Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail Discussion

brianc89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718700#Comment_120718700

The times are the same on some of those so I assume it's the same train. At best there are 2 trains in 25minutes in the morning, then mostly every 40mins-1hr+.

The 2 inbound trains in the morning mean no trains can depart Galway city.

marno21

The long standing canard of sending freight from Ballina to Waterford/“Rosslare” via the WRC and the Limerick-Waterford by West on Track appears now to be official transport policy. Regardless of the actual viability of such an option.

The lack of sizeable flows, the cost of reopening the line, the fact that such a path already exists and is used occasionally without new infrastructure, the massive demands for rail investment in the cities which is being neglected do not appear to be roadblocks to this ambition.

intellectual dosser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120718129#Comment_120718129

I don’t think many would disagree with you on the double track argument, this is seemingly already in progress at least between Galway and Athenry, starting with an additional platform and passing loop in Oranmore.

By all accounts the AIRR is going to recommend reopening Claremorris to Athenry initially for freight with a future reintroduction of passenger services. I assume this would be to allow freight from Mayo to pass through Athenry to Limerick and then on to Waterford or Foynes. This wouldn’t require use of the Galway to Dublin main line, perhaps the reason passenger services come later is that by their rationale it’s contingent on the double tracking.

loyatemu

I see VeloRail has now launched: https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/irelands-first-velo-rail-opens-it-will-put-east-mayo-on-the-map/a2011532590.html

Good luck to them and all that, but watching the video just reinforced my view that it's a pretty dumb idea. You could have 4-person quadracycles going up and down a greenway, they could have motor assist (which the VeloRail apparently doesn't have) and the greenway would still be usable by people on normal bikes, trikes, wheelchairs, joggers etc. It seems a very limited system that's going have limited appeal.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721725#Comment_120721725

Personally I'm looking forward to the PAC investigation once it collapses

It'll be interesting to hear Michael Rings answers lol

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721725#Comment_120721725

What a complete joke of an article.

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721005#Comment_120721005

Yes, there is prep surveying happening.

But please note that the planning application for the 1km passing loop has not been submitted yet.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721005#Comment_120721005

Wouldn't going from Athenry to Waterford require the driver to change ends in Limerick? I can't see it being a realistic option due to operational difficulties it would cause. Any trains going to Belview would almost certainly continue to use the current route, a new junction to join the Waterford line would likely be a better option for aiding rail freight.

L1011

Any attempt to make a business case by moving pre existing traffic flows would fail unless they could show some exceptionally beneficial replacement use for those slots

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721005#Comment_120721005

There is some progress, yes, but the following is not ambitious, double-tracking to Athenry by 2040.

Just maybe 20km of doubling, 17 years away, God Help Us.

Looking at the timescales involved on that chart you'd swear double tracking and electrification of lines were experimental projects and hadn't been attempted anywhere in the world before.

end of the road

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727538#Comment_120727538

hourly dublin galway would probably use up some, and as well as that you remove freight reversing in kildare.

now a curve to the waterford line from the portarlington direction would sort kildare reversal but that won't happen even though it would offer more benefits then facilitating mayo waterford freight.

i believe athenry claremorris to limerick and on to waterford via clonmell is actually a shorter route over all, think that was mentioned on here before.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120728476#Comment_120728476

Even if it's a shorter distance going Claremorris > Limerick > Waterford, I doubt it is a faster journey time. The driver would have to change ends in Limerick and it is a poor quality route riddled with LCs.

If the AIRR is of any use, it would examine the costs and benefits of reopening Athenry - Claremorris v double tracking Portarlington - Athlone. I'd be confident that the extra paths created from the double tracking would be hugely beneficial whereas the Athenry - Claremorris reopening would be of little use due to lack of paths in all directions out of Athenry.

brianc89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729424#Comment_120729424

Double tracking or not, I would say the glacial pace of the Athenry-Limerick section is a bigger issue for both freight and passenger services.

Imagine!.. an hour from Athenry to Ennis for passenger services. That is appalling. They need to close as many level crossing/ farm crossings as possible.

A turning loop at Limerick to connect with Waterford line should be possible, as there is only low density industrial there.

Economics101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729574#Comment_120729574

The direct curve you have shown at Limerick, from the Athenry direction towards Waterford, goes right through an industrial estate. Good luck with that.

By comparison, a direct curve from the Cork main line onto the Waterford line south of Cherryville Junction would be across open fields (with 2 bridges under major roads) and would make for very large cost and time savings by avoiding running around at Kildare.

Combined with longer loops and some doubling between Portarlington and Athlone, this would enable much more freight and passenger traffic to and from the West

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729574#Comment_120729574

That's a lot of work and expense to facilitate a freight route which is already in operation.

It seems things like this are missed/ignored in relation to further WRC reopenings, the reopening itself will cost a lot but be of very limited use unless other investments are also made. Hopefully the AIRR examines these things fully.

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729574#Comment_120729574

Do trains have to slow down when crossing LC?

Economics101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730015#Comment_120730015

THat depends on the type of LC. Not a problem with very expensive fuly signalled 4-barrier CCTV monitored LCs.

Looks like we're going to get to see the AISRR next month.

Its being released for public consultation

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/taoiseach-urged-to-publish-all-island-rail-review-as-galway-projects-stalled/

Its currently proposed that it will be fully signed off, north and south, by Q3 next year, but that is contingent on Stormont sitting. If Stormont doesn't sit, there is an alternative route where "approval will be considered taking into account the decision making framework set out in the Northern Ireland Act of 2022 and it is expected that a final review will be published in Autumn of next year"

Economics101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733402#Comment_120733402

You say we will see the AISRR next month, but then at the end you say Autumn of next year. Which is it?

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733490#Comment_120733490

Apparently it's the draft report next month, and the full report in Q3 24.

Decades

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733580#Comment_120733580

Q3 2024 - after "political evaluation" which is code for - we'll go through it and pick out some juicy bits for our election brochures. Most of it is already leaked anyway.

L1011

Expect to see *loads* of bits of it in local and euro election guff for June 24

marno21

https://twitter.com/peterbranigan/status/1674502096215764996?s=21

It’s been a weird 3 years, but we’re officially losing the plot here now on what constitutes transport policy.

Pete_Cavan

Rosslare Europort (which is owned by IÉ) themselves don't appear to see a future for themselves in rail freight as they are undertaking a massive program of investment but no mention of investment in rail facilities. They obviously see offshore wind turbines and growing their existing RORO business.

To access Rosslare Europort via the South Wexford line, trains would have to pass through Bellview Port which already operates rail freight (the only port in the country to do so now that Tara Mines flows have ceased). If looking to increase rail freight, we should be expanding Bellview and increasing rail capacity to/from it.

Why are north Mayo and now Sligo the only places mentioned in the context of rail freight? Why would this rura pocket have more potential for rail freight than all the other more industrialised areas around the country? Why not a rail hub in West Dublin or around Little Island in Cork? I can only assume that the narrative to link the northwest and rail freight has developed to keep up the pretence that the WRC will reopen.

Economics101

THere is another thread on the Rosslare-Waterford line, most of it mind-blowingly daft. The track is by now not fit for any kind of service. Someone wants an hourly service (!!!). This is an echo of the WRC madness: there is some kind of inverse relation between the traffic potential of a line and the amount of lobbying being done for it.

And Eamon Ryan goes along wth this, whan there are so many possibilities to develop rail transport in a way which will capture a lot more traffic and save a lot of greenhouse gas emissions.

We have had 2 useless ministers for transport in a row.

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120787333#Comment_120787333

In fairness, you can't blame Eamon Ryan for the WRC south of Athenry, which was a disgraceful waste of 100 million euro by Fianna Fail which could have been far better spent on other parts of the rail network.

And the WRC north is Sinn Fein policy as well.

As regards Ministers for Transport, we haven't had a good one in this country since Seamus Brennan, and he left office in 2004.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120787533#Comment_120787533

And the WRC north is Sinn Fein policy as well

Until the reality of office hits them. No doubt they'll be doing "waiting for a report" strategy once in office.

brianc89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120787533#Comment_120787533

They spend more on reports these days than 100m. It seems to be like an extremely good return for 100m, to have reopened a new section of rail.

Obviously major improvements are needed to that section, but at least the line isn't rotting into oblivion.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120785407#Comment_120785407

It’s more than slightly worrying that the Minister for Transport doesn’t realise that there is already a rail link between Sligo and Rosslare that could be used for freight (if any demand actually existed).

Unless maybe he thinks that there’s massive untapped demand for rail freight from Tubbercurry?