Maximizing the current Rail Infrastructure

BoatMad

Any plans to maintain the track bed to youghal seems to have been abandoned , this line seems to be destined as more accursed greenway !

rebel456

BoatMad wrote: »

Any plans to maintain the track bed to youghal seems to have been abandoned , this line seems to be destined as more accursed greenway !

Fantastic. Makes use of otherwise abandoned state infrastructure, with little prospect of that line reopening. Midlteon Station could become a cycling hub to Youghal.

Stephen15

rebel456 wrote: »

Fantastic. Makes use of otherwise abandoned state infrastructure, with little prospect of that line reopening. Midlteon Station could become a cycling hub to Youghal.

Perhaps with the long term ambition to link it up with the Waterford Greenway.

end of the road

this proposal like a number of other greenway proposals is likely a waste of everyone's time and should be forgotten about. i can't imagine anyone is going to bother cycling to youghal when there are existing greenways that have something actually worth visiting for.
midleton as a cycling hub is a waste of everyone's time.
much better to safe gard it from any development and reopen the route as a railway when time allows and put the greenways where there is actually something worth cycling to.

rebel456

end of the road wrote: »

this proposal like a number of other greenway proposals is likely a waste of everyone's time and should be forgotten about. i can't imagine anyone is going to bother cycling to youghal when there are existing greenways that have something actually worth visiting for.
midleton as a cycling hub is a waste of everyone's time.
much better to safe gard it from any development and reopen the route as a railway when time allows and put the greenways where there is actually something worth cycling to.

Are you aware that Youghal is a renowned seaside town? It is 3 blue star beaches. I can assure you, folks do actually come to visit!

Greenways are themselves at attraction, allowing folks to cycling without fear of being mowed down by a car/truck, free from the noise and exhaust gases. I don't go to a greenway for the scenery, or a final destination usually, more to just cycling. Youghal on the other hand actually has a fantastic destination that would attract both regular greenway users like me, and tourists looking for a destination to visit.

Del.Monte

rebel456 wrote: »

Are you aware that Youghal is a renowned seaside town? It is 3 blue star beaches. I can assure you, folks do actually come to visit!

Greenways are themselves at attraction, allowing folks to cycling without fear of being mowed down by a car/truck, free from the noise and exhaust gases. I don't go to a greenway for the scenery, or a final destination usually, more to just cycling. Youghal on the other hand actually has a fantastic destination that would attract both regular greenway users like me, and tourists looking for a destination to visit.

But obviously not popular enough despite its 'three beaches' to have its rail link reinstated.

rebel456

Del.Monte wrote: »

But obviously not popular enough despite its 'three beaches' to have its rail link reinstated.

You are actually quite right there. And the tourist traffic is of course seasonal, along with folks driving from their homes in Cork city estates not wanting to unload at Kent Station to a train... taking the train to the seaside did decline for a reason.

Use this wasted asset as a greenway. A greenway that is a destination in itself and can bring more tourists into Youghal, the greenway could be eventually extended to Waterford.

end of the road

rebel456 wrote: »

You are actually quite right there. And the tourist traffic is of course seasonal, along with folks driving from their homes in Cork city estates not wanting to unload at Kent Station to a train... taking the train to the seaside did decline for a reason.

Use this wasted asset as a greenway. A greenway that is a destination in itself and can bring more tourists into Youghal, the greenway could be eventually extended to Waterford.

no . there is likely little demand for a greenway. it's best that it's safe garded as it has the potential to be a useful part of the cork suburban railway some time down the road. if the place is worth visiting then tourists will come greenway or not.

rebel456

end of the road wrote: »

no . there is likely little demand for a greenway. it's best that it's safe garded as it has the potential to be a useful part of the cork suburban railway some time down the road. if the place is worth visiting then tourists will come greenway or not.

No demand? The Waterford Greenway is No.3 of Things to do in Waterford on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attractions-g186638-Activities-Waterford_County_Waterford.html

Let's use this state asset before it falls into the hands of landowners & rent bikes at Middleton station allowing folks to hop off a train & on a bike. Also adds another amenity that Youghal vistors can use, not forgetting the locals along the way who no longer have an overgrown track bed but a stretch of Greenway to bring kids for walks & cycles. Now that is really making use of underutilized assets.

end of the road

rebel456 wrote: »

No demand? The Waterford Greenway is No.3 of Things to do in Waterford on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ie/Attractions-g186638-Activities-Waterford_County_Waterford.html

Let's use this state asset before it falls into the hands of landowners & rent bikes at Middleton station allowing folks to hop off a train & on a bike. Also adds another amenity that Youghal vistors can use, not forgetting the locals along the way who no longer have an overgrown track bed but a stretch of Greenway to bring kids for walks & cycles. Now that is really making use of underutilized assets.

i'd imagine the locals all ready have places to walk the kids if the kids are interested in going for walks with their parents. if there is anything worth visiting in youghal then people will come.

rebel456

end of the road wrote: »

i'd imagine the locals all ready have places to walk the kids if the kids are interested in going for walks with their parents. if there is anything worth visiting in youghal then people will come.

I've already pointed out the popularity of the Waterford Greenway, itself a former railway alignment. I could have also referenced the similarly popular Mayo Greenway from Westport. Thus proving folks do actually use Greenways when they're provided.

People already visit Youghal, which you apparently don't seem to think is worth visiting. Nonetheless a Greenway adds another amenity to attract folks & add a cycling connection using the railway to Midleton. Why let a state asset just rot away with no prospect of railway reopening when it could be brought to life and used as a greenway.

In a welcome development this year, some locals are already looking into the project: http://www.eastcorkjournal.ie/two-senior-planners-to-be-assigned-to-the-midleton-greenway-project/

Stephen15

rebel456 wrote: »

You are actually quite right there. And the tourist traffic is of course seasonal, along with folks driving from their homes in Cork city estates not wanting to unload at Kent Station to a train... taking the train to the seaside did decline for a reason.

Use this wasted asset as a greenway. A greenway that is a destination in itself and can bring more tourists into Youghal, the greenway could be eventually extended to Waterford.

Going to the seaside has declined anyway since the advent of budget airlines and affordable forgein holidays whether travelling by train, bus or car. You only have to look at places like Bray and Tramore as case studies.

rebel456

Stephen15 wrote: »

Going to the seaside has declined anyway since the advent of budget airlines and affordable forgein holidays whether travelling by train, bus or car. You only have to look at places like Bray and Tramore as case studies.

Of course. Youghal is still a seaside resort though and does attract tourists to some extent, like any other seaside town in Ireland. I've been to Tramore and Bray.

A Greenway is an attraction it its own right but also adds to the amenities in Youghal. Why let a state asset rot away til landowners take over when it could be used like the Deise Greenway or Westport-Achill link.

Stephen15

rebel456 wrote: »

Of course. Youghal is still a seaside resort though and does attract tourists to some extent, like any other seaside town in Ireland. I've been to Tramore and Bray.

A Greenway is an attraction it its own right but also adds to the amenities in Youghal. Why let a state asset rot away til landowners take over when it could be used like the Deise Greenway or Westport-Achill link.

I'm generally in favour of greenways. The Waterford one is stunning I will admit. If you are going to build a youghal greenway I would suggest linking it up with the Waterford Greenway and then turning the South Wexford line into a greenway aswell creating a Cork to Rosslare greenway or at least a Midleton to Rosslare greenway.

end of the road

rebel456 wrote: »

Of course. Youghal is still a seaside resort though and does attract tourists to some extent, like any other seaside town in Ireland. I've been to Tramore and Bray.

A Greenway is an attraction it its own right but also adds to the amenities in Youghal. Why let a state asset rot away til landowners take over when it could be used like the Deise Greenway or Westport-Achill link.

the Deise Greenway or Westport-Achill one have something worth the trip.

Stephen15 wrote: »

I'm generally in favour of greenways. The Waterford one is stunning I will admit. If you are going to build a youghal greenway I would suggest linking it up with the Waterford Greenway and then turning the South Wexford line into a greenway aswell creating a Cork to Rosslare greenway.

the old new-ross line is the better way to go. the south wexford line has nothing to offer in terms of greenway potential. a cork to rosslare greenway would be a vanity project in my opinion.

Del.Monte

Why stop there, why not pull up the Cobh Junction - Midleton line and have a bike interchange at the junction? Better still the Cobh line is very scenic and double track so why not remove one line and add a Greenway?

rebel456

end of the road wrote: »

the Deise Greenway or Westport-Achill one have something worth the trip.

What exactly would the difference be between the aforementioned and the potential Midelton-Youghal Greenway?

Del.Monte wrote: »

Why stop there, why not pull up the Cobh Junction - Midleton line and have a bike interchange at the junction? Better still the Cobh line is very scenic and double track so why not remove one line and add a Greenway?

I'm suggesting using an abandoned trackbed. Not ripping up active rail lines. In fact I think Midleton station could be utilized by folks wishing to travel on the Greenway. While most still would drive & then walk/cycle, it would be a great way to encourage more leisure travelers onto the train with their bikes.

Norrie Thomas

rebel456 wrote: »

Are you aware that Youghal is a renowned seaside town? It is 3 blue star beaches. I can assure you, folks do actually come to visit!

Greenways are themselves at attraction, allowing folks to cycling without fear of being mowed down by a car/truck, free from the noise and exhaust gases. I don't go to a greenway for the scenery, or a final destination usually, more to just cycling. Youghal on the other hand actually has a fantastic destination that would attract both regular greenway users like me, and tourists looking for a destination to visit.

Or develop Youghal rather than condemning it to be a depressed seaside town that once had a manufacturing industry. Youghal could be a thriving dormitory town for Cork but the current greenway mania will see to it that it will never be.

rebel456

Norrie Thomas wrote: »

Or develop Youghal rather than condemning it to be a depressed seaside town that once had a manufacturing industry. Youghal could be a thriving dormitory town for Cork but the current greenway mania will see to it that it will never be.

'Thriving dormitory town'... so instead of tourists coming via the greenway & making use of the greenway while staying in the town we build more housing estates, empty for most of the week, just to keep a rail line open. The mind boggles. There already in Midleton for that purpose, although in reality it should be Cork city we should be adding the population, not dormer towns. Celtic tiger madness saw the population of Cork City decline during the boom, while estates sprung up all over North Cork, forcing folks into long commutes.

Norrie Thomas

rebel456 wrote: »

'Thriving dormitory town'... so instead of tourists coming via the greenway & making use of the greenway while staying in the town we build more housing estates, empty for most of the week, just to keep a rail line open. The mind boggles. There already in Midleton for that purpose, although in reality it should be Cork city we should be adding the population, not dormer towns. Celtic tiger madness saw the population of Cork City decline during the boom, while estates sprung up all over North Cork, forcing folks into long commutes.

Exactly. Estates sprung up all over North Cork, because we don't do joined up thinking on planning and allow speculative developers to drive development rather than by integrated planning. Greenway madness as I call it is then driving the destruction of railway lines that if planned out and managed would provide sustainable development of towns like Youghal and give a win win on both tourism and the quality of life for residents. Offer a good quality of life and ease of access for a town and people will want to live in it or visit.

loyatemu

Youghal's 60KM from Cork. There's no shortage of land much closer to the city.

Norrie Thomas

loyatemu wrote: »

Youghal's 60KM from Cork. There's no shortage of land much closer to the city.

Brighton is 80km from London. No shortage of commuters there.

LuckyLloyd

The greenway stuff is nonsense in my view. We'll regret it in the future. I might say that of course given the theme of this thread, but just because a railway line is disused doesn't mean it lacks potential. Youghal to Cork seems an excellent candidate for commuter type services.

Sam Russell

Why is there no service from Bray to Wexford that arrives before noon? How can a person trying to do business in Wexford travel by train if this is the service level offered?

If there is no train, then there are no passengers.

LXFlyer

Sam Russell wrote: »

Why is there no service from Bray to Wexford that arrives before noon? How can a person trying to do business in Wexford travel by train if this is the service level offered?

If there is no train, then there are no passengers.

There are no trains available to do a service that early - they're all being used to get people into Dublin.

Something else would have to be cancelled.

Jamie2k9

The Youghal railway talk is silly, the town couldn't support a rail service, if the population doubled to 15,000-20,000 then there might be a case.

Norrie Thomas

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

The Youghal railway talk is silly, the town couldn't support a rail service, if the population doubled to 15,000-20,000 then there might be a case.

That's my point, plan to expand the town and bring in Infrastructure to enable that expansion.

roundymac

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

The Youghal railway talk is silly, the town couldn't support a rail service, if the population doubled to 15,000-20,000 then there might be a case.

The same was said about Midleton.

BoatMad

Lets tear up the rail link from Dublin to Cork and make it a greenway , sure convert the M9 into a greenway , no one on that either

Sweet Jesus , the arrogance of these people

remember people that said , The harcourt line will never reopen .............

BoatMad

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

The Youghal railway talk is silly, the town couldn't support a rail service, if the population doubled to 15,000-20,000 then there might be a case.

nonsense, rather then expanding Cork Suburbs, that are totally car dependant , why not incentives Youghal by opening a rail link ( and several of the intervening towns )

madeness to allow that rail corridor to be lost to anyone but future transport requirements