Dublin Heuston to Cork journey 24 march 2018 obervations

goingnowhere

2 hours is a dream, thats 83mph average. You ain't getting anyway close to this without consistent 100mph running

Current infrastructure best you can expect to do is about 2:10 Cork Dublin, might be able to get a little less in the Dublin Cork direction as the gradients out of Cork make it a struggle to get up to full speed

Praetorian

Could the 100mph sections do higher speeds?

If the 201's were reengined with more efficient, yet higher speed engines...

Jamie2k9

goingnowhere wrote: »

2 hours is a dream, thats 83mph average. You ain't getting anyway close to this without consistent 100mph running

Current infrastructure best you can expect to do is about 2:10 Cork Dublin, might be able to get a little less in the Dublin Cork direction as the gradients out of Cork make it a struggle to get up to full speed

They have recorded it with ICRs before. Its only about 10 minutes off 2 hours today, 2h15m is in reality 2h10m and there is more sections than can handle 100mph. They will achieve 2h05m at a minimum.

The current 06.15 has around 5 minutes to spare between Cork-Portlaoise when there is no TSRs in place and another 5 minutes between Portlaoise and Heuston.

If Lisduff was increased to 100 (new crossovers) but has stayed at 80 - cost saving most likely and when track works between Ballybrophy are completed that should be increased to 100.

The Limerick Jct 50 is only a recent upgrade. Limerick Jct itself needs a rebuild. Too much point work and I'm guessing the Waterford line crossing will restrict speeds regardless.

Suspect the 50mph limit is signalling of the CCTV crossing north of station.

Itssoeasy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g33JLqlyjyM

I know this video is from 2015 and probably doesn't show the lines present condition but the route is the same. I said I'd put it up as although people are talking about sections of the line, some might not be familiar with the line.

Itssoeasy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2diqEaAnGg

Also someone asked about works happening on the network over the Easter weekend and the video above by IR shows what they plan to do.

Ireland trains

The 6:15 cork to Heuston runs at an average speed of 120kmph so I'd say they could reduce the journey time a bit more and if you hav e all the trains at let's say 2h 20 Min or less you don't need as much trains to operate the route. They should have the 21:00 Heuston to Cork as a 4 car ICR and make a new express service to cork in the evening

dowlingm

MGWR wrote: »

Certainly agree there. The Mark 3s were just over two decades old at the time of their premature retirement; the UK has far older Mark 3s in service to this day, never mind Mark 2s of various iterations.

But of course, IE were in such a hurry to retire all of the Bo-Bo EMD locos even though they could have been upgraded to modern standards for way less money than was spent on buying the plethora of DMUs they now have in service. Imagine the 141/181s upgraded to allow push-pull, as well as having modern 8-710 prime movers (the 8-710G3A-T2 is rated at 2,150 horsepower) and IGBT three-phase AC traction motors with superior starting and continuous tractive effort (superior acceleration and top speed, plus being able to move longer trains? but that would mean no excuse to drop the freight business they got rid of about a decade ago).

181 design max was 89mph and even assuming an 8-710 and AC traction got you there without excessive creaking and groaning, and cab strength for crew protection was deemed acceptable for railroading in the 2000s at that speed, you might hit another issue which is whether the higher output 710 could be fitted without altering the frame to dissipate heat as had to be done when MotivePower took a 16-710 out of an MP40 and threw 2xQSK60 in, leading to a lengthy body rework and abandonment of plans to retrofit other similar locos. You still have a two stroke engine at the end of it, Stage IIIA at best and that only if the regs require it in such a retrofit.

I don't remember IE blaming a lack of power for getting out of most of the freight business, just a lack of profitability.

As regards the 201 retrofit proposal, is there a notion of going with AC motors if the prime mover replacement happens or is it just going to be the engine alone?

Jamie2k9

Limerick J to finally get its new platform:

Improved journey times of up to five minutes for Dublin to Cork/Kerry services, and of up to 11 minutes for Limerick to Cork/Dublin services due to improved connections will be delivered, the company hopes.

The new platform, measuring some 240 metres, will remove the constraints and speed restrictions associated with the current single platform which caters for all Dublin to Cork/Kerry services in both directions. A new footbridge with high capacity lifts will be included, to cater for customers transferring to the new platform.

The investment is worth €3.5m to the station, and it’s hoped subject to planning permission, it will be complete by mid-2019.

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/307805/new-platform-planned-at-limerick-junction-to-keep-time-improvements-on-track.html

Ireland trains

I was just reading that and I'm guessing they will make platform 2+3 one platform and where exactly would it be

Del.Monte

Pity that the entire station couldn't be relocated north of the Limerick direct curve where it would be more useful. While it would require joined up thinking and probably a larger investment the benefits would be far greater than from what is proposed.

thomond2006

Could we see 1h15 journey time between LJCT and Heuston?

Jamie2k9

Del.Monte wrote: »

Pity that the entire station couldn't be relocated north of the Limerick direct curve where it would be more useful. While it would require joined up thinking and probably a larger investment the benefits would be far greater than from what is proposed.

Any why would it be more useful?

Could we see 1h15 journey time between LJCT and Heuston?

Prob around 1h20m

Del.Monte

Well, situated north of the Direct curve you could - in theory - have the Waterford line also connected by a direct curve. Of course CIE aren't going to propose that as they have spent the last 40+ years trying to close that route. Much better to tinker about with the existing layout. Does their plan mean that Limerick bound passengers arriving from Dublin would have to use a footbridge?

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Limerick+Junction/@52.5011538,-8.2075124,2005m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x485cadfcf7e9e04f:0x7207fa15a37d74c!8m2!3d52.5010033!4d-8.1999798

Jamie2k9

Del.Monte wrote: »

Well, situated north of the Direct curve you could - in theory - have the Waterford line also connected by a direct curve. Of course CIE aren't going to propose that as they have spent the last 40+ years trying to close that route. Much better to tinker about with the existing layout. Does their plan mean that Limerick bound passengers arriving from Dublin would have to use a footbridge?

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Limerick+Junction/@52.5011538,-8.2075124,2005m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x485cadfcf7e9e04f:0x7207fa15a37d74c!8m2!3d52.5010033!4d-8.1999798

I don't think its an issue and not a reason for re-location. You could spend the millions a relocation cost on upgrade to the line and service Junction and then on to Limerick!

flyingsnail

Del.Monte wrote: »

. Does their plan mean that Limerick bound passengers arriving from Dublin would have to use a footbridge?

Yes,

development consisting of the construction of a new platform to the north east of the existing platform(s) accessed via a new covered passenger footbridge, with 2 no. stairs and 2 no. lifts. Limerick Junction Railway Station is a protected structure

That is the only details online at the moment, the Tipperary planning reference is 18600453

Del.Monte

flyingsnail wrote: »

Yes,



That is the only details online at the moment, the Tipperary planning reference is 18600453

Thanks.

God knows why the station building is a protected structure as is it's of zero architectural merit and CIE have pulled down far more important buildings. So, it's going to make the simple cross platform interchange a thing of the past - great! Why not just restore the original layout as it worked well before they started messing about with it?

Rulmeq

Del.Monte wrote: »

Thanks.

God knows why the station building is a protected structure as is it's of zero architectural merit and CIE have pulled down far more important buildings. So, it's going to make the simple cross platform interchange a thing of the past - great! Why not just restore the original layout as it worked well before they started messing about with it?

How does the train get to waterford? does it back up the limerick line a bit, and then head south?

Isambard

Del.Monte wrote: »

Well, situated north of the Direct curve you could - in theory - have the Waterford line also connected by a direct curve. Of course CIE aren't going to propose that as they have spent the last 40+ years trying to close that route. Much better to tinker about with the existing layout. Does their plan mean that Limerick bound passengers arriving from Dublin would have to use a footbridge?

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Limerick+Junction/@52.5011538,-8.2075124,2005m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x485cadfcf7e9e04f:0x7207fa15a37d74c!8m2!3d52.5010033!4d-8.1999798

countryside is pretty flat, I can't see why a line could not be run parallel and close to the N24 and straight into the station. Fact is though, the Waterford line ,if it survives, will always be seen as a branch line

You could actually achieve more by having a station inside that triangle with platforms to each side...

Del.Monte

Rulmeq wrote: »

How does the train get to waterford? does it back up the limerick line a bit, and then head south?

Yes.

Shn99

http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/18600453/0

Yggr of Asgard

Today's journey was fun.

Irish Rail Employee to me "Oj, this is first class, what are you doing here?" followed by an "Oj Mate, show me your ticket".

Irish Rail Employee to people he did know "Oh sure mate, take a seat there, don't worry about the upgrade, it's on me".

At least we arrived 7 minutes early into Houston.

Jamie2k9

Yggr of Asgard wrote: »

Today's journey was fun.

Irish Rail Employee to me "Oj, this is first class, what are you doing here?" followed by an "Oj Mate, show me your ticket".

Irish Rail Employee to people he did know "Oh sure mate, take a seat there, don't worry about the upgrade, it's on me".

At least we arrived 7 minutes early into Houston.

While you should not have been there, you should make a formal complaint, the host has no real authority to allow a passenger sit in first class. The "upgrade on me" comment was purely because they also have no authority to take payment for an upgrade.

The only time a passenger should be in first class without a proper ticket is if standard class is full and for example the passenger has reduced mobility or any free seats have been opened to all passengers.

Yggr of Asgard

I had a first class ticket, I'm doing this journey every week so I was perfectly fine where I was.