Has there ever been consideration of a direct curve from Dublin - Cork line east bound to Waterford line south bound to access Belview?
not that i am aware of.
it would certainly make things more efficient but i suppose it's not going to be done for some freight trains as if they were to sease there would be a curve left with no usage.
Brendan Ogle was just one element in the overall plan by certain politicians co-operating with some in IR management as well as developer interests to close the rail freight facilities in Dublin's North Wall area. His role was to disrupt freight while maintaining passenger services thus ensuring general public apathy. The entire complex but very clever scheme was successful due in no small part to Ogle making eejits out the drivers to persuade long standing users of rail freight to switch to road. The political elements party to the plan got the lands they wanted for the developers and their toll road friends are also smiling ever since as well. These were the main beneficiaries but there were others as well like road haulage operators and their fuel suppliers.
Ogle bears responsibility for the railfreight debacle. Others bear responsibility for the sale of lands at North Wall. Linking the two smacks of a conspiracy, and in Ireland cockup dominates conspiracy every time.
Whenn you look at the disposal of Irish Rail land in docklands, the amount of borrowing to finance new buildings (and the purchase of the land) must have been enormous, and it's a fair bet that a lot of the loans went sour in the crash of 2008-11, thus costing the taxpayer billions. A real train wreck.
Of course it was a conspiracy! The idea of mocking conspiracies - which happen all the time - is a card played by the guilty party to demean and belittle the people who have figured the very real scam out. Somehow connect them to Flat Earthers and it works only too good as an entire generation has grown up thinking that powerful and connected people would never 'conspire' to make themselves more powerful and more connected.
This utterly bizarre concept that conspiracies do not happen ever, is the primary reason most of us are living in a Pfizer Police State right now. North Wall was a 'conspiracy' please deal with it.
So North Wall was sold because they arranged with Ogle to undermine the railfreight business? Do you have any evidence for that, and I mean real evidence. Such a large conspiracy must have left some real evidential trail.
most of us are living in a Pfizer Police State right now
Jesus wept 🙄
Triple track between Kildare and Cherryville would probably be a better spend; while several bridges would have to be widened, it would benefit both freight and passenger, and not have to find a way through the M7 while negotiating a tight curve
That would still leave the necessity of freight train locos having to run around at Kildare, which is surely a potentially major source of congestion and even if it does not impact on other services is costly in terms of time and labour. Facing crossover south of Cherryville and a direct chord to the Waterford road off the Down main line should not be all that difficult (M7 bridge notwithstanding).
Up to 400 new wagons over 10 years. Initial order of 200.
What's the source for that? Had been told some of it verbally but nothing in writing.. Still 3 years away, so 3 more years on capacity shortages unless something changes
Here is Iarnród Éireann's PIN on etenders;
XPO adding a second weekly Waterford-Ballina. Anyone know what they are transporrting on the two loads that originate outside Europe?
https://www.afloat.ie/port-news/item/54664-second-freight-train-from-port-of-waterdord-starts-service
The huge rise in Diesel prices must work to the railway's advantage as fully loaded trains bring ever greater cost competitiveness. A good time for IE's freight plans to get some real government backing, starting with a review of Ireland's very high rail access charges.
Have you died of that illness called 'Suddenly' and 'Unexpectedly' yet? I will be checking on you from time to time concerning this.
Thats nice
You are welcome.
XPO were envisaging up to 2-3 return train loads a week when they announced their rail freight service. Word on the ground is that they could be looking at a fourth regular working before the end of Summer such are their loadings either way.
Have you actually seen the loadings, they don’t in any way match the PR!
Not sure who you are talking to “on the ground”
I was just discussing with my neighbour yesterday who works in Mallow station. The entire freight network of Ireland now was nearly the same as Mallow back in 2000. Between Mallow-Tralee Containers/kegs, Mallow-North Wall containers, the fertiliser and the Beet!
What have we now? Ballina-North Wall containers, Ballina-Waterford Port Containers, Ballina-Waterford Timer and 4 x daily Tara Mines - Alexandra road ore? Is that all?
There's more freight carried on trucking in Ireland in one day than a whole year on rail. It really is a tiny amount by comparison
Amazing how much was transferred by rail before. Cement and its raw materials and Beet alone were huge!
A Heuston driver said it to me recently.
Lots of the flows are no longer there for the taking any more. Bell Ferries went bust, as did IFI. Asahi left Ireland; they were a big customer Beet growing isn't subsidised by Europe but by then it was a fading market and seasonal in nature. As for the kegs, Guinness changed their logistics from one of regional rail hubs and staff drivers to one of sub contracted carriers delivering on a point to point basis.
He's well off the mark, the second train has basically just diluted the load across two trains instead of one, so ending up with about 6-8 per train instead of 12-16 when there was one round trip..
No scope to add much more than 2 trips per week either, not enough drivers trained on Loco and Vac brakes
Whats the business case like for Cork container traffic?
I guess not having a rail link either the new or old port shoots it all in the foot.
Guinness still have regional hubs. In fact the one in Limerick is literally beside the railway line!
https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.6665271,-8.5095054,117m/data=!3m1!1e3
I note that the tender documents for the new wagons specify "IÉ is considering operating new wagon fleets at higher speeds & incorporating more efficient & safer technologies e.g., two pipe air brakes, disc brakes , latch / buckeye couplers with integral buffing capability & integration of self-charging tail lamps." Hopefully "higher speeds" also means 75mph running on 90-100mph passenger sections, at least for containers. Is the intent to pair these with new freight power as opposed to refitting 071s with air or cobbling together what hasn't rusted out of the 201s in storage?
071s are airbraked.
Thanks - I thought they were vacuum only for train brake but there is a summary on document page 8 (page 14 of the actual PDF) here https://www.raiu.ie/assets/files/pdf/2012r002_runaway_locomotive_at_portlaoise_loop.pdf
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