Freight rail in Ireland

andrewfaulk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121069630#Comment_121069630

PPT is cleared for 9'6 on flat wagons since 2012.. A wise move as HC containers have become more widespread in the interim, and make up 95% of the equipment pool for all the major inter European shipping lines..

dowlingm

I always thought that if the Navan line was built that the logical implication would be closing/mothballing the Drogheda route, so that pathing higher speed services on Dublin-Belfast route would be easier without 50mph ore freights to work around. Given the drivers wouldn’t be worrying about manual gates it might even have been quicker from load point to port? What I would like to see on the Northern Line is container freight to/from the North on 75mph wagons

goingnowhere

The entire network is cleared for 9 foot and the vast bulk is cleared by 9'6 on normal wagons. That miles ahead of the UK where low floor wagons are required.

Any freight flow which is profitable Irish Rail very happy to chase it down, if its loss making its cut loose.

Economics101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121123608#Comment_121123608

THere has been an "official" view that EU rules prevent government subvention of rail freight as opposed to passengers. Is this true? It begs questions about access charges, incentivising emissions reduction etc. It also begs questions about the fiscal treatment of the rival to rail freight: juggernaut trucks. Do these pay access charges (road taxes) commensurate with the costs they impose? Remember that road wear ans tear is related not to the axle load but to axle-load squared or cubed (I forget the exact formula).

mcfeckinsandwich

First post, so apologies if I've missed this...but is there a way to find times/schedules for freight runs?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121178682#Comment_121178682

Not publicly, but there's plenty of enthusiasts who would know the timings, or at least a good rough guess, for them all.

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121123608#Comment_121123608

I'd agree with you to an extent, but if you count "The whole world" The bulk of rail freight uses low floor wagons, not cause of any loading restriction but simply because you can fit more freight on. (In the US and India they're double stacking containers)

These old type of wagons are on the way out, no one is buying these anymore:

And these are on the way in:

Biggest EU manufacturer of wagons is Tatravagonka (I think)

All their new gear is as low as they can make it (see link below. I've already been putting together my imaginary freight train :D ):

https://tatravagonka.sk/wagons/?lang=en

andrewfaulk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121193953#Comment_121193953

Pocket wagons like the Irish rail CPWs were much in vogue in the early 2000s when 9ft 6in containers were relatively new and uncommon.. However they limit capacity due to their length.. What we have seen here and elsewhere is that rail operators would rather undertake gauge clearance work where possible to allow 9ft 6in containers on standard wagons..

Irish rails new wagon order will most definitely be for flat wagons rather than well/pocket wagons.. Likely an off the shelf EU type that can be fitted with various ISO platforms for different applications(Ballast/spoil, timber, tank wagons)

Talking about the US or India is fairly irrelevant for an Irish perspective.. Portugal or Scandinavia would be a better comparison