Limerick - Nenagh - Ballybrophy railway

Deedsie

bk wrote: »

Most of Irish Rails network has fibre optic cable run along it. While it can be used for signalling, etc. the primary reason is actually to resell capacity on the fibre cables to the Telecom companies and big business like data centers, etc.

This fibre network actually makes up the major core of Ireland's fibre network.

Enet resells this fibre network:
https://www.enet.ie/core-backhaul-fibre.html

Bord Gais, ESB and Irish Waterways all have similar core networks, along with the likes of Eir, Virgin and BT Ireland.

Basically if you own a lot of land throughout the country and are digging a hole, it is well worth throwing fibre in it at the same time.

Very interesting.

I suppose it has dual benefits in that case.

Thanks for sharing that info

L1011

TII also have a major ducting network which carries the fibre for others. If you're rebuilding a national network you may as well make it earn

Grab All Association

Hoping to take a journey on this line some day this week. Those 2800's though! Better than the 2700's for sure, but they don't exactly encourage people to travel on them. If the seating and layout was changed they wouldn't be too bad.

Also do not wear a New Balance jacket on the train, today on my way to Dublin a number of people thought I worked for IE.

Deedsie

On the Nenagh - Limerick train this morning.

Its an absolute disaster that this train doesnt have more passengers using it.

I honestly think a big part of the problem is people forget the service is even there to be used in the first place.

There should be a sign outside the station yard with the daily train times advertising the option of taking the train at least.

There were actually 6 passengers on the train. Only saw the others when we reached Colbert station.

Deedsie

After so long since I was on the train its a shock how slowly it trundles along.

How fast would these 2800/2700 trains be abled to travel if unimpeded by crossings and jointed track etc?

Im not sure if its because I am aware the area around Cappadine is still jointed track or what but you can noticeably feel a change in the comfort of the journey.

Del.Monte

Deedsie wrote: »

On the Nenagh - Limerick train this morning.

Its an absolute disaster that this train doesnt have more passengers using it.

I honestly think a big part of the problem is people forget the service is even there to be used in the first place.

There should be a sign outside the station yard with the daily train times advertising the option of taking the train at least.

3 passengers on the train.

What do you expect as there is no attempt to market the line. I would be 99.9% certain that any premises in Nenagh - tourist office, library, hotel etc. will have no timetable leaflets for the railway but will have JJ Kavanagh and Bus Eireann info.



All you have is useless bandwagon politicians who probably never use the railway sounding off in the media at every opportunity. just like their fellow travellers did in Youghal and we know where that ended up.

Deedsie

Del.Monte wrote: »

What do you expect as there is no attempt to market the line. I would be 99.9% certain that any premises in Nenagh - tourist office, library, hotel etc. will have no timetable leaflets for the railway but will have JJ Kavanagh and Bus Eireann info.



All you have is useless bandwagon politicians who probably never use the railway sounding off in the media at every opportunity. just like their fellow travellers did in Youghal and we know where that ended up.

Hard to disagree with any of that. Emailed and tweeted Alan Kelly a few times with links to the petition and have had no response.

Well aware a petition will have minimal impact but still. Expected a retweet from the local TD and to be fair main campaigner for the line in the Dáil.

Jackie Cahill and Martin Browne are asking more questions lately.

I actually emailed the Ireland South MEP's yesterday just asking them to promote the campaign petition.

Mick Wallace only one to respond so far.

There is new tourist office being setup in Nenagh. Will make the suggestion that they have train timetables available once it opens.

The_Wanderer

Deedsie wrote: »

How fast would these 2800/2700 trains be abled to travel if unimpeded by crossings and jointed track etc?

Commuter DMU stock is 70 mph.

Deedsie

The_Wanderer wrote: »

Commuter DMU stock is 70 mph.

So feasibly with a (good) bit of work on the (many) crossings and completing the track relay. You could double the speed of the trains with the current stock :-)

Deedsie

Now we have Europe backing our campaign :-)

https://twitter.com/wallacemick/status/1408376970077945857?s=19

Deedsie

One other minor observation from the trip to Limerick on the train. Mobile internet for the entire journey was excellent.

It can be the kind of thing a lot of people find important when deciding whether or not to use public transport.

esposito

The_Wanderer wrote: »

Commuter DMU stock is 70 mph.

Could they not use other rolling stock on this line? A 22000 ‘intercity’ style train giving more comfort perhaps?

Deedsie

Was on the train again this morning

Nenagh - Cloughjordan Return.

Have to say fairly impressive crowd on the return leg. Between 20 and 30 passengers.

Again its very noticeable when you go from new track to old track near Glenahilty bridge.

Its amazing how many farm crossings this line has.

Deedsie

Saw this picture on the wall in Cloughjordan station.

Great way to keep the unoccupied station houses in good shape.

I wonder are the other stations looked after by local tidy towns groups along the line?

The_Wanderer

Deedsie wrote: »

Was on the train again this morning

Nenagh - Cloughjordan Return.

Have to say fairly impressive crowd on the return leg. Between 20 and 30 passengers.

Again its very noticeable when you go from new track to old track near Glenahilty bridge.

Its amazing how many farm crossings this line has.

I'm just after boarding the train in Nenagh to head into Limerick.

Deedsie

The_Wanderer wrote: »

I'm just after boarding the train in Nenagh to head into Limerick.

Good stuff. Nenagh station seemed busy. Not sure if many got on. I was wrestling with two toddlers getting off the train.

Great to see a few on it.

The_Wanderer

Deedsie wrote: »

Good stuff. Nenagh station seemed busy. Not sure if many got on. I was wrestling with two toddlers getting off the train.

Great to see a few on it.

Was one of them wearing a Tipp jersey?

The train has seen customers board and alight at Birdhill and Castleconnell on the way in.

Deedsie

The_Wanderer wrote: »

Was one of them wearing a Tipp jersey?

The train has seen customers board and alight at Birdhill and Castleconnell on the way in.

No Tipp jerseys. I did see someone board in Cloughjordan in a Tipp jersey alright.

Great that people are using Birdhill and Castleconell too.

When i travelled in yesterday no one got on or off there that I saw

The_Wanderer

Saturday 26th June 2021:
A ramble into Limerick this morning on the 1008 Ballybrophy - Limerick and returning to Nenagh via the recently introduced Bus Eireann 323 service which operates between Limerick and Nenagh via Ballina (Tipperary) and Portroe.

All the images from the trip have now been posted in the June gallery at https://bit.ly/3dhvkXn

Deedsie

Kylenaheskeragh Bridge is the location where the recent works terminated.

I took a ramble out today just to see what way the area around the bridge was left after the works were completed.

In the SW image you can still see the rail outside the track is still in place about 100m from the bridge.

In the NE 2 image you can see a yard to the side of track where some of the old track is stored presumably waiting to be collected at a later date.

Hopefully in the not too distant future we will see relay works resume here on the section between Kylenaheskeragh and Roscrea Station. 20km (around 12 miles) North East of here.


The line is going to close again next weekend for works in Roscrea station.

tabbey

Deedsie wrote: »

Saw this picture on the wall in Cloughjordan station.

Great way to keep the unoccupied station houses in good shape.

I wonder are the other stations looked after by local tidy towns groups along the line?

Birdhill has a railway garden looked after by the community but I don't think they mind the station, as it has a signalman.

Deedsie

tabbey wrote: »

Birdhill has a railway garden looked after by the community but I don't think they mind the station, as it has a signalman.

Fair play to them for doing that much. Birdhill tidy towns have a great reputation for the work they do.

Nenagh Station may benefit from the Nenagh transport hub plans that were referenced on this thread about a month ago.

There was a small update on those plans this week.

Article on TippFM website:


https://tippfm.com/news/transport/broad-welcome-planned-centralised-transport-hub-nenagh/

There has been a very positive response by the people of Nenagh to plans for a centralised transport hub.

Bus congestion on Kickham Street and plans for a new traffic management system in the town have prompted the Council to look at whether a transport hub could be developed at the Railway Station.

This would become the new town bus stop, and consideration is also likely to be given to taxi ranks and electric vehicle charging points.

Administrator of Nenagh Municipal District, Rosemary Joyce, says 28 of the 30 public submissions on the idea were supportive.

“We did get one negative submission from somebody who wanted the bus stop to be retained in Kickham Street – however with the introduction of the one-way system that is not going to be possible.”

“In addition to that then the submission we received from the National Transport Authority raised a number of queries and we will now be going from that to discuss the proposal with them and tease out the matters that they raised with us.”

seekers

very interesting development in Nenagh Station. Ennis has had the bus station beside the railway station for years. not that there has been much integration of the two services.

seekers

any developments on the work in Roscrea today?

Deedsie

seekers wrote: »

any developments on the work in Roscrea today?

Fair few torrential showers today in Nenagh anyway. I wonder will that delay or obstruct them.

The_Wanderer

seekers wrote: »

any developments on the work in Roscrea today?

The turnout into the siding is being renewed and being repositioned slightly further towards Ballybrophy.

seekers

The_Wanderer wrote: »

The turnout into the siding is being renewed and being repositioned slightly further towards Ballybrophy.

is the siding still in use?

The_Wanderer

seekers wrote: »

is the siding still in use?

It can be used to stable engineering trains.

Deedsie

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Took a few photos at Cappadine User operated crossing today.

The gate was predictably open when I first went through. There is a huge amount of growth on the road verge and if you didnt know the area or were not paying attention to the half covered road signs you would be on the track before you knew where you were.

I spoke to someone local who said there was a request made to add a streetlight near the crossing so people could safely close the gate at night and they were fobbed off.

The overgrowth along the road is very excessive. I assume that is the responsibility of the landowner.

I closed the gates when I went back through. First time id ever seen them closed.

The_Wanderer

The July gallery has been updated with images from Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th July 2021:

The Iarnrod Eireann MPV No. 790 operated over the Nenagh Branch on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th July to weedspray the branch.

Click https://bit.ly/3BpFDDf to view.