Cork Area Commuter Rail

namloc1980

Frequency being doubled from July on the Cork - Cobh/Midleton line. First bit of CMATS being tangibly implemented

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40890815.html

igCorcaigh

Well, this is surely a good thing.

But (ya, you knew it!), I used to commute on the Kent to Little Island rail line every day, and it was never that busy. The people who prefer to drive through the horrendous traffic to Little Island will continue to do so. I would much prefer if they doubled the frequency of the bus to the airport (supposedly one every half hour but seems completely random to me).

And, yes Sherlock, I no longer work in Little Island, but the airport business park.

namloc1980

Yeah there'll be lots of near empty trains chugging on that line outside the morning and evening commutes.

deRanged

it's excellent news. now if they'd only add a late night service (just bring back the old 23:15 and 23:30 trains).

namloc1980

The last train to Midleton is at 22:15. Ridiculously early.

questionmark?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119176686#Comment_119176686

Surely Cork to Midleton or Cobh has demand for a late service. Even a 11:45 on a Friday/Saturday would suffice!

Outkast_IRE

Agree with the above - a late night service would be very welcome and used.

cgcsb

It takes a while for new public transport services to build up ridership, that's the case everywhere. If empty running persists measures to reduce road use should be implemented

Outkast_IRE

Well as a regular to daily user of the services i would say just before covid the station car parks at Little Island and Glounthane were pretty full alot of the time. Some of my work colleagues coming from east cork would drive to Little Island or Glounthane rather than using the nearer midleton or cobh, simply because the frequency at little island and glounthane allowed them more flexibility. So these users will hopefully take advantage of the increased frequency.

I think a park and ride east on the line at dunkettle with the increase in service frequency would be a massive boost and encourage alot of people coming down the M8 to park up and use rail if their final destination is city centre.

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119178468#Comment_119178468

There was talk initially of incorporating a P&R at Dunkettle with the works going on there at the moment on the interchange. But I think that got knocked on the head in favour of a later delivery per CMATS. Missed opportunity.

Mushy

This is great, a lot more flexibility now for using the trains, something that will hopefully lead to increased use. Fully agree with the calls for later trains, even just on Friday/Saturday would be a huge benefit.

namloc1980

Preliminary tender for the double tracking to Midleton has been issued on etenders:

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicPurchase/216998/0/0?returnUrl=ctm/Supplier/publictenders&b=ETENDERS_SIMPLE

timmyjimmy

Carrigtwohill IDA needs a stop!

DylanQuestion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119176059#Comment_119176059

Under Bus Connects, 15 of the 44 bus routes will terminate or stop at the south south of Kent Station (Alfred Street extension)

7, Mount Oval - Kent

12, Carrigaline - Passage West - Kent

13, Airport - Park & Ride - Kent

13A, Haulbowline - Ballygarvan - Kent

13B, Kinsale - Kent

15, St Stephen's Hospital - MTU

16, Cloghroe - Kent

20, Bessboro - Kent

21, Lower Dublin Hill - UCC

23, Collin's Barracks - Deerpark - Park & Ride

30, Ballincurra - MTU

31X, Youghal - Parnell Place

41X, Haulbowline - Kent

42X, Fountainstown - Kent

51, Knockraha - Parnell Place

Itssoeasy

Well they started the work on the line this morning after having had ballast on the site of the old tivoli station for a few weeks and then rails appeared on the same part this week. They had tied the cables back to the wall on the side of the track(by the houses) last week and this morning they were working on the level crossing and the track was lifted between there are the skew bridge on the line out of cork.

Itssoeasy

B28A8BDC-C7FD-48F0-A399-D4C5B59E4BE8.jpeg

5EADE7EF-70F5-4299-9994-762D4773A906.jpeg

57CFD00A-8518-4B8A-B4EE-B292110612BC.jpeg

Apologies if some of the photos are upside down but these were taken yesterday evening and show the work that’s been carried out since Saturday. The level crossing has also had work done on it.

edit: again sorry lads I’ve tried to get the top two the right way around but no dice it seems. Anyone have any tips as to how to fix them.

Mushy

What exactly are they doing in this time? I'd have no clue about the reasons for it. Good chunk of work done, is it only daytime work?

notAMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119291992#Comment_119291992

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Cork_Met_Area_Transport_Stategy_web_Part_1_Part6.pdf

They are getting the line together for the new connection from the railway station to the bus station

Mushy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119292174#Comment_119292174

Ah I'd have thought that the tracks that were there (coming from cobh/midleton lines) didn't need any work until far closer to the station itself

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119292174#Comment_119292174

What new connection to the bus station?

notAMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119292220#Comment_119292220

I meant page 1 and 4 in the link there. Making the interlink to the city bus services easier.

Itssoeasy

6529BB49-142E-4083-A547-47EFBEE941E7.jpeg

F4452320-EDD2-4544-977E-6281D5ED349D.jpeg

These two pictures(which hopefully are the right way up) we’re taken last night and show the track having being put back but not ballasted in yet. There are rails all along from the skew bridge to the silver springs flyover and fresh ballast has been placed in parts and the old ballast is sitting on the bank. There are rails on the line between the level crossing and the station similar to further down the line. The level crossing has been put back as it was with new tarmac down on the road.

agoodusername

Out of curiosity, why are the last trains at 22.15 and 22.30, is it a noise thing or something to do with workers? I started taking the 11.00 bus home from nights out or a taxi because I'd be leaving before ten to make the train. Both always seemed like reasonably busy trains compared to the other evening services, I'm assuming that we'd have the demand.

deRanged

As far as I know it's down to the times. they'd need a new shift of workers (not just drivers but signal, station etc) to cover the last train, where the current last train is at the end of the last shift.

I'm hoping works will complete on time. The lads running the replacement busses have it well sorted now (the first Monday was a proper mess) but I miss the train. And the proper timetable.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119311355#Comment_119311355

Sort of like Closedown on tv, when you should all be in bed, but unlike tv, Irish public transport hasn't moved with the times.

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119335932#Comment_119335932

My father worked on the buses in the city in the 70s when the last bus was at 11.15pm. 50 years later it's the exact same (the 220 being a very recent exception).

Mushy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119335095#Comment_119335095

Is there any indication that the works will run over? Not a fan of a bus replacement. Saw a cement truck and some Global Rail Services fans at Rushbrooke today.

hans aus dtschl

Yep Amsterdam isn't late night / early morning and I've been caught out in Frankfurt plenty times too.

Berlin is 24/7, but most other cities I've been in stop at a reasonably early hour.

I think it's the personnel shifts too, rather than the noise concerns.

titan18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119175369#Comment_119175369

Tbf the journey from Little Island train station to where you might work within the park can be a fair bit and not something a lot are going to do (particularly in Irish weather). Not sure if they've ever got rid of that metal bridge across the tracks but that was a death trap on a frosty morning.

More trains per hour isn't going to make people stop driving when the alternative is commute to Kent, train and then walk. Not unless you happen to live within walking distance of Kent anyway.

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119360710#Comment_119360710

A new footbridge is planned into Eastgate. A new footbridge was also just announced for over the platforms too, including lifts. A new bus is planned through Little Island also with fairly significant road changes to accommodate it. So those will all help a bit. The current route into Little Island is fairly hostile for pedestrians and cyclists to say the least.

Lots of people are using that train right now. I'd guess something like 30 per train, so a few hundred every day. It's not terrible but it could definitely be better, no question.

titan18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119362576#Comment_119362576

Ya, I used to use it but it was a disaster most days with our weather. Now that Im only doing a day in the office a week, I'd deal with traffic that one day.