Capacity bottle necks in Waterford -Dublin train

Yellow_Fern

Is this issue of lot of platform space in Kilkenny McDonough Station widely known? https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/columnists/1417044/editorial-high-time-to-tackle-issue-of-kilkenny-s-train-station-capacity.html

I was shocked when I read this story. This along with the single track to Waterford- Kilkenny goes a long way to explain the perennial overcrowding of this train route. This link explains it more depth https://www.reddit.com/r/waterford/comments/1be0iz7/the_missing_platform_kilkenny/

johnnykilo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058340965/capacity-bottle-necks-in-waterford-dublin-train

I get the train once a week to Dublin for work and didn't realise this.

Previously (what was) the 7am train (and I think a couple of others during the day) to Dublin didn't stop in Kilkenny; the first stop was Carlow and those trains were also 10 minutes quicker. Irish Rail opened a consultation when they were changing the timetable - I posted the link here [https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058264112/irish-rail-waterford-dublin-timetable-changes] and outlined my own objection to the timetable change to Irish Rail.

Let them run a 6 carriage train from Kilkenny to Dublin, and have a separate Waterford to Dublin train which by-passes Kilkenny seems to me to be the logical solution.

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121896337#Comment_121896337

I think they need to double track to do this. It is nuts. We desperatly need double tracking.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121897457#Comment_121897457

Parts of our rail network has not been invested in since Queen Victoria was on the throne. Double tracking should be the norm not the exception. How much time is lost with one train sat a station waiting for the next one to come along.

L1011

Lots of track that was double in the Victorian era is now single, including a few bits of the line to Waterford (Cherryville Junction to Carlow and the approach to Kilkenny, I believe)

Dum_Dum_2

Give the old alignments over to cyclists. It's 19th Century engineering. A new 21st Century network - doubled tracked, standard gauge and electrified is what's required. But the unambitious mega-bores that populate the political class and the civil service, seething in negativity, will tell you it's 'not possible', 'too expensive' and their favourite rebuttal: 'it's complicated'. Here's the news: it's only complicated for their simple minds, the rest of the planet gets on with it. They simply cannot conceive of a world outside their own ar$e.

91wx763

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121897633#Comment_121897633

I think you've been drinking.

Imagine the CPO aspect and the Bórd Pleanála etc. As L1011 said just re-double where was prior to 1929 and where you can now.

Yellow_Fern

Id urge anyone who feels strongly to email our TDs about this in Waterford and in Kilkenny or indeed Kildare and other effected counties.

Dum_Dum_2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121898659#Comment_121898659

Another one in their arsenal, if you dare to strive beyond the stifling mediocrity, is they'll accuse you of being drunk.

And they will absolutely convince you that returning it to the way it was in 1929 is 'progress'.

azimuth17

The Waterford Limerick line used to be twin track out to Mooncoin. Eight miles. You can still see the bridge at Grannagh on the old Dublin road where one line was removed. We used to have a station on the Dublin line in Kilmacow, a station in Glenmore, in New Ross, in Kilmeaden, even had a Tramore train with its own Dart line. Everything perfect for commuting. Now the trains leave Waterford early and assist commuting to Kilkenny, Carlow and Dublin, but nothing early in the opposite direction to faciliate students or people for UHW. Same with the Limerick Line. If you were trying to destroy Waterford as a regional centre you could not do better. The loss of the New Ross line was particularly silly. Ryan has at least stopped the ripping up of the Rosslare line. Wexford pols mad for a Greenway.

Madeoface

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121897544#Comment_121897544

This is it really, the issue of double tracking. The new Dublin suburb of Cherry wood will have a population of Kilkenny when construction is done. Probably in excess as more housing appears to be added.

It is being serviced by the recently built Luas line....which is... single track. So it's adding massive demand to a line with feck all scope for capacity increase. Bonkers.

Cabaal

Didn't realise they sold off the old station, extremely short sighted.

But then so was closing the old Kilkenny/Portlaoise line and then allowing land owners to take over the land where the track once existed.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901040#Comment_121901040

The Luas to Cherrywood is dual track. The entire network is, except the bit where it splits to two unidirectional singles.

WishUWereHere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121901040#Comment_121901040

Sorry but I think You are wrong. Cherrywood is double tracked afaik. Apart from O’Connell /Marlborough & Westmorland Streets all luas lines are double tracked - I could be wrong though.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121944676#Comment_121944676

a quick goo at google maps with satellite 🛰️ image on will give ya the answer in seconds