosslare Europort. Never heard anybody else fall in with that nonsense - even Bus Eireann call it Rosslare Harbour.

end of the road

Judgement Day wrote: »

I often think it strange that so many stations were renamed after patriots and not one after the any of the well-known railwaymen who kept the railways on track during the Civil War.

thats because CIE management are and were devastated that our railway survived the civil war in the first place so don't want to remember our brave men and boys who kept it going.

Peregrinus

Judgement Day wrote: »

Connolly, Heuston and Pearse were the only (1966) CIE names that have stuck and the others such as Cork (Kent), Bray (Daly), Dun Laoghaire (Mallin), Sligo (Mac Diarmada) etc. never caught on.

I often think it strange that so many stations were renamed after patriots and not one after the any of the well-known railwaymen who kept the railways on track during the Civil War. There was one man in the SE - name temporarily eludes me - who was famous for his work rerailing locos and pulling them out of the River Slaney etc.

They were renamed in 1966 as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

The names of the Dublin stations have stuck better than the others becuase Dublin stations do need names to distinguish one from the other, as already pointed out. There's no such need in Bray, Sligo, etc, so naming those stations is a bit of tokenism.

Even the Dublin names, though, were slow to catch on. From my memory, well into the 80s they were more often called Kingsbridge, Amiens St and Westland Row.

LoonyLovegood

Peregrinus wrote: »

They were renamed in 1966 as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

The names of the Dublin stations have stuck better than the others becuase Dublin stations do need names to distinguish one from the other, as already pointed out. There's no such need in Bray, Sligo, etc, so naming those stations is a bit of tokenism.

Even the Dublin names, though, were slow to catch on. From my memory, well into the 80s they were more often called Kingsbridge, Amiens St and Westland Row.

The only one my dad calls by the correct name is Heuston, the others are still Amiens Street and Westland Row. It's rather funny when he's trying to buy tickets in the machine for them.

Peregrinus

CTYIgirl wrote: »

The only one my dad calls by the correct name is Heuston, the others are still Amiens Street and Westland Row. It's rather funny when he's trying to buy tickets in the machine for them.

Well, Amiens St and Westland Row are actually more helpful as names if you're trying to find your way to the station!

Hungerford

Judgement Day wrote: »

There was one man in the SE - name temporarily eludes me - who was famous for his work rerailing locos and pulling them out of the River Slaney etc.

Broken Rails identifies him as Inspector Michael Forde of the D&SER.

donvito99

Still Westland Row with my father.

newmug

Where would the longest / fastest stretch be on the Sligo line?

testicle

newmug wrote: »

Where would the longest / fastest stretch be on the Sligo line?

Boarding at Connolly!

Losty Dublin

newmug wrote: »

Where would the longest / fastest stretch be on the Sligo line?

Max speed is 80MPH on the line so nowhere special as such

dermo88

Max speed is 80MPH on the line so nowhere special as such

Not bad for a regional line by European standards in fairness.

Jamie2k9

Official stats from Irish Rail show max speed for the majority of Sligo route is 70mph and not 80mph, with lower than 70mph for some areas.

Neeson

Can you put up a link with the stats?

Jamie2k9

Neeson wrote: »

Can you put up a link with the stats?

2011 Network Statement:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/85054609/IE-Network-Statement-2011

2030 Rail report:
http://www.irishrail.ie/media/IrishRail_28FebFinal_Part11.pdf

I do hope they provide an updated line speed data for 2013 with the changes

Losty Dublin

Neeson wrote: »

Can you put up a link with the stats?

That sort of information only appears in the internal working timetable so it won't be online.

Edit; forgot about the 2011 network statement!

dowlingm

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

do hope they provide an updated line speed data for 2013 with the changes

I suspect that since they chose not to migrate the NS to the new website IE have decided only grown ups can have the Network Statement in future, not us kids with the crayons :rolleyes:

Captain Chaos

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Official stats from Irish Rail show max speed for the majority of Sligo route is 70mph and not 80mph, with lower than 70mph for some areas.

He just said the max is 80mph. He didn't say the majority of the line was 80mph, only parts of it.

It's like saying the max speed on the Cork line is 100mph, but only small sections are.

Marcusm

Judgement Day wrote: »

OP is the only person that I've ever heard refer to Cork Station as Kent - apart from (official) CIE that is.

I initially thought that he had Anglicised Ceannt Station in Galway!

Solair

The automatic announcer on the train coming into Cork announces "We will shortly arrive at Kent Station Cork... blah blah blah (bus) blah blah blah (taxi) blah blah (CIT, FAS, University College Cork) etc... "