Mosney railway station

delganycharlie

I was on the M1 a few weeks ago and decided to turn off and have a gander at the Mosney camp. What struck me was the amount of taxis and refugees standing at the bus stop. None of them seem to have cars and they obviously need to travel. There is a still intact railway station at the back of the camp that was closed when the holiday camp closed, but given the fact that they are in need of transportation would it not be an idea to reopen the station at off-peak times to provide a means of transportation for the refugees?

Jamemid

delganycharlie wrote: »

I was on the M1 a few weeks ago and decided to turn off and have a gander at the Mosney camp. What struck me was the amount of taxis and refugees standing at the bus stop. None of them seem to have cars and they obviously need to travel. There is a still intact railway station at the back of the camp that was closed when the holiday camp closed, but given the fact that they are in need of transportation would it not be an idea to reopen the station at off-peak times to provide a means of transportation for the refugees?

That would make sense and might actually save money,so no chance of it happening!

delganycharlie

For some time after trains ceased to call there, trains terminating at Balbriggan used to continue to Mosney and wait at the platform before returning. Does anyone know if this still happens? If so, there is no excuse for not carrying passengers.

I'm not saying Mosney is a high priority; on the Northern Commuter line probably Dunleer and Castlebellingham are more important. I just feel the issue should be kept alive because closures have a way of being sneaked in, and then made permanent by the shear inertia of organisations.

Del.Monte

The platform loop was removed so nothing stops at Mosney these days.

delganycharlie

Del.Monte wrote: »

The platform loop was removed so nothing stops at Mosney these days.

That can be rectified.

All I'm saying is that a restored Mosney station would be beneficial for the refugees to travel.

delganycharlie

These people need an efficient public transport option. It is ideally situated to provide this. The reinstallation of the platform loop and trains stopping there at off-peak times wouldn't be a huge problem. The problem is revenue. Would they be allocated free travel?

Squatter

delganycharlie wrote: »

These people need an efficient public transport option. It is ideally situated to provide this. The reinstallation of the platform loop and trains stopping there at off-peak times wouldn't be a huge problem. The problem is revenue. Would they be allocated free travel?

Refugees probably; asylum seekers/economic migrants probably not.

Anyhoo, it's only about a mile's walk along the beach from Mosney to Gormanston station, so not a big problem.

Strumms

delganycharlie wrote: »

These people need an efficient public transport option. It is ideally situated to provide this. The reinstallation of the platform loop and trains stopping there at off-peak times wouldn't be a huge problem. The problem is revenue. Would they be allocated free travel?

If they are entitled to it now why wouldn’t they get it. ?

To be honest for the numbers in Mosney it wouldn’t be economical to reinstall track, platforms, signaling, staffing, security, Etc, you are looking at six figure costs over a year for all the above with zero opportunities probably to reclaim any revenue.

There are plenty of other public transport facilities too in the country that are in greater need of improvement, upgrade, installation etc and would be of more immediate importance to both the working and traveling public.

delganycharlie

Capacity is a real problem but also is frequency and since Mosney closed before the massive increase in services which getting a Dublin bound train to the platform (if the loop is reopened), there being only one is more of a challenge.

Previously Mosney was solely a destination so it has no ticket office, no TVM. So how revenue is collected could be an issue which is why free travel may be the option.

delganycharlie

Strumms wrote: »

If they are entitled to it now why wouldn’t they get it. ?

To be honest for the numbers in Mosney it wouldn’t be economical to reinstall track, platforms, signaling, staffing, security, Etc, you are looking at six figure costs over a year for all the above with zero opportunities probably to reclaim any revenue.

There are plenty of other public transport facilities too in the country that are in greater need of improvement, upgrade, installation etc and would be of more immediate importance to both the working and traveling public.

Like I said, on the Northern Commuter line the reopening of Dunleer and Castlebellingham would be more of a priority, but the transportation needs of the residents of Mosney should also be taken into consideration.

colm_mcm

Train track runs near enough my house too. I should put in for a station.

Strumms

delganycharlie wrote: »

Like I said, on the Northern Commuter line the reopening of Dunleer and Castlebellingham would be more of a priority, but the transportation needs of the residents of Mosney should also be taken into consideration.

I agree, however investing the kind of revenue to build, install, run, maintain and staff such a facility is all well and good, less so when practically every cent of the investment required will come from the already over burdened public purse and when each user for the most part will not be contributing. The required upgrades and upkeep, staffing on all fronts , security, in addition to the aforementioned will cost hundreds of thousands of euros with zero in return.

n97 mini

There's only one platform at Mosney. Upgrading the station would likely never come close to paying for itself.

And with all the people campaigning for an end to direct provision, Murphy's Law would probably apply: if the station was upgraded, the residents of the DP centre would all be moved to council houses in Dublin.

delganycharlie

n97 mini wrote: »

There's only one platform at Mosney. Upgrading the station would likely never come close to paying for itself.

And with all the people campaigning for an end to direct provision, Murphy's Law would probably apply: if the station was upgraded, the residents of the DP centre would all be moved to council houses in Dublin.

I just thought that instead of the platform lying unused like it is now they coukd put it to some use by giving the residents of the camp a convenient mode of transportation.

Stephen Gawking

OP, most of those taxis are being driven by the residents of Mosney in the 1st place. Believe me they're not doing too badly at all. As already stated there are more pressing options, irish rail, NTA, Shane Ross & FG seem to think that its either a waste land between Drogheda & Dundalk or that no one would use the train. Also, there is no rail link to Navan or the north west of the country. Surely those should be considered 1st?

loyatemu

colm_mcm wrote: »

Train track runs near enough my house too. I should put in for a station.

that depends, is there an existing platform at your house and do you have 700 people living there?

DublinWriter

Stephen Gawking wrote: »

OP, most of those taxis are being driven by the residents of Mosney in the 1st place

Isn't everyone in Mosney on Direct Provision?

L1011

DublinWriter wrote: »

Isn't everyone in Mosney on Direct Provision?

There are a substantial number of people who have been granted refugee status still living in direct provision due to not being able to find housing elsewhere. Seems to have been decided that its cheaper to leave them there rather than provide emergency accomodation or HAP.

John Hutton

They seemed to have plenty of cars to block the entrance the other day...

Joegriffin2019

John Hutton wrote: »

They seemed to have plenty of cars to block the entrance the other day...

And theres me busting my ass off 60 plus hours a week and struggling to keep a car on the road.

Berberis

I Miss Mosney.

AlekSmart

Berberis wrote: »

I Miss Mosney.

Ask not what You can do for Mosney,but what Mosney can do for YOU !

_Kaiser_

delganycharlie wrote: »

I was on the M1 a few weeks ago and decided to turn off and have a gander at the Mosney camp. What struck me was the amount of taxis and refugees standing at the bus stop. None of them seem to have cars and they obviously need to travel. There is a still intact railway station at the back of the camp that was closed when the holiday camp closed, but given the fact that they are in need of transportation would it not be an idea to reopen the station at off-peak times to provide a means of transportation for the refugees?

I'd consider this way down on the priority list of transport infrastructure projects TBH

Most of the people in that camp are being wholly subsidised by the State as it is. As others have pointed out, other residents are driving those taxis you saw.

I'd rather see money invested to address already overcrowded commuter services and things like enhancement of the Maynooth line services etc than a "feel good" project like what you suggest.