Limerick - Nenagh - Ballybrophy railway

The_Wanderer

Deedsie wrote: »

Does anyone know the extent of the works being carried out on the line at the moment? Line improvements is pretty vague.

Good sign that anything is being done I suppose.

It's been reported that 9 miles of CWR is to be laid in 2021, up from 5 miles initially planned. I saw a Relay Train in Nenagh Station last Saturday while crossing the bridge at the station.

Deedsie

The_Wanderer wrote: »

It's been reported that 9 miles of CWR is to be laid in 2021, up from 5 miles initially planned. I saw a Relay Train in Nenagh Station last Saturday while crossing the bridge at the station.

Was that a yellow machine? I actually saw it myself at the bridge and wondered what it was.

Presumably laying CWR is a good thing for the line?

The_Wanderer

Deedsie wrote: »

Was that a yellow machine? I actually saw it myself at the bridge and wondered what it was.

Presumably laying CWR is a good thing for the line?

This is the relay train https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2020-Photos/June-2020/i-gZMWcdP

You probably saw a tamper or ballast regulator, which would be required as part of the works.

Of course it is, it will allow line speeds to be increased in time, in tandem with other works carried out such as level crossing closures.

Deedsie

The_Wanderer wrote: »

This is the relay train https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2020-Photos/June-2020/i-gZMWcdP

You probably saw a tamper or ballast regulator, which would be required as part of the works.

Of course it is, it will allow line speeds to be increased in time, in tandem with other works carried out such as level crossing closures.

Going on google images I think it was a ballast regulator that I saw.

Ya, that was a stupid question. Obviously it is good news. I am just so used to constant negativity in relation to the line its a bit of a shock to see actual physical infrastructural improvements to the line. Just hope they continue to upgrade and invest until timetable speeds improve.

Great to hear. Be brilliant if they could remove or upgrade some of the level crossings on the section between Nenagh and Limerick.

91wx763

Off topic/location but I see a facebook IE fiend saying all of the Waterford Limerick Junction line is CWR now. Is CWR the new "paint the signalboxes and stations" before closing the line ?

Deedsie

91wx763 wrote: »

Off topic/location but I see a facebook IE fiend saying all of the Waterford Limerick Junction line is CWR now. Is CWR the new "paint the signalboxes and stations" before closing the line ?

Is there a preexisting line that was fitted with CWR and then closed?

91wx763

Deedsie wrote: »

Is there a preexisting line that was fitted with CWR and then closed?

I doubt it but it was the similarity of the situation to which I was referring.

Edit- there was second hand CWR put in on the south Wexford line but that was subsequently re-replaced (if that's the correct way to describe it).

IE 222

Are IE still receiving funding for operating the line. I'd imagine their just pumping that money into the line during the downtime.

IE 222

IE 222 wrote: »

Are IE still receiving funding for operating the line. I'd imagine their just pumping that money into the line during the downtime.

Well they're flat out working on the derrylusk bridge near castleconnell. Been Irish rail vans there all week. And they only replaced that bridge last year..

mahoney_j

I live not far from that line and often see all 2 trains that pass or used to pass daily .....just forget about it a pure waste of money ...and money for next how many years that could be spent better elsewhere .politicians have been shamefully playing games re trying to justify its existence

tabbey

91wx763 wrote: »

Off topic/location but I see a facebook IE fiend saying all of the Waterford Limerick Junction line is CWR now. Is CWR the new "paint the signalboxes and stations" before closing the line ?

All cwr?
If that is the case, I must take a trip on it,( but of course, not before our public health gurus permit, lol)

Del.Monte

mahoney_j wrote: »

I live not far from that line and often see all 2 trains that pass or used to pass daily .....just forget about it a pure waste of money ...and money for next how many years that could be spent better elsewhere .politicians have been shamefully playing games re trying to justify its existence

Just because it is being run in a shambolic way with no plan for the future does not mean it should be closed.

mahoney_j

Del.Monte wrote: »

Just because it is being run in a shambolic way with no plan for the future does not mean it should be closed.

It’s like that for years people don’t snd won’t use if ,shut it down snd put the money to better use

Del.Monte

mahoney_j wrote: »

It’s like that for years people don’t snd won’t use if ,shut it down snd put the money to better use

When CIE 'save' money where do you think it goes? I'll give you some examples: Thornton Hall Prison; e-voting machines; the National Children's Hospital....will I go on?

mahoney_j

Del.Monte wrote: »

When CIE 'save' money where do you think it goes? I'll give you some examples: Thornton Hall Prison; e-voting machines; the National Children's Hospital....will I go on?

Well there’s no point throwing money at a line very few use and is loss making any politician or councillor backing this is near a disgrace .the cost to upgrade it is too high

tabbey

mahoney_j wrote: »

Well there’s no point throwing money at a line very few use and is loss making the cost to upgrade it is too high

Almost all rail lines and roads are loss making.

Never stopped government throwing money into motorways.

With relatively modest investment, the Nenagh branch could become very useful and well used.

Grab All Association

Apparently Wednesday there was a kerfuffle between Iarnród Éireann and a private coach operator. He only sent one bus to operate transfers between Nenagh and Cloughjordan, Iarnród Éireann demanded he send two buses. The single bus left empty and Thursday and Friday both buses left empty.

Del.Monte

Grab All Association wrote: »

Apparently Wednesday there was a kerfuffle between Iarnród Éireann and a private coach operator. He only sent one bus to operate transfers between Nenagh and Cloughjordan, Iarnród Éireann demanded he send two buses. The single bus left empty and Thursday and Friday both buses left empty.

And this is surprising? Both the Limerick/Ballybrophy branch and the Limerick Junction/Waterford line have been run into the ground with buses replacing trains at the drop of a hat so why would people use either line?

end of the road

mahoney_j wrote: »

I live not far from that line and often see all 2 trains that pass or used to pass daily .....just forget about it a pure waste of money ...and money for next how many years that could be spent better elsewhere .politicians have been shamefully playing games re trying to justify its existence

nope not forget about it, not a pure waste of money, no money that could be better spent elsewhere as it either wouldn't be spent elsewhere or would be thrown away on nothing.
fair play to the politicians for trying to insure irish rail are held to account and for trying to stop them from playing silly games, and long may they continue to save this line.

mahoney_j wrote: »

It’s like that for years people don’t snd won’t use if ,shut it down snd put the money to better use

nope not shut it down, not put the money to better use as there is no money to be put to better use.

mahoney_j wrote: »

Well there’s no point throwing money at a line very few use and is loss making any politician or councillor backing this is near a disgrace .the cost to upgrade it is too high

bar few exceptions railways are generally loss making, and if you are looking for them to be otherwise you will have to go back to the 1930s, and even then there were loss making ones.
anybody backing this line is a hero and the cost to upgrade it may be high but nothing compared to what has been spent on certain things over the years, some of which del.monte has mentioned.
at least putting it into this vital link will bring benefits and usership especially once proper road pricing is forced upon ireland.

mahoney_j

end of the road wrote: »

nope not forget about it, not a pure waste of money, no money that could be better spent elsewhere as it either wouldn't be spent elsewhere or would be thrown away on nothing.
fair play to the politicians for trying to insure irish rail are held to account and for trying to stop them from playing silly games, and long may they continue to save this line.



nope not shut it down, not put the money to better use as there is no money to be put to better use.



bar few exceptions railways are generally loss making, and if you are looking for them to be otherwise you will have to go back to the 1930s, and even then there were loss making ones.
anybody backing this line is a hero and the cost to upgrade it may be high but nothing compared to what has been spent on certain things over the years, some of which del.monte has mentioned.
at least putting it into this vital link will bring benefits and usership especially once proper road pricing is forced upon ireland.

Call a spade a spade the line is only of use to a small minority ,it’s a long long time since the line was of any use politicians and councillors throwing money at this snd making noise in local press and radio is just for political gain there is so many other things any money that would be spent on this could be put towards

end of the road

mahoney_j wrote: »

Call a spade a spade the line is only of use to a small minority ,it’s a long long time since the line was of any use politicians and councillors throwing money at this snd making noise in local press and radio is just for political gain there is so many other things any money that would be spent on this could be put towards

it's only of use to a small amount because it has been deliberately kept so.
it won't ever be, say, a navan, but it certainly can attract reasonable patronage if operated properly.

a lot of us have been involved in following the saga of this and other lines for years so actually know what we are talking about.
you can keep parroting on about money being spent elsewhere and the usual nonsense, but the reality is the money spent on this line will be going to nothing else worth while even if it closed tomorrow,
that is just the reality i'm afraid.

donvito99

Shambolic service or not, the Ballybrophy branch line is a scandal.

A group representing train users said there was a case to close the Limerick to Ballybrophy route - which costs €761 per passenger journey - because without savings, the entire network is under threat.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/irish-rail-to-seek-more-funds-from-taxpayers-even-if-routes-are-axed-36083245.html

mahoney_j

end of the road wrote: »

it's only of use to a small amount because it has been deliberately kept so.
it won't ever be, say, a navan, but it certainly can attract reasonable patronage if operated properly.

a lot of us have been involved in following the saga of this and other lines for years so actually know what we are talking about.
you can keep parroting on about money being spent elsewhere and the usual nonsense, but the reality is the money spent on this line will be going to nothing else worth while even if it closed tomorrow,
that is just the reality i'm afraid.

So money on our health service ,roads etc etc is not money well spent ,no offence meant bit putting money into a dead in the water rail Line that has not been used nor ever will be to any great extent is just waste end of

mahoney_j

donvito99 wrote: »

Shambolic service or not, the Ballybrophy branch line is a scandal.



https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/irish-rail-to-seek-more-funds-from-taxpayers-even-if-routes-are-axed-36083245.html

A disgrace if tax payers money is spent on this or any similar rail line there’s enough holes to fill in public expenditure without putting it into loss making under utilised rail lines

donvito99

mahoney_j wrote: »

A disgrace if tax payers money is spent on this or any similar rail line there’s enough holes to fill in public expenditure without putting it into loss making under utilised rail lines

Inevitably, most lines here will be loss making (I think even Dart makes a small loss per passenger). A loss if not a reason to mothball a line. But this line ought to be mothballed to make other similar lines work, or vice versa. Use the train and driver for this route on another ex Limerick, either Galway or Waterford, and see if an increased frequency attracts more passengers to those routes. When rolling stock is plentiful, we can think about restoring a service to the Ballybrophy branch. In the meantime, let RPSI or film-makers use it.

end of the road

donvito99 wrote: »

Shambolic service or not, the Ballybrophy branch line is a scandal.



https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/irish-rail-to-seek-more-funds-from-taxpayers-even-if-routes-are-axed-36083245.html

a scandle thanks to irish rail and those supposed to be insuring they operate things properly.
realistically the reality is the railway will always be under threat until we do some more growing up as a country and see it as part of the infrastructure like most other countries.

mahoney_j wrote: »

So money on our health service ,roads etc etc is not money well spent ,no offence meant bit putting money into a dead in the water rail Line that has not been used nor ever will be to any great extent is just waste end of

actually given the amount we spend on roads as it is, spending more on them isn't money well spent no .
as for the health service, there is plenty of money for it, however without actually dealing with it's issues then no amount of increases will solve anything.
putting money into a non-dead in the water rail Line that will be used if operated properly is money well spent, "end of" "fact" etc.

mahoney_j wrote: »

A disgrace if tax payers money is spent on this or any similar rail line there’s enough holes to fill in public expenditure without putting it into loss making under utilised rail lines

if you have such a bea in your bonnet over loss making lines then the world's railways or most of them would need to go.
that isn't happening, get over it.
you might buy a few bricks with the children's hospital if you are lucky but that is all you will get if the limerick ballybroaphy line closed tomorroe.

end of the road

donvito99 wrote: »

Inevitably, most lines here will be loss making (I think even Dart makes a small loss per passenger). A loss if not a reason to mothball a line. But this line ought to be mothballed to make other similar lines work, or vice versa. Use the train and driver for this route on another ex Limerick, either Galway or Waterford, and see if an increased frequency attracts more passengers to those routes. When rolling stock is plentiful, we can think about restoring a service to the Ballybrophy branch. In the meantime, let RPSI or film-makers use it.

there are enough 2800s in limerick for more services without removing this service.

donvito99

end of the road wrote: »

there are enough 2800s in limerick for more services without removing this service.

Even better, throw them all at Waterford/Galway intercity, Galway/Limerick commuter services.

end of the road

donvito99 wrote: »

Even better, throw them all at Waterford/Galway intercity, Galway/Limerick commuter services.

inter city services require something better then those yokes.
still enough for the bb branch even with galway and limerick commuter as there won't be much on the limerick side.

donvito99

end of the road wrote: »

still enough for the bb branch.

Given the current situation on the branch, that additional capacity must be used elsewhere. Just close the bloody thing.

anyway inter city services require something better then those yokes.

They'd be better than nothing until there is actual stock available.