Plans to restore the Waterford to New Ross rail line

Swinng

Lets hope the 3 councils can get agreement and get this one off the ground:

THE OLD rail link between New Ross and Waterford City is to be restored by the Suir, Nore and Barrow Railway Heritage Co. Ltd. who have drawn up exciting plans to re-open the line for a narrow gauge railway.

They hope to restore the 100-yearold line to its former glory to become a major tourist attraction and link-up two important tourist destinations in the South East.

South Kilkenny County Councillors gave their backing for the project when they met a deputation from the heritage railway company at a meeting of the Piltown Electoral Area Committee, last week.

The narrow gauge railway will run in conjunction with a cycle-walk trail which is being promoted by Kilkenny Leader Partnership.

The twenty kilometre stretch of track traverses a spectacular panoramic route through South Kilkenny alongside the River Barrow with Mount Leinster and the ancestral Kennedy Homestead in the backdrop.

http://www.newrossstandard.ie/news/plan-to-restore-old-ross-to-waterford-line-3329408.html

mike65

Who is going to pay for it at a time like this? 20 kms of rehabilitated railways cuttings and fresh track won't come cheap.

fricatus

Lovely idea and all, but given the queues into New Ross every evening, there's certainly a case for examining a commuter service.

Having said that, half the people in those cars are probably going from places beyond New Ross to places in Waterford that wouldn't necessarily be immediately convenient to the railway station.

Still, better to see it used for something rather than abandoned!

hardybuck

fricatus wrote: »

Lovely idea and all, but given the queues into New Ross every evening, there's certainly a case for examining a commuter service.

Having said that, half the people in those cars are probably going from places beyond New Ross to places in Waterford that wouldn't necessarily be immediately convenient to the railway station.

Still, better to see it used for something rather than abandoned!

Well in Dublin you'd have lots of people from Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Laois etc driving to the Luas park & ride stops like Red Cow, Tallaght, Carrickmines etc and travelling by rail for the rest of their journey - which could be a 30 minute spin depending on where you're going. I'm sure the same is true of the Dart.

Eroticplants

We should cut off New Ross altogether.
Especially that restaurant/boat... monstrosity.

Chiparus

Waterford people criticising New Ross for monstrosities?

The view from waterford Quays is not exactly inspiring - Ard RI, The grain silo, the port. FFS

martin12

Chiparus wrote: »

Waterford people criticising New Ross for monstrosities?

The view from waterford Quays is not exactly inspiring - Ard RI, The grain silo, the port. FFS

Here Here I second that

longshanks

Chiparus wrote: »

Waterford people criticising New Ross for monstrosities?

The view from waterford Quays is not exactly inspiring - Ard RI, The grain silo, the port. FFS

One post from one poster is hardly a concentrated effort by the people of Waterford to criticise New Ross.

Sully

I always feel its an awful shame the way so many railway lines have been shut down across the country and let lot. Maybe there really isn't any potential and Irish Rail / the state made the right choice, hard to know really.

I for one would love if this went ahead. It could provide a vital boost for tourism and both local economies - a bit like the Luas in Dublin.

a fat guy

I'd love if it happened!

Never been on a train before, heh.

Swinng

Sully I totally agree that is was a shame a lot of the local railways were removed.
It would be brilliant we still had the Waterford - Tramore line.

thomasm

This would be great if it got off the ground. The walking and cycling track would be a super amenity. From what I have heard a lot of the work would need to be done on a voluntary basis and having seen first hand how overgrown that track is there is some load of work to be done

bizguy

Not sure if this is the best thread to post in but it looks like there could be something happening on the Waterford Dungarvan line in 2014 :cool:

www.deisegreenway.com and www.facebook.com/deise.greenway

The southeast needs one of these greenway projects to get underway and soon.

Cabaal

bizguy wrote: »

Not sure if this is the best thread to post in but it looks like there could be something happening on the Waterford Dungarvan line in 2014 :cool:

www.deisegreenway.com and www.facebook.com/deise.greenway

The southeast needs one of these greenway projects to get underway and soon.

Oh this is interesting, I'd say much of this line would have some fantastic views.

Max Powers

looks like would be a good facility/attraction alright. anything that brings open the mount congreve gardens is good idea.

wellboytoo

Can I take it the court cases are finished with the encroachment issues on the old line then?
Make a fantastic facility.

JaneDoe111

The cycle/walk path is a great idea...

Dum_Dum

The contrast in the variety of scenery(city, mountain, coast) would make this an excellent and highly marketable leisure and tourist resource.

But then I thought what would be the point when the government are determined to erect pylons across this landscape effectively negating any benefit. http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0107/496309-eirgrid-pylon/

Waterboy2014

This looks promising

http://www.cklp.ie/wp-content/uploads/New-Ross-to-Waterford-Cycleway-quote-invite.pdf

ex_infantry

they have cut back all the tree's on the old line during the summer months last year

bizguy

Waterford to New Ross should be fairly cheap to convert and the old track could be sold as scrap. Looks like the plans for the Waterford to Dungarvan one went on display today as well

Wonder if the old BMX still goes

josip

I think it'd be a lot of work to bring the line up to tourist quality.
We broke a horrendous amount of bottles on our section of the line when we were growing up.
There was always tons of tubbish and old furniture being dumped from the nearby roads down the embankments. There is probably more aesthetic work to do than engineering work.
There are places along the track where the view is nice, but I suspect that even the cost of bringing the steel bridge at Carrickcloney up to public standard will scupper the project.

FestyOSemtex

Why rip up the track? These lads have the right idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl9EfFrguQs