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Freight rail in Ireland

SeanW

Hi all,

Anyone know how much (if any) freight still runs on IE? Also, I'd like to see and get some pics of the Bord Na Mona trains before all that winds down in December 2020 when the peat power plants close. Do those run to schedule?

Thanks in advance.

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Cookie_Monster

91wx763 wrote: »

The small bubbles were rather knackered anyway but they were all cut up when IÉ "withdrew" from the cement business in 2009. The bigger bogie tank wagons are derelict beside the line out of Limerick.

you can see them here on maps
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Limerick,+Ireland/@52.6544465,-8.6116282,261m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x485b5c611f545113:0xa00c7a997317330!8m2!3d52.6638367!4d-8.6267343

91wx763

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

you can see them here on maps
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Limerick,+Ireland/@52.6544465,-8.6116282,261m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x485b5c611f545113:0xa00c7a997317330!8m2!3d52.6638367!4d-8.6267343

Weren't there a few more of those than are seen there ?

Sad to see some of the pocket wagons that hardly broke a sweat before IÉ gave up the business sitting derelict too, there are some in Waterford yard too, the drivers there run them up and down their siding every now and then, I doubt if that happens in Limerick.

end of the road

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Many, many, many more useful places where Irish Rail should be investing, where extra capacity is already sorely needed.

irish rail don't invest in anything, it is the government who invest.

Hotblack Desiato

...and who does the government give the money to on those admittedly rare occasions? :rolleyes:

I really don't know why you thought that was worth the keystrokes?

end of the road

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

...and who does the government give the money to on those admittedly rare occasions? :rolleyes:

I really don't know why you thought that was worth the keystrokes?

because it is the reality.
the government have to give irish rail money to implement the projects, the money isn't coming out of irish rail's pocket.
not my problem if you have an issue with that tbh.

Hotblack Desiato

Nobody said it was coming out of Irish Rail's pocket, we all know their pocket has a massive hole in it...

un5byh7sqpd2x0

dave 27 wrote: »

Irish Cement have a big factory outside Limerick, is that rail not used anymore?

I remember a few years ago in the boom seeing the trains leave going through one of the suburbs and it must have been about a mile long!

https://goo.gl/maps/PAuxu2GjbsVfWtmF8

91wx763

Brianna Alive Karaoke wrote: »

https://goo.gl/maps/PAuxu2GjbsVfWtmF8

https://goo.gl/maps/Ym2nUauNh8LMM5ti6 This one works

Cookiemunster

91wx763 wrote: »

https://goo.gl/maps/Ym2nUauNh8LMM5ti6 This one works

That along with the crossings on the N69 and at Childers Road have been tarmaced over.

TheBoyConor

How is it that we are still discussing Irish Rail and freight in the same conversation?

Stop, stop, it's already dead!

end of the road

we are discussing it because.
1. because they still carry freight all be it in a small amount, so not quite dead yet.
2. because we can and wish to discuss it.

TheBoyConor

Your user name is quite apt for the subject under discussion.

Anyway, on those pocket wagons, what did IE originally buy those for, and when? Who was the client that they were intended to service?

And what was their purpose? What could they do that the regular flat wagons could not? Could they stack containers 2 high on them?

dowlingm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Your user name is quite apt for the subject under discussion.

Anyway, on those pocket wagons, what did IE originally buy those for, and when? Who was the client that they were intended to service?

And what was their purpose? What could they do that the regular flat wagons could not? Could they stack containers 2 high on them?

They could carry 9’6” High Cube containers on routes cleared for 8’6 on flat wagons, but fewer containers could be carried over the same train length
https://www.containercontainer.com/shipping-container-dimensions/

Ballina-North Wall being cleared for 9’6 on flats reduced the need for them.

TheBoyConor

What happened on the Ballina to North Wall route that made it suitable for 9'6" containers? Was there works done or was it a paper exercise to approve it?
If the latter, surely it would have made more sense to just approve the route beforehand rather than buying a whole heap of rolling stock that ended up abandoned.

And the pocket wagons now, are any of them still in use or are they all parked up?

For the parked up ones, would it be prohibitively expensive to bring them back into service if a use could be found? I'd imagine all the electrics and pneumatics in them would be perished to hell now at this stage. Corrosion and water getting into wheel bearings probably has taken a toll too.

Might it be more likely that the next stop for them would be Hammond Lane rather than Ballina ?

sweet_trip

I've seen some timber trains head into Waterford still. Presumably the Timber is going to the big timber factory in Belview port to be shipped out.

Why do they have to truck it from the railway depot in Waterford to Belview when the train could directly go to the port?

andrewfaulk

sweet_trip wrote: »

I've seen some timber trains head into Waterford still. Presumably the Timber is going to the big timber factory in Belview port to be shipped out.

Why do they have to truck it from the railway depot in Waterford to Belview when the train could directly go to the port?

The timber is going to the Smartply plant is Belview Port Estate to be processed into wooden board products.. Some of this would be exported from the Port of Waterford, some goes ex Dublin and some is for Domestic use.. Currently one train a week ex Westport on a Monday

The timber is trucked from Waterford West yard to the plant as there is no rail access to the factory, and handling it in the port would be quite disruptive to operations there..

andrewfaulk

TheBoyConor wrote: »

What happened on the Ballina to North Wall route that made it suitable for 9'6" containers? Was there works done or was it a paper exercise to approve it?
If the latter, surely it would have made more sense to just approve the route beforehand rather than buying a whole heap of rolling stock that ended up abandoned.

And the pocket wagons now, are any of them still in use or are they all parked up?

For the parked up ones, would it be prohibitively expensive to bring them back into service if a use could be found? I'd imagine all the electrics and pneumatics in them would be perished to hell now at this stage. Corrosion and water getting into wheel bearings probably has taken a toll too.

Might it be more likely that the next stop for them would be Hammond Lane rather than Ballina ?

The pocket wagons were ordered in the early 2000s, when 9ft 6 containers were starting to increase in usage. They allowed 9ft 6 high containers to be carried on routes where the loading gauge was limited. From 2003 to 2006 they were used to operate Dublin to Cork liners, as the tunnel on the approach to Cork station is quite low.. Once IE withdrew from operating it's own container trains, the CPWs were placed into storage..

They came back into use in 2011 I think it was, to operate 9ft 6 containers on the IWT NW-Ballina service.. The gauge clearance between NW and Kildare was done after that(2012 I think) and involved lowering of some tracks, slewing tracks to run more centrally through bridges and implementation of some speed limits for freight in certain areas.. The benefit being that 9ft 6in high containers can be carried on normal flat wagons that are shorter, allowing more wagons per train..

The CPWs could be brought back into use if needed, can remember the figure but I think its about 80K to bring 14(1 set plus 2 spares) back into use.. These are the ones that were used by DFDS until 2018.. The other 10 have been stored for longer and would most likely need more intensive work done on them to return to service.. Whether they will return to service is debatable but I wouldn't rule it out

road_high

Ballina to Waterford port restarting again?
https://fleet.ie/xpo-logistics-to-create-a-new-ballina-waterford-rail-freight-service/?fbclid=IwAR2lri-nbOax4RdLpl7JBl4aFSKChPDqi1hvLwZdKYYIWR9r9uDwRo3uwbQ

tabbey

road_high wrote: »

Ballina to Waterford port restarting again?
https://fleet.ie/xpo-logistics-to-create-a-new-ballina-waterford-rail-freight-service/?fbclid=IwAR2lri-nbOax4RdLpl7JBl4aFSKChPDqi1hvLwZdKYYIWR9r9uDwRo3uwbQ

I take it that ballina beverages is coca cola.
The question is whether the existing traffic to Dublin by iwt will just change to Waterford, or is this additional traffic?

Jamie2k9

The company is currently looking for potential customers in the West that are manufacturing and exporting/importing, which at present would have to use the Ballina Terminal for loading/unloading until additional collection points are created along the west-south railway.

Would be good to see this happen but I wouldn't be so confident.

Losty Dublin

tabbey wrote: »

I take it that ballina beverages is coca cola.
The question is whether the existing traffic to Dublin by iwt will just change to Waterford, or is this additional traffic?

It's additional traffic. Coca Cola export a lot out more out of Ireland than is carried on the liners and had toyed with a second train in the past. This flow will take additional produce off of the road to Belview bound container boats on a both ways basis. XPO handle internationally for Coca Cola amongst others so there should be good custom on this working all told.

roundymac

Smart move with the Greens now having a bigger say in how things are done.

Jamie2k9

road_high wrote: »

Ballina to Waterford port restarting again?
https://fleet.ie/xpo-logistics-to-create-a-new-ballina-waterford-rail-freight-service/?fbclid=IwAR2lri-nbOax4RdLpl7JBl4aFSKChPDqi1hvLwZdKYYIWR9r9uDwRo3uwbQ

No news on this and Q4 has passed.

Anyone know if its going to happen?

91wx763

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

No news on this and Q4 has passed.

Anyone know if its going to happen?

Binned if you believe what's being said on facebook. Varying reasons, gauging problems because of the type of box being used and also someone saying the North Quays development in Waterford will temporarily sever the line.

Jamie2k9

91wx763 wrote: »

Binned if you believe what's being said on facebook. Varying reasons, gauging problems because of the type of box being used and also someone saying the North Quays development in Waterford will temporarily sever the line.

Interesting.

Its was documented that NQ will be constructed and the railway kept live however periods of enhanced restrictions would be required.
_____

Meanwhile:
Colin Dunne MD of IWT say they would be "ready to role straight away" to operate a Ballina-Waterford service but have said track access charges are expensive however not limiting the operation but a broader comment (rail freight cannot be subs legally currently)

(1h38m) and (2h01m)

Hopefully this one happens.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/video-archive/committees/

Seal of approval for a Greenway on S Wexford line to ahead! (1h50m).

GM228

91wx763 wrote: »

Binned if you believe what's being said on facebook. Varying reasons, gauging problems because of the type of box being used and also someone saying the North Quays development in Waterford will temporarily sever the line.

There was an issue with carrying 45ft 9'6" reefer containers, however that issue has been sorted and such containers are cleared from next week between Waterford/Dublin and Ballina so the XPO liner is back on track, but no start date.

Jamie2k9

GM228 wrote: »

There was an issue with carrying 45ft 9'6" reefer containers, however that issue has been sorted and such containers are cleared from next week between Waterford and Ballina so the XPO liner is back on track, but no start date.

Good to see they resolved it and it could go ahead.

andrewfaulk

GM228 wrote: »

There was an issue with carrying 45ft 9'6" reefer containers, however that issue has been sorted and such containers are cleared from next week between Waterford/Dublin and Ballina so the XPO liner is back on track, but no start date.

They were always cleared Dublin to Ballina, the clearance was just never done as a paper exercise on the Waterford line..

See also:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QvlcByZUV7s

GM228

andrewfaulk wrote: »

They were always cleared Dublin to Ballina, the clearance was just never done as a paper exercise on the Waterford line..

See also:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QvlcByZUV7s

Not officially, only 2.92h x 2.5w were previously cleared, from next week 2.92h x 2.556w reefers are cleared for those routes, the spigot pins on the LX wagons have previously been modified to be 30mm longer to allow for easier securing of the reefers, but clearance only now granted.

CatInABox

From a thread on the infrastructure forum:

marno21 wrote: »

Throwing this in here. Kind of relevant.

Irish Rail tendering for freight wagons:

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicPurchase/186543/1/0

30 box transport wagons for zinc ore
10 year framework for upto 300 container flat wagons