tabbey wrote: » It is called rationalisation. Andrews did it, Beeching did it. As well as reducing Pearse to little more than a suburban station, it also facilitated the closure of Grand Canal Street running shed, and centralised the maintenance of most locos in Inchicore.And of course saved the costs associated with 28 miles of mainline The great pity for services to the west of Ireland, is that beyond Maynooth the Midland route is not so bad, and west of Mullingar would be the straightest route in the country. If CIE had built a branch mainline from Stacumny to somewhere west of Leixlip,and diverted the trains to the west onto it from Heuston, they especially Galway had the potential for real high speed running, Dublin to Galway in 90 minutes would have been realistic. Another effect of taking midland trains out of Pearse was the decline of Westland Row as a commercial district . The Grosvenor Hotel closed down, and the car hire firm was unable to compete, eventually shutting it's doors. Incidentally, viewers of the movie "the First Great Train Robbery" can see the rooftop shenanigans of Sean Connery under the bridges of the Mullingar - Athlone mainline.
Del.Monte wrote: » The location of the MGWR station in Athlone was not a problem given that most people arrive at country stations in a car/bus etc. rather than commuter stations where a lot/majority of people walk to and from the station. The pointless closure and relocation of the station was done to facilitate a termination of rail services east of the Shannon and to make the reopening of the Mullingar/Athlone line even more expensive.
Del.Monte wrote: » I don't know where the logical conclusion to relocate everything into Heuston comes in but.
NiallBoo wrote: » Was it the original route for Dublin-Galway services? Seems like the mire obvious route? Was it closed in the first place to ease demand on Connolly?
Vic_08 wrote: » So now stations are better off away from town 'cause nobody walks to them anyways. What's the betting that if it had been the other way around you'd be moaning that you can no longer use the train to Athlone because the station is to far a walk from the town? Athlone midland is poorly located, has very limited car parking space and not nearly enough space for co-locating a bus station, not that the bus company would want to locate there anyway because it is too far from the town centre.https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4270698,-7.9483665,3a,75y,225.14h,76.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNFhgH11A5Ga9K3v3WmazOQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Southern meanwhile is closer to the town, had much more space for car parking and a co-located bus station. Once the logical decision to run Galway/Westport to Heuston was made it was a very good decision to switch to Athlone Southern. If those routes had been kept on the MGWR where would the extra paths and platform space in Connolly come from?
Del.Monte wrote: » Another person who refuses to read what is written. It is fairly obvious that the nature of travel from rural/provincial stations is radically different to that on commuter lines but you know best. I don't know where the logical conclusion to relocate everything into Heuston comes in but I'll bow to your superior knowledge.
Del.Monte wrote: » Pity the MGWR didn't opt for 4ft 8.5" that would have kept the Inchicore vultures at bay.
Sam Russell wrote: » When did the Athlone station move to its current location?
Vic_08 wrote: » So now stations are better off away from town 'cause nobody walks to them anyways. :rolleyes: What's the betting that if it had been the other way around you'd be moaning that you can no longer use the train to Athlone because the station is to far a walk from the town? Athlone midland is poorly located, has very limited car parking space and not nearly enough space for co-locating a bus station, not that the bus company would want to locate there anyway because it is too far from the town centre.https://www.google.com/maps/@53.4270698,-7.9483665,3a,75y,225.14h,76.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNFhgH11A5Ga9K3v3WmazOQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Southern meanwhile is closer to the town, had much more space for car parking and a co-located bus station. Once the logical decision to run Galway/Westport to Heuston was made it was a very good decision to switch to Athlone Southern. If those routes had been kept on the MGWR where would the extra paths and platform space in Connolly come from?
lxflyer wrote: » The Galway trains originally ran from Broadstone via Mullingar. They switched to Connolly after Broadstone closed. However when the upgrade of the Dublin-Cork line was completed in the 1970s, CIE switched the bulk of them to Heuston to take advantage of the higher speeds on that line and to consequently reduce journey times. Nothing more than that. The station in Athlone was also subsequently relocated from the western side of the river to the eastern side, on the line to Portarlington, which frankly is much closer to the town centre.
end of the road wrote: » it's a mute point though sadly as it's unlikely the line would reopen.
XPS_Zero wrote: » When this is done can I just swap trains in GCD and go str8 to Adamstown?
NiallBoo wrote: » Isn't it now being used as a greenway?
ClovenHoof wrote: » New York? How about a valid comparison: Amsterdam, Helsinki, Prague, Munich, Frankfurt (oh dear), Oslo, Boston etc... All cross-crossed with numerous metros, tram lines and heavy rail commuter lines and all about the same size and density as Dublin.
XPS_Zero wrote: » Imagine if we'd built the damn DU and Metro North. I keep hearing the moronic point by uninformed people "this isn't New York we don't have the population density for. Subway".
XPS_Zero wrote: » I haven't looked at the draft timetable - are they proposing just rush hour in rush hour out only for now? So like no tunnel journeys between 10am and 5pm?
XPS_Zero wrote: » Going from Killiney to Adamstown via bus is uncomfortable. So I tried it by train. It was definitely wayyyyy more comfortable (esp since the train had a Premier carriage attached) but the Luas transfer is a bit of a pain in the ass especially when I look longingly at the ICR parked at GCD on the tunnels platform. Also hearing on the Luas "jayzuz i schwearrr if you don't shur up in gonna bate de bleedin bollix outta ye roite? Let me roll me bleedin smokes in peace...jayzuz de noize eh ye dya ever stop ****in outta ye ye tic" and other just lovely conversations in the background was off putting....a quick train change instead of.... 1. Getting off in Connoly 2. Doing the long walk through it to the escalators 3. Waiting for Luas 4. Waiting for the Luas to crrraaawwl through CC (thru which it would speed if they'd put it underground thru cc as was original suggestion) 5. Getting off at Heuston 6. Walking thru Heuston allll the way to platform 8 ******ing miles away from the door then wayyyy past the first ICR parked at 8 to the one BEHIND it 7. Going to Adamstown.....
tabbey wrote: » It would be more comfortable to change train in Pearse, under the overall roof, at least if it is wet.
XPS_Zero wrote: » Currently I have to go to CC and take a packed wet uncomfortable bus winding and swerving for over an hour to get to Adamstown OR go DART-Luas-Heuston-Adamstown. When this is done can I just swap trains in GCD and go str8 to Adamstown?
GM228 wrote: » Regular scheduled services ceased in 1987. Freight continued until mid 90s. A few specials operated over the line in the late 80s and early 90s and loco hauled PWD trains continued to use the line until 2001. Last movement over the line was about 6 years ago when the annual inspection car run ceased.
XPS_Zero wrote: » Currently I have to go to CC and take a packed wet uncomfortable bus winding and swerving for over an hour to get to Adamstown OR go DART-Luas-Heuston-Adamstown. When this is done can I just swap trains in GCD and go str8 to Adamstown? Also would the local DART station give you a Killiney to Adamstown return? Now and when PPT is open, and would one now inc Luas transfer? I find trains way more comfortable than the bus and just swapping in GCD would be ideal especially with winter coming up
