Phoenix Park tunnel: 4 trains per hour from 2016

Del.Monte · 22-09-2016 09:04PM

Sam Russell wrote: »

When did the Athlone station move to its current location?

1985.

Grandeeod · 22-09-2016 09:20PM

This thread is about a piece of GSWR infrastructure. The MGWR hijack job can just feck off!:D

Del.Monte · 22-09-2016 09:37PM

Pity the MGWR didn't opt for 4ft 8.5" that would have kept the Inchicore vultures at bay.

Sam Russell · 22-09-2016 10:11PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Pity the MGWR didn't opt for 4ft 8.5" that would have kept the Inchicore vultures at bay.

Or even 3 ft 6 in.

Vic_08 · 22-09-2016 10:25PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Pity the MGWR didn't opt for 4ft 8.5" that would have kept the Inchicore vultures at bay.

Would have made the Luas conversion easier that's for sure.

IE 222 · 23-09-2016 12:08AM

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.

I think you would find Athlone to be more a commuter station than a rural / provincial stop. The new location was clearly an improvement for the local people and area.

end of the road · 23-09-2016 12:33AM

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?

it was indeed the original route to galway and mayo with the current route (from portarlington to athlone) effectively being a branch. CIE decided to transfer those services to heuston because it was under-used apparently and then ran down the athlone mullingar line. they couldn't be bothered to keep both stations open and a shuttle taking in the 2 would require a complicated move apparently. personally i see no reason why they couldn't have kept them both. the start up of the maynooth suburban could have been a good time to build up the athlone mullingar line again, by extending some of the maynooths to athlone and return and still keep the galways via portarlington. would be hard to do anything now as connolly maynooth is congested and the athlone mullingar line sadly won't reopen any time soon if at all.

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?

they would have been the existing paths that were used at the time. most of what we have now out of connolly was reluctantly/grudgingly started a bit after CIE decided to destroy the athlone mullingar line in the name of destroying the railway east of the Shannon.

tabbey · 23-09-2016 08:55AM

Del.Monte wrote: »

I don't know where the logical conclusion to relocate everything into Heuston comes in but.

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.

ClovenHoof · 23-09-2016 12:29PM

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.

+ 100

end of the road · 23-09-2016 01:26PM

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.

and now they have of course, de-centralised maintenence of stock by throwing depots out to portlaoise and droghida, and the inefficientsy and associated problems that brings for everything bar the portlaoise and droghida only services. weren't the 3 former platforms at pearse rather short anyway. still they should have been kept if they could fit a 4 car. we could do with all the capacity and stabling space we can get in that area. ah well we are where we are.

Carawaystick · 23-09-2016 03:34PM

GM228 wrote: »

Yes, but the tracks are still in situ with the cycle track running parallel.

Mullingar to Athlone

[

NiallBoo · 23-09-2016 03:35PM

^^did they take up the tracks or just fill over them?

Mearings · 23-09-2016 04:13PM

The 'Midland' & the 'Southern' were the Athlone stations in my youth, the latter was goods only. The Midland was a real station, complete with parcels office, large licenced buffet, a Easons stall on Platform 1 & the hustle & bustle of mail being loaded & unloaded. The present station, the Southern, is more like a halt complete with a clock on the lift tower on platform 2 that never shows the correct time. The main advantage of the Southern is that it's situated on the Leinster side of the town.

I remember going through the Phoenix Park tunnel tho' most western trains went directly to Westland Row. I must re-read Flann O'Briens 'A Bash in the Tunnel' in honour of the reopening.

Sam Russell · 23-09-2016 04:19PM

Carawaystick wrote: »

Mullingar to Athlone

[

The line could be fenced off quite easily to allow train use. Is the track in good condition or would it need relaying?

Mearings · 23-09-2016 04:40PM

Sam Russell wrote: »

The line could be fenced off quite easily to allow train use. Is the track in good condition or would it need relaying?[/QUOTE
The bridges are too narrow.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/be216c...7633759839850/

Del.Monte · 23-09-2016 04:41PM

It would need relaying.

tabbey · 23-09-2016 04:45PM

Mearings wrote: »

I remember going through the Phoenix Park tunnel tho' most western trains went directly to Westland Row.

The up morning train from Galway ran to Westland Row via Portarlington and the Phoenix Park tunnel.
It took just 2 hours, 37 minutes Galway to Connolly, 2hr 45 min to Pearse, not bad for an eight car AEC railcar with a total of 1,000 horse power, and 70 mph max speed.
The return train in the evening took 3 hr, 05 mins from Pearse via Mullingar, with more stops and the twisty line to Maynooth.

Del.Monte · 23-09-2016 04:51PM

Is the Mullingar/Athlone greenway really a small tarmac road? If so why? I am familiar with the Douglas/Peel trail http://www.deuchars.org.uk/iom/douglaspeel.htm on the former Isle of Man railway between the two towns and it's just fine gravel. It's popular with walkers, cyclists and horse owners. Has Ireland reinvented the wheel?

Mearings · 23-09-2016 04:53PM

tabbey wrote: »

The up morning train from Galway ran to Westland Row via Portarlington and the Phoenix Park tunnel.
It took just 2 hours, 37 minutes Galway to Connolly, 2hr 45 min to Pearse, not bad for an eight car AEC railcar with a total of 1,000 horse power, and 70 mph max speed.
The return train in the evening took 3 hr, 05 mins from Pearse via Mullingar, with more stops and the twisty line to Maynooth.

I remember getting an early train from Athlone to Portarlington and then having to wait for the up train from Cork.

Carawaystick · 23-09-2016 05:03PM

drifting way off topic now, but
cattle crossings

and the bridges block the line

and the level crossings

Sam Russell · 23-09-2016 06:11PM

Mearings wrote: »

Sam Russell wrote: »

The line could be fenced off quite easily to allow train use. Is the track in good condition or would it need relaying?

The bridges are too narrow.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/be216c...7633759839850/

That picture has no pedestrian/cycle room so I presume they are diverted. Anyway, that would be the least worry, I think getting the track fit to run fast IC trains would be the lion's share of the cost of reinstating. It would be terrible to lose the greenway.

NiallBoo · 23-09-2016 06:18PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Is the Mullingar/Athlone greenway really a small tarmac road? If so why? I am familiar with the Douglas/Peel trail http://www.deuchars.org.uk/iom/douglaspeel.htm on the former Isle of Man railway between the two towns and it's just fine gravel. It's popular with walkers, cyclists and horse owners. Has Ireland reinvented the wheel?

A heck of a lot nicer, easier and safer to cycle on tarmac - gravel would also rule out most bikes, almost all of the ones belonging to people who would actually want to cycle this route. Not to mention people with prams, wheelchairs etc.

In general it's part of a plan to make a Dublin-Galway greenway route. Currently hanging problems with landowners in Galway I believe.

Mearings · 23-09-2016 06:45PM

Sam Russell wrote: »

That picture has no pedestrian/cycle room so I presume they are diverted. Anyway, that would be the least worry, I think getting the track fit to run fast IC trains would be the lion's share of the cost of reinstating. It would be terrible to lose the greenway.

I refer you to #771. Excellent pictures, Carawaystick.

spacetweek · 23-09-2016 09:06PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Is the Mullingar/Athlone greenway really a small tarmac road? If so why? .... Has Ireland reinvented the wheel?

Is this a bad thing????

IE 222 · 24-09-2016 08:34PM

What would be cheaper?

Relaying Mullingar - Athlone or doubling Athlone - Portarlington. I'd imagine either option would require similar signalling upgrade work so really would be just down to track, bridge, crossing and clearance work costs.

Then which would be more beneficial?

Del.Monte · 24-09-2016 09:25PM

Surely the reopening of the Athlone/Mullingar line would be a better long term option as it would free-up space on the Dublin/Cork for future traffic growth?

Banjoxed · 24-09-2016 11:14PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Surely the reopening of the Athlone/Mullingar line would be a better long term option as it would free-up space on the Dublin/Cork for future traffic growth?

It certainly would be an acid test of whether rail could be reinstated without objections being got up against it.

IE 222 · 25-09-2016 05:01AM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Surely the reopening of the Athlone/Mullingar line would be a better long term option as it would free-up space on the Dublin/Cork for future traffic growth?

Yeah but will that require doubling beyond maynooth and just relocating congestion to the Sligo line. I think hueston can cope better with extra services if that's the only gain. But with Dart planned for maynooth some stations could be upgraded for overtaking which would be needed either way.

A realignment would be needed to serve Athlone station but shouldn't be a huge cost.

Stephen15 · 25-09-2016 12:59PM

How about reopending the line and extend mullingar commuter services to athlone

end of the road · 25-09-2016 01:53PM

Stephen15 wrote: »

How about reopending the line and extend mullingar commuter services to athlone

i don't think they're are any mullingar only commuter services?

Phoenix Park tunnel: 4 trains per hour from 2016

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