Could cross river ferry/train links work in Cork harbour.

Markcheese

The cobh to Cork commuter line is a great resource, but it has the water on one side..
. . . Effectively halfing its catchment area.
. . . Would series of pedestrian cross river Ferries be able to efficiently up the lines passenger numbers, as well as provide an amenity to the people of passage and monkstown.. (maybe even ringaskiddy)
. . There is a ferry from glenbrook to rushbrook, (right on the rail line) but it is 10 mins walk from train to ferry and a considerable walk after the ferry to either passage or monkstown...

hytrogen

There is a bus (the term bus used lightly) service along the coast from haulbowline, raffeen, monkstown passage etc into town. It does pass by some of the major factories around Ringaskiddy too. Frankly you'd be lucky to get to a 9am lecture in the maritime college on it in the mornings from town. Many people of the towns you mention are either maritime based having their own boats so a short hop across for them to the train station wouldn't be a problem.
Also the fact there used to be a narrow gauge train running along that shoreline down as far as Crosshaven which was subsequently uplifted means there's a sour taste for rail in Cork harbour since, not to mention the anti-colonial opinions of the rebel countymen.
There is a cross harbour ferry running daily from Cobh to the likes of spike island that could be considered expanding onto Whitegate /Crosshaven as a better alternative to feed the line.
You'd be better investing in the line from Youghal to Middleton to Cork as that road is bumper to bumper each day affecting the Dublin road inbound at the Dunkettle interchange to the jack lynch tunnel.

Victor

hytrogen wrote: »

Also the fact there used to be a narrow gauge train running along that shoreline down as far as Crosshaven which was subsequently uplifted means there's a sour taste for rail in Cork harbour since, not to mention the anti-colonial opinions of the rebel countymen.

Eh, no. That the Cobh and Midleton lines exist and are popular prove that.

In the short term, improving the Cobh-Haulbowline ferries and providing bus links to the industrial areas and maybe Carrigaline would be easy and likely useful.

Operating ferries to Whiteate or Crosshaven is unlikely to be efficient as the journey time would be too long.

Markcheese

Could you get a ferry to Carrigaline? , it'd be shallow water and a long way up the channel from Crosshaven. It's not that far from whitegate to Cobh about 3 km or so, but no pier in whitegate, a couple of kms from ringakiddy to Cobh..
. Although I was thinking ón smaller scale, a small crossriver ferry from passage timed to link up the train..

Victor

Markcheese wrote: »

Could you get a ferry to Carrigaline?

Completely impractical, using a bus would make much more sense.

aujopimur

hytrogen wrote: »

There is a bus (the term bus used lightly) service along the coast from haulbowline, raffeen, monkstown passage etc into town. It does pass by some of the major factories around Ringaskiddy too. Frankly you'd be lucky to get to a 9am lecture in the maritime college on it in the mornings from town. Many people of the towns you mention are either maritime based having their own boats so a short hop across for them to the train station wouldn't be a problem.
Also the fact there used to be a narrow gauge train running along that shoreline down as far as Crosshaven which was subsequently uplifted means there's a sour taste for rail in Cork harbour since, not to mention the anti-colonial opinions of the rebel countymen.
There is a cross harbour ferry running daily from Cobh to the likes of spike island that could be considered expanding onto Whitegate /Crosshaven as a better alternative to feed the line.
You'd be better investing in the line from Youghal to Middleton to Cork as that road is bumper to bumper each day affecting the Dublin road inbound at the Dunkettle interchange to the jack lynch tunnel.

The train to Crosser ceased in 1933, I'd say the sour taste is gone by now.

Isambard

could a fast ferry to St Patrick's Bridge be the solution?

I was in Brisbane lately and was very impressed with their use of the river as transport infrastucture with fast frequent hydrofoils calling at various shore stations on both banks(and thus also facilitating cross-river transport) backed up by more localised cross-river ferries. Very cheap and integrated with the local bus services.

Surely ferries linking to trains is too long-winded . Having the ferries themselves accessing the city on an under-used river would be preferable.

hytrogen

Victor wrote:

Eh, no. That the Cobh and Midleton lines exist and are popular prove that.

Yeah and I said later about investing in the extension to Youghal, a little less knee jerking..

hytrogen

Markcheese wrote:

Could you get a ferry to Carrigaline? , it'd be shallow water and a long way up the channel from Crosshaven. It's not that far from whitegate to Cobh about 3 km or so, but no pier in whitegate, a couple of kms from ringakiddy to Cobh.. . Although I was thinking Ã႒³n smaller scale, a small crossriver ferry from passage timed to link up the train..

On a flood tide you could get a 6.8rib up there, there is a small boatyard there too on the back road to Ringaskiddy. They were talking about dredging channels up until the EU directives on shoreline adjustments came in and all the burocracy with ecology and environmental impact assessments tapped that on the head. That said there is an aweful lot of farm effluent flushed down that estuary..

LXFlyer

hytrogen wrote: »

There is a bus (the term bus used lightly) service along the coast from haulbowline, raffeen, monkstown passage etc into town. It does pass by some of the major factories around Ringaskiddy too. Frankly you'd be lucky to get to a 9am lecture in the maritime college on it in the mornings from town. Many people of the towns you mention are either maritime based having their own boats so a short hop across for them to the train station wouldn't be a problem.
Also the fact there used to be a narrow gauge train running along that shoreline down as far as Crosshaven which was subsequently uplifted means there's a sour taste for rail in Cork harbour since, not to mention the anti-colonial opinions of the rebel countymen.
There is a cross harbour ferry running daily from Cobh to the likes of spike island that could be considered expanding onto Whitegate /Crosshaven as a better alternative to feed the line.
You'd be better investing in the line from Youghal to Middleton to Cork as that road is bumper to bumper each day affecting the Dublin road inbound at the Dunkettle interchange to the jack lynch tunnel.

Is the 223 that bad in terms of reliability or are you saying it's too infrequent?

http://www.buseireann.ie/timetables/1440078656-223.pdf

Victor

Isambard wrote: »

could a fast ferry to St Patrick's Bridge be the solution?

As I understand it, all craft are restricted to 5 knots (9km/h) in the upper harbour.

Isambard

Victor wrote: »

As I understand it, all craft are restricted to 5 knots (9km/h) in the upper harbour.

maybe that could be changed? there would seem to be little need for this on most of the journey