Phoenix Park Tunnel

Aard · 18-12-2013 04:56PM

Victor wrote: »

If an 8-10 minute journey time is realistic, that is much better than the typical 16-17 minutes (with no evening service) + transfer time via Luas.

That's equivalent to 21-42 minutes from Heuston to Grand Canal Dock at the moment which might drop to 14-16 minutes.

That's exactly it. The key here is not journey times to Connolly, but journey times to the Dublin 2/4 officeland.

pclive · 19-12-2013 09:47AM

Thanks to Lxflyer and Aard for again pointing out its not just to Connolly station.

Cant understand why people dont get this.

Copyerselveson · 19-12-2013 12:22PM

I would add that the tunnel also provides a short term opportunity to link the Heuston lines with the proposed spur to the Airport from Clongriffin - if the spur were built before or during construction of the Dart Underground link.

Sam Russell · 19-12-2013 12:26PM

Was the Phoenix Park Tunnel ever used for scheduled passenger trains, say in the forties or fifties or even before that?

Copyerselveson · 19-12-2013 12:30PM

It was used right up to the eighties for the regular boat trains to Dun Laoighaire Pier from Heuston via Connolly. The boat trains ceased when Dart works necessatated the closure of the spur to the Pier.

Seaswimmer · 19-12-2013 12:49PM

Sam Russell wrote: »

Was the Phoenix Park Tunnel ever used for scheduled passenger trains, say in the forties or fifties or even before that?

Slightly off topic but I have a vague recollection of going from Pearse St to Mayo in the late 60's via the tunnel. Did mainline trains to the west ever run from Pearse St??

beauf · 19-12-2013 12:56PM

Hungerford wrote: »

I'm confused - Irish Rail are claiming it will cost €10 million to open up a tunnel which is already open??

Maybe it needs up to date escape features?

n0brain3r · 19-12-2013 01:00PM

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Slightly off topic but I have a vague recollection of going from Pearse St to Mayo in the late 60's via the tunnel. Did mainline trains to the west ever run from Pearse St??

I don't know but the Athlone - Mullingar was still open so that was an option too.

kc56 · 19-12-2013 01:06PM

n0brain3r wrote: »

I don't know but the Athlone - Mullingar was still open so that was an option too.

Yep. Galway/Wesport trains operated from Pearse via Mullingar up to the mid seventies.

Sam Russell · 19-12-2013 01:35PM

I remember going from Dun Laoughaire to Limerick, changing at Westland Row as a child. If I recall correctly, the train was direct to Limerick from Westland Row. I never recall being in King's Bridge Station - I'm not sure when they renamed the stations.

I saw that IE had denied that it had ever been used for passengers so I was confused. So if it could be used then, why not now?

Whatever it costs to reuse it, it should be done as it is an important interconnector. The Dart Underground would make no difference to using it because there would still be worthwhile traffic on it, particularly if the Clongriffin to airport link was built, and continued on to connect with Heuston.

More connections means more passengers (if the trains are timed correctly).

Donaldio · 19-12-2013 03:10PM

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Slightly off topic but I have a vague recollection of going from Pearse St to Mayo in the late 60's via the tunnel. Did mainline trains to the west ever run from Pearse St??

I think that would have being possibile Dublin's main original rail termini were Westland Row (Pearse Station) Amiens Street (Connolly Station), Kingsbridge (Heuston Station), North Wall and Harcourt Street (now a bar and nightclub complex) and Broadstone railway station on constituton hill/phibsboro road which is now CIE office, dublin bus depot.

BowWow · 19-12-2013 03:16PM

Sam Russell wrote: »

I never recall being in King's Bridge Station - I'm not sure when they renamed the stations.

Stations were renamed for the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising in 1966.

Sam Russell · 19-12-2013 04:20PM

Come to think of it, Westland Row was a much busier station than it is now. I think it had at least 4 platforms, with one having access from both sides of the train. Platforms 1 and 4 were turnaround ones, while 2 and 3 were loopline ones. Currently, only the middle two are used, with the other two being removed, with the lines stopping short of the old platforms. If DU is built, it will once again provide westbound trains.

It must have been the mid-seventies when I first used Heuston. It had very few trains per day then, with no departures during the afternoon.

GerardKeating · 20-12-2013 11:00AM

Sam Russell wrote: »

I remember going from Dun Laoughaire to Limerick, changing at Westland Row as a child. If I recall correctly, the train was direct to Limerick from Westland Row. I never recall being in King's Bridge Station - I'm not sure when they renamed the stations.

I saw that IE had denied that it had ever been used for passengers so I was confused. So if it could be used then, why not now?

Whatever it costs to reuse it, it should be done as it is an important interconnector. The Dart Underground would make no difference to using it because there would still be worthwhile traffic on it, particularly if the Clongriffin to airport link was built, and continued on to connect with Heuston.

More connections means more passengers (if the trains are timed correctly).

I remember being in Limerick Station in the Late nineties and there was an old disused electric Sign board, one of the panels was for the boat train to Dun Laoighaire.

Losty Dublin · 20-12-2013 11:50AM

Sam Russell wrote: »

I remember going from Dun Laoughaire to Limerick, changing at Westland Row as a child. If I recall correctly, the train was direct to Limerick from Westland Row. I never recall being in King's Bridge Station - I'm not sure when they renamed the stations.

).

Many years ago, Kingsbridge/Heuston actually didn't open on a Sunday. This was done as a cost cutting measure. The few trains serving the south departed from Amien Street/Connolly instead. I believe that this practice ceased in the late 60's; somebody may be able to give better details about these arrangements.

Fred Swanson · 21-12-2013 07:54AM

This post has been deleted.

Sam Russell · 21-12-2013 11:40AM

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

You could not make it up. Could they not use the bus?

corktina · 21-12-2013 11:52AM

no doubt they did and enjoyed their little windfall.

Losty Dublin · 21-12-2013 12:06PM

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

This isn't how that arrangement worked, Fred. Not all Connolly and Pearse drivers had route knowledge via Portarlington nor had many drivers in the western depots or indeed from Inchicore. This 90 minutes allowed drivers and guards with such knowledge to sign on and off at their home depot and then make their way to a second depot to collect their train as required or to get to and from their dorms if they were working on basket links.

These arrangements dated back to before public transport and pre GSR days, hence it being given as walking time. Even in the era of trams and buses, many of these shifts ran late night so public transport wasn't an option. Nowadays, walking time is all but gone as link patterns have changed and become more reliable and clock based. The odd shift still requires a transfer across but staff make use of duty passes or the odd taxi trip as required.

corktina · 21-12-2013 01:23PM

I makes you wonder why they didn't move the men with the service...still ancient history...

what I don't know and I'd like to ask some of you more knowledgeable than I.....if PP does re-open to GCD/Connolly, what implications does that have for DU/MN?

Losty Dublin · 21-12-2013 04:02PM

corktina wrote: »

I makes you wonder why they didn't move the men with the service...still ancient history...

Simply put, not every freight shift could begin at a designated location as they were quite irregular at times as to when they'd leave and even where they'd arrive; loose couple and ramblers especially. To be fair here, almost all of the southern links would begin in Heuston Yard but at times a crew could be sent to collect or drop your train or loco at the docks or Cabra depending on circumstances. It was with the 70's and the emergence of the "liner" trains that saw a lot of these practices fade away and I can assure you that driver and manager was happy to see the back of a lot of it.

corktina · 21-12-2013 05:21PM

I thought we were talking about diverting the passenger service to run from Heuston bypassing Mullingar. The freight service at that time still went via Mullingar afaik

Losty Dublin · 21-12-2013 06:59PM

corktina wrote: »

I thought we were talking about diverting the passenger service to run from Heuston bypassing Mullingar. The freight service at that time still went via Mullingar afaik

Not all of them did, though.

Passenger services, huh. Who needs them?

Shedite27 · 21-11-2016 09:33AM

Tunnel opened today. Just going back through the original clippings, was due to be €12m and ready in 2 years, ened up at €13.3m and 3 years. Not bad by Irish standards. Hope it works

GM228 · 21-11-2016 01:37PM

Shedite27 wrote: »

Tunnel opened today. Just going back through the original clippings, was due to be €12m and ready in 2 years, ened up at €13.3m and 3 years. Not bad by Irish standards. Hope it works

The €12 was a rough estimate at the time, but it only really started becoming a serious reality in March 2015 when proper estimates were made and the project and funding was officially announced around August 2015, it took 15 months from first official announcement to service start.

Also the €13.3 also included funding for work at Drumcondra and Tara Street aswell for station improvements.

n97 mini · 21-11-2016 01:57PM

GM228 wrote: »

Also the €13.3 also included funding for work at Drumcondra and Tara Street aswell for station improvements.

Out of curiosity what work was done at Drumcondra?

GM228 · 21-11-2016 02:16PM

n97 mini wrote: »

Out of curiosity what work was done at Drumcondra?

Ticket validators and down platform fencing upgrade.

thomasj · 21-11-2016 02:29PM

GM228 wrote: »

The €12 was a rough estimate at the time, but it only really started becoming a serious reality in March 2015 when proper estimates were made and the project and funding was officially announced around August 2015, it took 15 months from first official announcement to service start.

Also the €13.3 also included funding for work at Drumcondra and Tara Street aswell for station improvements.

the 1st big test for drumcondra (when phoenix park tunnel services are fully up and running) will be the next big gig/event at croke park.

Carawaystick · 21-11-2016 03:00PM

GM228 wrote: »

Also the €13.3 also included funding for work at Drumcondra and Tara Street aswell for station improvements.

What was done at Tara?

devnull · 21-11-2016 03:20PM

New lift,, re-signing, changing the PIS font from Red to white?

Phoenix Park Tunnel

Comments