Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

L1011 · 30-01-2017 8:34pm

Knock had a day last week where it had fewer scheduled flights than Donegal (one versus two...). I don't see any road improvements helping it realistically. Crap junction layout for it off a DC/motorway could even be a deathknell - airports with poor road access suffer, look at Leeds.

JCX BXC · 30-01-2017 8:44pm

L1011 wrote: »

Knock had a day last week where it had fewer scheduled flights than Donegal (one versus two...). I don't see any road improvements helping it realistically. Crap junction layout for it off a DC/motorway could even be a deathknell - airports with poor road access suffer, look at Leeds.

If anything it will adversely affect Knock, as the North West will have easier access to Dublin and Shannon, airports with more destinations always win.

mayo.mick · 30-01-2017 9:11pm

JCX BXC wrote: »

If anything it will adversely affect Knock, as the North West will have easier access to Dublin and Shannon, airports with more destinations always win.

Not the case with Knock Airport, people are coming from as far away as Meath, Donegal, Tyrone, Galway (to name a few) to use the airport. Regular return customers (based on from what 2 taxi friends of mine tell me, based at the airport). But this is off topic.

JCX BXC · 30-01-2017 9:18pm

mayo.mick wrote: »

Not the case with Knock Airport, people are coming from as far away as Meath, Donegal, Tyrone, Galway (to name a few) to use the airport. Regular return customers (based on from what 2 taxi friends of mine tell me, based at the airport). But this is off topic.

Yeah, but the main market is Galway Mayo and Sligo.

TCDStudent1 · 30-01-2017 10:33pm

westtip wrote: »

No the motorway won't take away any part of the closed railway as that will be a greenway! re the active railway being completely pointless....where have you been, the railway won't happen as yes it would be pointless to build it, the reasons for which I suggest you trawl this thread. However even arguing the railway should be re-opened will be pointless once the new motorway opens which is why when it does open the M17 will mean the end of any rational debate about re-opening the railway. Comprennez?

I understand all that. I was wondering from your message if the motorway would actually cross over the railway line / greenway somewhere,

serfboard · 31-01-2017 8:36pm

westtip wrote: »

the M17 north of Tuam also means the end of the Western Rail Corridor, just in case you hadn't realised this before

Sorry to be pedantic (:rolleyes:) but there won't be an M17 north of Tuam - the plans are for a dual-carriageway N17 (almost the same thing I know). In any case, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it!

TCDStudent1 · 01-02-2017 11:21pm

serfboard wrote: »

Sorry to be pedantic (:rolleyes:) but there won't be an M17 north of Tuam - the plans are for a dual-carriageway N17 (almost the same thing I know). In any case, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it!

Is there anywhere online I could see the details of this road?

JCX BXC · 01-02-2017 11:48pm

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Is there anywhere online I could see the details of this road?

Try the M17/M18 thread in the roads forum.

serfboard · 02-02-2017 12:56pm

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Is there anywhere online I could see the details of this road?

http://nra.ie/projects/road-schemes/

In the "Scheme Name" section on the right, select whichever N17 project you'd like to look at.

Pete2k · 02-02-2017 11:05pm

According to this week's Tuam Herald a greenway feasibility study between tuam and athenry has been rejected by galway coco for lack of funds. Seperately but also of note is that the new N63 railway bridge will be going ahead at a cost of €1.1 million. I wonder after the new bridge is in place will they raise the trackbed either side and replace the rails? I would say political pressure will force them to.

marno21 · 02-02-2017 11:41pm

Pete2k wrote: »

According to this week's Tuam Herald a greenway feasibility study between tuam and athenry has been rejected by galway coco for lack of funds. Seperately but also of note is that the new N63 railway bridge will be going ahead at a cost of €1.1 million. I wonder after the new bridge is in place will they raise the trackbed either side and replace the rails? I would say political pressure will force them to.

More funding going to the replacement of a bridge on an unsustainable disused railway than on the motorway between the country's second and third cities.

We'll be a great country going forward under this Canneynomics.

eastwest · 03-02-2017 1:23am

Pete2k wrote: »

According to this week's Tuam Herald a greenway feasibility study between tuam and athenry has been rejected by galway coco for lack of funds. Seperately but also of note is that the new N63 railway bridge will be going ahead at a cost of €1.1 million. I wonder after the new bridge is in place will they raise the trackbed either side and replace the rails? I would say political pressure will force them to.

It's what used to be called a scandal.

Isambard · 03-02-2017 9:55pm

Velorail under way

http://ird-kiltimagh.ie/news/velorail-project-gets-underway./16/

Del.Monte · 03-02-2017 9:59pm

Isambard wrote: »

Velorail under way

http://ird-kiltimagh.ie/news/velorail-project-gets-underway./16/

Great news - hopefully it will be double track and leave no space for the wretched greenway.

Muckyboots · 03-02-2017 10:17pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

Great news - hopefully it will be double track and leave no space for the wretched greenway.

Careful what you say Yes to, man from - an acceptance that there will be no trains for the foreseeable future, yet another precedence of permissive access and taking a previously disused asset and applying a new use to it and all this happening within an asses roar of the militant wing of the rail resistance movement.. oooohh.

eastwest · 03-02-2017 10:24pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

Isambard wrote: »

Velorail under way

http://ird-kiltimagh.ie/news/velorail-project-gets-underway./16/

Great news - hopefully it will be double track and leave no space for the wretched greenway.

Not much space for the train either. But sure it will be a lot easier to shift a business with a lease than it would be to divert the nasty tourists on bikes.

marno21 · 03-02-2017 10:27pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

Great news - hopefully it will be double track and leave no space for the wretched greenway.

There definately won't be any space for the potential wretched empty subvented train anyway

Isambard · 04-02-2017 10:08am

i think they intend to use the existing track, I think they'll get a shock when they find the sleepers basically don't exist anymore and will need replacing. money pit.......

Del.Monte · 04-02-2017 10:18am

Letterkenny next stop.

Muckyboots · 04-02-2017 10:27am

Del.Monte wrote: »

Letterkenny next stop.

So who's up for it ? A high speed commuter dash from Athenry to Tuam. Hop on a "Boxcar Canney" shuffeling along from Tuam to Claremorris. On from Claremorris to Swinford by Velorail (weather proofed no less). Greenway from Swinford to Sligo - City of the Northwest- and catch the spanking new "Sluas" cross border to Londonderry, one every 7 mins. Don't forget your passport.
That's joined up thinking West of Ireland style, Minister Coveney - now give us the f*&$en money!.

Pete2k · 04-02-2017 10:52am

Isambard wrote: »

i think they intend to use the existing track, I think they'll get a shock when they find the sleepers basically don't exist anymore and will need replacing. money pit.......

Most of the sleepers are still there albeit some more rotten than others. The only part they'll replace I would think will be the section your man robbed a few years ago... as for the level crossings Id say mayo coco will be made foot the cost of removing the asphalt from over the rails seeing as it was them who tarred over them in the first place.

eastwest · 04-02-2017 10:55am

All jesting apart, this project is an admission that there will be no more trains on the route.
It begs the question, why does wot support this scheme, something that is accessible only to local people with money to spend occasionally on it, while continuing to oppose a cycleway that would be free to locals all the time?

Muckyboots · 04-02-2017 11:12am

Pete2k wrote: »

Most of the sleepers are still there albeit some more rotten than others. The only part they'll replace I would think will be the section your man robbed a few years ago... as for the level crossings Id say mayo coco will be made foot the cost of removing the asphalt from over the rails seeing as it was them who tarred over them in the first place.

Crossings? I know how you dismount a bicycle or perhaps install a cheap footbridge, but how is proposed to give safe road crossing to velorailers. Traffic lights? The truck drivers will love that one. interesting times ahead.

eastwest · 04-02-2017 11:15am

Muckyboots wrote: »

Pete2k wrote: »

Most of the sleepers are still there albeit some more rotten than others. The only part they'll replace I would think will be the section your man robbed a few years ago... as for the level crossings Id say mayo coco will be made foot the cost of removing the asphalt from over the rails seeing as it was them who tarred over them in the first place.

Crossings? I know how you dismount a bicycle or perhaps install a cheap footbridge, but how is proposed to give safe road crossing to velorailers. Traffic lights? The truck drivers will love that one. interesting times ahead.

You can't criss roads with a velorail project, it's a recipe for disaster. I don't know of any such project that mixes with motor traffic.

Pete2k · 04-02-2017 12:30pm

eastwest wrote: »

You can't criss roads with a velorail project, it's a recipe for disaster. I don't know of any such project that mixes with motor traffic.

There is really only 1 crossing that poses any risk and that's the one on the Kilkelly Rd R322 which you may well see traffic lights or a zebra crossing type setup. For now its only going 6km towards swinford. In that distance bar the 322 there's 4 crossings but they're thru roads that between them all if they see 20 cars a day id be surprised. Av a look on street view to see how minor they are. Of course if they also go towards claremorris they'll av to cross the Knock Rd the other side of the station which would be pretty busy.

Isambard · 04-02-2017 1:54pm

Pete2k wrote: »

Most of the sleepers are still there albeit some more rotten than others. The only part they'll replace I would think will be the section your man robbed a few years ago... as for the level crossings Id say mayo coco will be made foot the cost of removing the asphalt from over the rails seeing as it was them who tarred over them in the first place.

It's been disused for decades...some will be only 99% rotten but most will be 100%

eastwest · 04-02-2017 8:14pm

Pete2k wrote: »

There is really only 1 crossing that poses any risk and that's the one on the Kilkelly Rd R322 which you may well see traffic lights or a zebra crossing type setup. For now its only going 6km towards swinford. In that distance bar the 322 there's 4 crossings but they're thru roads that between them all if they see 20 cars a day id be surprised. Av a look on street view to see how minor they are. Of course if they also go towards claremorris they'll av to cross the Knock Rd the other side of the station which would be pretty busy.

Has anyone got a map of the project that shows the actual limits of it in each direction?

JCX BXC · 04-02-2017 9:06pm

Ignoring of course it's economically unviability, how much would it cost to bring the Athentry-Tuam line back into service and what works would need to be completed?

Pete2k · 04-02-2017 9:42pm

Isambard wrote: »

It's been disused for decades...some will be only 99% rotten but most will be 100%

https://m.facebook.com/IRDKiltimagh/photos/pcb.10154311471348803/10154311471093803/?type=3&source=48

https://m.facebook.com/IRDKiltimagh/photos/pcb.10154311471348803/10154311471098803/?type=3&source=48

Well they still seem strong enough to support an excavator on rails don't they?!

Anybody know is this the first rail vehicle on this section of the WRC since the inspection car in the 80's?

Del.Monte · 04-02-2017 9:58pm

Pete2k wrote: »

https://m.facebook.com/IRDKiltimagh/photos/pcb.10154311471348803/10154311471093803/?type=3&source=48

https://m.facebook.com/IRDKiltimagh/photos/pcb.10154311471348803/10154311471098803/?type=3&source=48

Well they still seem strong enough to support an excavator on rails don't they?!

Anybody know is this the first rail vehicle on this section of the WRC since the inspection car in the 80's?

In September 1988 an A-class dragged two carriages up to Kiltimagh for the Folk Museum - that was the last rail movement over the line.

There's a pic here: http://www.museumsofmayo.com/Kiltimagh1.htm which appears to be that movement.

Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

Comments