Reviving the youghal railway line

V.W.L 11

I'm a regular visitor to east cork,frequently passing where the old railway line once passed,would people be in favour of bringing it back???the track itself is a piece of history in its own right,while i know the line to see from the roadside you cant actually see the track itself.

Its covered in vegetation,plus a few miles of it was removed in July 1988,is the line still complete barring that??as in was any of the old line built on???

Lambofdave

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

as in was any of the old line built on???

none of the line was built on. In the county development plan there is sections of land kept around the line to facilitate the reopening of it. But I doubt that will be happening in the next 10 years

Riva10

The poor condition of roads in County Cork is much more important than spending much needed resources on a piece of railway line.
How many millions were spent on reviving The Midleton Cork railway, only to see trains on a daily basis travelling with 2 and 3 people on board and that includes the driver. Forget the Youghal railway and fix our roads.

scuby

there are more than 2/3 people traveling on the Midleton line ! i get it twice daily, morning and evening at different times, and it's very busy. That does include school kids, college and other commuters to and from work in the city

V.W.L 11

Riva10 wrote: »

The poor condition of roads in County Cork is much more important than spending much needed resources on a piece of railway line.
How many millions were spent on reviving The Midleton Cork railway, only to see trains on a daily basis travelling with 2 and 3 people on board and that includes the driver. Forget the Youghal railway and fix our roads.

The T.D for east Cork David Stanton is an advocate of re-opening the line,so you should divert any concerns about repairing roads and your objection to the line being re-opened to him.

V.W.L 11

scuby wrote: »

there are more than 2/3 people traveling on the Midleton line ! i get it twice daily, morning and evening at different times, and it's very busy. That does include school kids, college and other commuters to and from work in the city

I have used the midleton train myself on numerous occasions,and it has been busier than the O.P suggests,were the line to be re-instated i'm sure it would attract numbers especially in the summer if the weather was as good as the summer of 2013

Lambofdave

I would hate to think what it would cost to reopen the line past Midleton.

deRanged

There's some talk of opening the line as a greenway between Midleton and Youghal - for walking and cycling. I think that would be great.
I can't see the line ever reopening for rail.

Lambofdave

deRanged wrote: »

There's some talk of opening the line as a greenway between Midleton and Youghal - for walking and cycling. I think that would be great.
I can't see the line ever reopening for rail.

I like that idea very much, and i guess it could be done in away that if ever the rail line was wanted again it could be reinstated.

V.W.L 11

Lambofdave wrote: »

I like that idea very much, and i guess it could be done in away that if ever the rail line was wanted again it could be reinstated.

the line was never legally closed and the old station itself in youghal was renovated after being burned to the ground,it is now secured AFAIK,the intent seems genuine but will it turn to fruition,is there a bird loft or something on the last mile of track in youghal?i read that somewhere,anyone here know how to add a poll to this page and we'll see who is for and against the idea???

Yawlboy

I heard that the reason the old station and all surrounding areas were fenced in was because someone climbed through the old fence and got injured, claimed and then CIE's insurance company insisted on new fencing. :mad:

V.W.L 11

Yawlboy wrote: »

I heard that the reason the old station and all surrounding areas were fenced in was because someone climbed through the old fence and got injured, claimed and then CIE's insurance company insisted on new fencing. :mad:

sounds perfectly normal to expect that in the event of a claim,nothing to do with it being renovated so???

Lambofdave

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

the line was never legally closed and the old station itself in youghal was renovated after being burned to the ground,it is now secured AFAIK,the intent seems genuine but will it turn to fruition,is there a bird loft or something on the last mile of track in youghal?i read that somewhere,anyone here know how to add a poll to this page and we'll see who is for and against the idea???

they could still clear up the line and make it a path way and have it as some benefit to the community until they decide to reopen it.

V.W.L 11

Lambofdave wrote: »

they could still clear up the line and make it a path way and have it as some benefit to the community until they decide to reopen it.

I totally agree with you,are David Stanton and Barbara Murray willing to press ahead with it i wonder

V.W.L 11

poll added please select yes/no

rovoagho

You know people can choose both yes and no, right?

V.W.L 11

rovoagho wrote: »

You know people can choose both yes and no, right?

first time I've ever set one of those things up,not on boards very long,still learning,i thought it was only one or the other trying to change it without success,f**k sake,any MOD who can help me out here???

Outkast_IRE

I would be a massive advocate of reopening it. Ultimately all of east cork could benefit from it being reopened and the following.

1. Properly planned Housing developments placed on the route, with Train Stop and car parking spaces.
2. Train Station Opened in the IDA park in Carrigtwohill, its ridiculous this hasn't been opened yet, there are thousands working in that park a lot of which would be glad of the opportunity to use public transport as the bus routes are crap time wise.
3. Try and attract a company to take that large site between carrigtwohill and midelton that was prepared for a pharma company that pulled out, and place a train station in there too.
4. Reasonably priced monthly or weekly tickets.

rovoagho

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

first time I've ever set one of those things up,not on boards very long,still learning,i thought it was only one or the other trying to change it without success,f**k sake,any MOD who can help me out here???

Report the post and ask, reports send emails to all mods.

V.W.L 11

rovoagho wrote: »

Report the post and ask, reports send emails to all mods.

thanks for that

Lambofdave

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I would be a massive advocate of reopening it. Ultimately all of east cork could benefit from it being reopened and the following.

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

1. Properly planned Housing developments placed on the route, with Train Stop and car parking spaces.

This sounds a little bit like the Dunkettle housing project they are proposing and the reopening of the station there with a park and ride. I know there is some issue with the ownership of land the NRA say they own it and irish Rail say they own it.

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

2. Train Station Opened in the IDA park in Carrigtwohill, its ridiculous this hasn't been opened yet, there are thousands working in that park a lot of which would be glad of the opportunity to use public transport as the bus routes are crap time wise.

I don't think the IDA have gone for planning for a station, it was a private company who are the developers of the old Youghal Carpets site. Cost of the Station was reported to be around the 1 million euro mark. i agree one should be opened but the site for the one that has planning would not be central to the IDA park but nearly as far west as they can go.

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

3. Try and attract a company to take that large site between carrigtwohill and midelton that was prepared for a pharma company that pulled out, and place a train station in there too.

Who actually owns that site Amgen or IDA, it was a disgrace that site was rezoned so quickly when there is other places in cork that are already zoned for stand alone industry, I believe one of these already zoned sites is in little Island

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

4. Reasonably priced monthly or weekly tickets.

I have to admit I have never used the train service, purely as i pay enough to have a car and so on, and the fact that Kent Station is a fair old treck from anything I do in the city.

gobnaitolunacy

Yawlboy wrote: »

I heard that the reason the old station and all surrounding areas were fenced in was because someone climbed through the old fence and got injured, claimed and then CIE's insurance company insisted on new fencing. :mad:

Should have threatened him with a trespass offence and told him to get stuffed.

Riva10

scuby wrote: »

there are more than 2/3 people traveling on the Midleton line ! i get it twice daily, morning and evening at different times, and it's very busy. That does include school kids, college and other commuters to and from work in the city

Not meaning to belabour a point but in all honesty but is spending millions on a railway line and service justified by an early morning rush with empty carriages during the day until students and workers return home in the evening. A more efficient bus service would serve the same purpose and at a much smaller outlay.

Riva10

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

I totally agree with you,are David Stanton and Barbara Murray willing to press ahead with it i wonder

If there are votes to be gained by pressing ahead, they will certainly make the right noises.

Riva10

V.W.L 11 wrote: »

The T.D for east Cork David Stanton is an advocate of re-opening the line,so you should divert any concerns about repairing roads and your objection to the line being re-opened to him.

We are blue in the face from making representations to all the local TDs. without success Can you advise me as to a successful plan of action.

mordeith

There's no way it's going to re-open as a railway line I'd say. There are plans to convert it into a cycling/walkway but these are only at intial stages as far as I know.
The Midleton line made sense as there is a large commuter population there but I can't see the same demand for a Youghal service.

gobnaitolunacy

Lambofdave wrote: »

This sounds a little bit like the Dunkettle housing project they are proposing and the reopening of the station there with a park and ride. I know there is some issue with the ownership of land the NRA say they own it and irish Rail say they own it.

Don't think there's enough space to fit a station and a car park where the old Dunkettle was with the new roads and roundabout. There's a bit of waste ground further east, but you're as good as being in the Island then.

How much business can be squeezed out of Youghal? The days when Youghal was the Costa Del Sol for citydwellers before package holidays is long gone. It would be interesting to find out who commutes from there and how readily they will ditch the car to take a train.

V.W.L 11

Riva10 wrote: »

We are blue in the face from making representations to all the local TDs. without success Can you advise me as to a successful plan of action.

Well the buck stops with the powers that be,fine gael & labour,remind your local cllr's when they come knocking for your vote in may,or run in the election yourself seeing as you feel so strongly about it!!!

Rhys Essien

I clicked Yes on the poll but what I would like to see operate would be a summer service between Midleton and Youghal with a Steam train or an old classic diesel train,that could hook up with the regular train in Midleton.They have similar in other countries.

I dont think an all year round service would be profitable.If I remember correctly,the cost of reopening the line from Glounthaune to Midleton was €90 million for a distance of ~7 miles,so for another 15 miles to Youghal would be at least another €190 million.Not a hope of getting funding I would think.

Also,as was said above,the train runs through the IDA estate in Carrigtwohill and still no station there.It sums up this country perfectly.What a joke.

Lambofdave

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Don't think there's enough space to fit a station and a car park where the old Dunkettle was with the new roads and roundabout. There's a bit of waste ground further east, but you're as good as being in the Island then.

Sorry I didn't mean reopening the old dunkettle station in the exact same spot but at Inchera were the old level crossing was into little island

gobnaitolunacy

Rhys Essien wrote: »

I clicked Yes on the poll but what I would like to see operate would be a summer service between Midleton and Youghal with a Steam train or an old classic diesel train,that could hook up with the regular train in Midleton.They have similar in other countries.

There was talk about doing that way way back in the 80's, unfortunately it would be too far from the RPSI's bases and as for some of the other preservationists Irish Rail wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.