Classic Victorian wrought iron bridge at Ennis Station - what will become of it?

Run_to_da_hills

What will be the faith of this?

It was not too long ago when these bridges were a part of the furniture right across the country. With the opening of the Dart line in 1984 most of them started disappearing for safety reasons. There was a really nice one at Sydney Parade.

It was a few weeks since I took these shots so I am not sure if the bridge has already been removed or destroyed. If not it would be a pity to see it fall victim of the gas axe.

Although it may not be structurally safe for regular commercial passenger traffic it certainly would look the part in any heritage environment like Downpatrick or Moyasta.







The ugly but probably practical monstrosity that replaced it.

There was still one at Kilmallock station until a couple of years ago, despite it being closed since 1976.

Victor

I can't see them getting rid of it willy-nilly, although they may re-locate it,, as has happened to other bridges..

I think a small number of stations have two bridges - one modern, one traditional.

flazio

Ballinasloe certainly has it's original bridge to it's original down platform, (well it's been there since I remember) despite the fact that a new down platform was built down the line and a new bridge built to access it.
http://goo.gl/maps/CDDX3

Poxyshamrock

That replacement bridge is one ugly looking thing. :eek:

Run_to_da_hills

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

That replacement bridge is one ugly looking thing. :eek:

It can't be any uglier than some of the hideous monstrosities along the Dart line.

Cookie_Monster

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

What will be the faith of this?

atheist I imagine, Iron doesn't have much time for God and spirituality.

8mv

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one concerned about the bridge in Ennis Railway Station. I hope it gets relocated to a hotel garden or public space. It would be a shame to think it might be dismantled and scrapped. Never thought I'd find myself in agreement with RTDH!

Cookie_Monster

It's only a bridge and if this get preserved ahead of actual railway stock and locos I'd be a bit pissed off THB. Sure it probably is worth saving but there are more important railway items to save first, mk3s at the least

purplepanda

Many of these type of older bridges are maintained & refurbished in Britain.

I was traveling up to Stamford Lincs a few weeks back & as soon as I saw the platform access bridge it reminded me of the South Wexford line stations

If passenger traffic is higher I can see the need for modern replacements, yet Stamford has more than a couple of trains passing through most of the day & that station still has it's old bridge recently painted.

Stamford probably has more services than Ennis but that's a guess, the question must be asked does this bridge need replacing at all?

Victor

purplepanda wrote: »

Stamford probably has more services than Ennis but that's a guess, the question must be asked does this bridge need replacing at all?

I don't know the bridge, but have an adequate bridge up to standards is important, with or without lifts / ramps.

101sean

The old bridge at Thurles is still in place but locked off. The footbridge at Goolds Cross was taken down in 76 I think but is still lying in the old goods yard lost in the brambles, surprised it's still there given the value of scrap.

Is the old footbridge from Listowel still in Clonsilla?

Eiretrains

Karsini wrote: »

Is the old footbridge from Listowel still in Clonsilla?

Yes I think the one at Clonsilla is still there and very much convenient, being at the Dublin end of the station, so it may survive the cull.

Moyasta probably don't need a footbridge as they already have the one from Donabate (originally from Mountrath I think on the Cork line), but the one from Rush & Lusk I don't know where that's gone to or where it originated from.

I think the footbridge at Goold's Cross is still there, just dismantled in the yard beside the station, while as someone correctly says, the disused one at Kilmallock was only recently removed.

One peculiar one that sticks out in my mind is the footbridge south of Sydney Parade station, which originally came from Kilmessan Jct (Meath Rd) of all places.
Some really do get a second life, even the footbridge from Emly station (closed 1963) now survives in Birr.

purplepanda

Victor wrote: »

I don't know the bridge, but have an adequate bridge up to standards is important, with or without lifts / ramps.

No lifts & disabled access not available in Leicester direction, they suggest such journeys be made by traveling to Peterborough & back again.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/smd/details.html

Nearly 300,000 passengers per year & they make do for now with an old fashioned iron bridge, And only staffed 6 hours per day :eek:

gobnaitolunacy

I would imagine old disused footbridges would be barricaded off and neglected until such time as they would be structurally unsafe and then removed for H&S reasons.
Such is the way of things in this country.

I don't see the point of the new Ennis footbridge, why just make an (ugly) recreation of a 19th cent footbridge and not install a wheelchair lift?

foggy_lad

purplepanda wrote: »

No lifts & disabled access not available in Leicester direction, they suggest such journeys be made by traveling to Peterborough & back again.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/smd/details.html

Nearly 300,000 passengers per year & they make do for now with an old fashioned iron bridge, And only staffed 6 hours per day :eek:

One interesting part of that page is this

Step free access coverage to platform 1. Platform 2 is via a self service barrow crossing

Irish Rail have banned all barrow crossings but they would save them a fortune on accessibility and those old bridges could be retained and the cost of building ramps and lifts used to replace rotton old buildings instead.

dowlingm

foggy_lad wrote: »

Irish Rail have banned all barrow crossings but they would save them a fortune on accessibility

http://www.rsc.ie/download/pdf/rscg006b_guidelines_for_the_design_of_railway_infrastructure_and_rolling_stock_section_5_level_crossings.pdf

Gated crossings operated by railway staff (without protecting railway signals)

This type of crossing should not be considered for new or altered crossings

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4298574/Train-kills-headset-cyclist-at-crossing.html
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=5959

purplepanda

That Barrow crossing in place at Stamford station is surprising on safety grounds as there are no staff after 12.30 PM & Sundays.

Do these crossings at stations always have access switches for passengers to alert oncoming trains or any staff present?

foggy_lad

dowlingm wrote: »

http://www.rsc.ie/download/pdf/rscg006b_guidelines_for_the_design_of_railway_infrastructure_and_rolling_stock_section_5_level_crossings.pdf


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4298574/Train-kills-headset-cyclist-at-crossing.html
http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/Content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=5959

Irish rail have stopped using all the barrow crossings even when staff are available to assist people.

The crossing in that english station is only open for use when the station is staffed.

Talk to the hand

Barrow crossings are by their very nature fundamentally unsafe as they have the potential to allow unrestricted access to the live railway. Light controlled and other automatic level crossings do at least restrict access to the railway under specific conditions i.e. when it is considered safe to cross.

Encouraging Wheelchair and other disabled access via barrow crossings is at best foolish and at worst downright dangerous even if staff are used to supervise the use of the crossing. I would consider Irish Rail's policy on Barrow crossings to be the correct one.

Losty Dublin

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

I don't see the point of the new Ennis footbridge, why just make an (ugly) recreation of a 19th cent footbridge and not install a wheelchair lift?

Wheelchair bridges with lifts are coming in at seven figures. For a station that is used by 50,000 passengers a year the question is if it's a justified spend or not; there are busier stations that could probably do with one as well.

purplepanda

Obviously the costs of providing better access for for those passengers that need it is important, but the cost in the case of Ennis with 50,000 passengers per year is not insignificant especially if lift access is added.

It would take a few years or more to get that cost back in revenue, unless grants are available from EU & or government.

tallaghtfornia

One of my favorite walk over bridges was the one at Windy Arbour in Churchtown, the bridge stud up until the re - laying of the Harcourt Street Line.Hard to believe this now the Windy Arbour Luas stop. Anyone know what happened to this bridge ? was it scrapped ?

Run_to_da_hills

purplepanda wrote: »

Obviously the costs of providing better access for for those passengers that need it is important, but the cost in the case of Ennis with 50,000 passengers per year is not insignificant especially if lift access is added.

It would take a few years or more to get that cost back in revenue, unless grants are available from EU & or government.

Ennis already has "wheelchair access" to the far platform, a pedestrian level crossing at the south end of the platform, supervision required obviously.

seekers

The new bridge is a bit of an eyesore alright but the old one was dangerous especially in wet weather. Surprising that they never installed new lifts when the line was rebuilt as Gort got lifts and is used by less people.
Th ebridge in Ballinasloe was that the the one from Ballyglunin?

Losty Dublin

seekers wrote: »

The new bridge is a bit of an eyesore alright but the old one was dangerous especially in wet weather. Surprising that they never installed new lifts when the line was rebuilt as Gort got lifts and is used by less people.
Th ebridge in Ballinasloe was that the the one from Ballyglunin?

Modern laws require full wheelchair/mobility accessibility for new stations; Gort has two platforms hence a lift being fitted.

corktina

and hence why no doubt many stations will be reduced to one platform in the future, followed by singling/loop removal no doubt.

Losty Dublin

corktina wrote: »

and hence why no doubt many stations will be reduced to one platform in the future, followed by singling/loop removal no doubt.

Like what happened to Carraig on Shannon?

Losty Dublin

tallaghtfornia wrote: »

One of my favorite walk over bridges was the one at Windy Arbour in Churchtown, the bridge stud up until the re - laying of the Harcourt Street Line.Hard to believe this now the Windy Arbour Luas stop. Anyone know what happened to this bridge ? was it scrapped ?

3 years later on and I'm sorry for a zombie thread, Mods, but here's your answer

https://www.donedeal.ie/collectibles-for-sale/original-pedestrian-railway-footbridge/11291627

SeanW

I was never much of a fan of Victorian archictecture but jeepers what an ugly POS was built in its place. Seriously?

whisky_galore

You can build a modern steel footbridge that can actually blend in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_stations_in_Birmingham_city_centre#/media/File:Moor_Street_station_platforms.jpg

Sam Russell

Look at the new footbridge at Sydney Parade station.

I think it is an improvement on the old cast iron bridge because that was covered with nasty steel panels for some H&S reasons.

seekers

There are new lifts and a new footbridge being installed in Ennis. I think not could even be complete

Sam Russell

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