Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail Discussion

westtip wrote: »

Shane, Athenry - Ennis got built in the chuck money around days of FF in the noughties, those days are long past us, looking at the past helps us all see into the future. Even if the new government is promising to spend money left right and centre, vanity projects will not get a look in and whilst some in the west think the railway or greenway is important, the money has to come out of a national pot, and I just cannot see the huge cost of the railway getting a look in nationally, I might be wrong, frankly at this stage I see more of nothing happening. Housing housing and housing will take priority when it comes to big Capex expenditure. I just can't see the dream you have of WRC being fulfilled happening but again I might be wrong. I don't think people voted about the greenway and perhaps the campaign overplayed its role in how people will vote, but hey ho, it is likely there will be another election before long if this lot cannot agree to form a government. we can start the argument again then.

I guess that is where we differ most, I see the benefit of the section between Ennis and Athenry on a daily basis, granted the numbers will never be Dublin commuter numbers but it’s a good service for what it is and what it cost. Also I think 100 million is nothing in the thick of things and a functioning transport system will pay itself if planned properly.
I don’t believe anybody in their right minds would vote for a candidate based on the Greenway or Railway only.
It is looking like as you were with 1 IND, 1 FF and 1 FG but the government will be a whole lot of other stripes whatever that will bring!!

Canney topped the poll with 7815, it is actually down on the last election from 8447. the quota is 10,000, you just never know if he doesn't pick up transfers who knows, mind you I have always had a passion for St Jude.

Greaney wrote: »

This smacks of 'village pump politics'. If we want decent infrastructure in the country we've got to start thinking of more than our own parish, pocket & people and start addressing policy. If we are mindful of children, disabled, elderly, disadvantaged etc. then we're looking after ourselves in the event of hardship, or growing old.

I've heard it said that rural Ireland is for farmers & old people. If we turn our potential infrastructre into something that serves tourists first, and not the actual people who are trying to live and work here, then we really have no-one but ourselves to blame when young people leave.

If your standard is for public transport to serve "more than our own parish, pocket & people" then a railway re-established at enormous cost which will only inflexibly serve select journeys in select communities lying on an old railway cannot be tolerated surely?

Fianne Fáil started phase 1 of the Western Rail Corridor. Varadkar took finishing it off the table, even though there were a FG politician or two who wanted it. So if it's a FF SF coalition, the funding might be there for phase 2.

Muckyboots wrote: »

You say "there" like it's in a briefcase under someone's desk. Hope you are right and if so- let's be having it.

Indeed, I've long felt the greenway campaign is also frustration at Phase 2 of the WRC taking so long. That's a fair cop.

Muckyboots wrote: »

100%. A case where the dream of rail had long since passed away for most of us. If the new SF breed believe, and can actually deliver, well that's good by me.

Absolutely sure don't ya know they are just going to ask Europe for the money its been sitting there in Brussels waiting for them to fill in the form and make an application; Leo refused to send off the form. If they can deliver on the WRC indeed fair play to them get on with it. Electric double tracked high speed connection sure what have we all been fighting for all these years all we needed was an SF landslide, a promise of a cut in the property tax, a promise of a house for everyone in the audience who hasn't got one, of pensions as early as possible, etc etc and railways all over da wesht. Sure it was so simple to make the promises, all we ever needed to close this argument off was sound economic sense from SF. Problem solved, see you on platform 22 Tuam international rail interchange on Monday then so....

Well on reflection I think this might happen, Sinn Fein have been committed to the WRC for decades - all part of the All Ireland plan for transport, they will build the WRC to Tuam and probably to Claremorris as a flagship project to say look what we are doing for rural ireland, the money will be diverted from one of the major road projects. Of course the project will do very little for rural Ireland but it will be nice to have, in particular as i approach the years in which I get free travel pass, who knows they may even put a greenway in alongside and deliver both, but I doubt it, in a way that would be the honourable thing to do to satisfy both parties in this debate. God knows what kind of service that may be provided on this single track line to Claremorris but it will keep the commander in chief in Claremorris happy. Tuam traffic will be choked up by railway crossings,

North of Claremorris they will put a halt on the greenway as far as Charlestown, they may cecede the greenway on the route from Charlestown to Sligo as it could hook up with a committment they have made for a greenway to Enniskillen.

I think the new government really spells the end of the idea of creating a tourism bonanza from Sligo to Athenry, but you will get the railway, fair play to you all, the long game was played, the rail report was merely the low trump card that was never actually played, it was held back to delay things until the last government eventually whithered on the vine. Our arguments against the western rail corridor will fall on death ears, and the WRC will be held up as a flagship project for the west of Ireland, the car owning democracy in the west will sit back and say is this really what we wanted?

Ironic user name

westtip wrote: »

https://irishcycle.com/2014/05/15/80-jobs-estimate-linked-with-athlone-and-mullingar-greenway/

another link for you how many jobs created by Ennis Athenry?

That’s May 2014 though, is there anything on actual jobs created? I run that greenway regularly at lunch, it can be quite busy at times especially from the beginning out and I’m sure it’s better during the summer months.

The Schadenfreude is strong on this thread.

For many, who don't drive, or don't have a second car, the train line is their only mode of transport to get to work. As for those who want a greenway as a job creation opportunity, you could be pitting it against those who already have jobs, but have to commute. It seems the concensus is that most of us would be happy with both, but that would be Irish Rails decision. ... the experience of many who'e to negotiate with Irish Rail is they're not an easy entity to pin down.

Greaney wrote: »

The Schadenfreude is strong on this thread.

For many, who don't drive, or don't have a second car, the train line is their only mode of transport to get to work. As for those who want a greenway as a job creation opportunity, you could be pitting it against those who already have jobs, but have to commute. It seems the concensus is that most of us would be happy with both, but that would be Irish Rails decision. ... the experience of many who'e to negotiate with Irish Rail is they're not an easy entity to pin down.

Problem is it’s not the best line to attempt to have a greenway and a railway. The overbridges are 8.5 m wide (Athenry to Tuam) which would work but the under bridges are built for single line traffic and therefore would require works, no problem really but the cost of the greenway is starting to increase. Then you have the cuttings and embankments, also constructed for single line traffic, this will be expensive but again not impossible but you would have to ask the question is it the best use of “greenway money” and why are some people so pressed for a greenway along that route? It appears that some would turn down a greenway if offered to them if it wasn’t along that particular route!
If both were built and it was a success it could be a platform for more greenways along railways though!