Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

A new central Munster airport

  • 01-06-2023 10:12pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 6 toggie


    Would a new airport in Munster help alleviate pressure and provide a reasonable alternative for a bulk of the population around Munster.

    Dublin airport with 30 million plus passengers per year, and barely 5 million with Shannon, Cork and Kerry between them.

    Location wise a location to the northwest of Mallow makes sense in my head. Connected to rail lines, the N72, future M20, between Limerick City and Cork City.

    To achieve this, the eventual closer and the winding down of Cork Airport, Shannon and Kerry airports respectively.

    I feel the 3 airports don't serve Munster well, splitting so many passenger numbers across the province.

    In the west, Galway Airport and Sligo airport services were closed and operations solely concentrated at Ireland West Airport Knock, and it provides are reasonable service across UK and European summer destinations.

    Thoughts?

    Tagged:


«1

Comments

  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,163 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Christ no, we already have too many airports!

    They just need to extend the runway of Cork airport and separate it from the DAA and make it debt free like they did for Shannon and it would very quickly grow and develop.

    Part of the problem with your idea is that they have already invested a lot into both Shannon and Cork Airports, new terminals, relayed runways, etc. So you’d lose all that investment if you closed them. And then there is the local parish pump politics, would never happen.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Terrible idea and an absolute waste of money when we already have 2 decent airports in the area. Shannon already has a large runway which isn't at capacity so can increase flights without any need for new infrastructure.

    The big issue with Dublin is it's a massive hub for connections so you need to increase Cork and Shannon's ability to provide this.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,927 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    EDIT: Misread

    you're suggesting closing Shannon/Cork etc.

    My guess is this would actually lead to less flights in/out.

    So no.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    Cork airport is tiny.

    A really short runway, a serious lack of parking for aircraft….

    No point in extending the runway to facilitate larger aircraft if you’ve no ability to park said aircraft…

    A new airport ? Might be better as Dublin is around capacity.

    or put a rail link into Shannon.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 905 ✭✭✭65535


    Great idea OP - and while we are at it - we should adopt Federalism here in Ireland.

    Munster could look after it's own affairs with it's own representatives and provincial capital.

    Same with the other provinces.

    This federal idea would greatly assist the Unification of Ireland with the existing 6 county statelet joining back with it's 3 lost counties and become Ulster.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,676 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    There absolutely should be a rail link to Shannon. It's only a few miles of rail to link up with the Ennis Limerick line. A service every 20 minutes with a stop near the free zone would be huge for Limerick, Shannon and Ennis



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,163 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    “No point in extending the runway to facilitate larger aircraft if you’ve no ability to park said aircraft…”

    You would of course also increase other facilities as the airport grew, just like with any airport. CAA has had many plans for such increases.



  • Registered Users Posts: 161 ✭✭ArcadiaJunction


    Just build a 3rd terminal in Dublin with at least one rail link. Problem solved.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,989 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Build a long runway in Muster to join Cork to Limerick, and call it the M20. Now that is an idea - because local opposition to a new runway would be less than the opposition to a new motorway. It could be headlined as an extension of the Cork runway - nobody ever reads beyond the headline.

    While we are at it, double track the Limerick to Limerick Junction line and introduce fast Cork-Limerick trains. Extend the line to Shannon, and have direct Cork to Shannon trains.

    More connectivity means more traffic, and more competition.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 24,014 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    I'm a bit biased, but Shannon is massively under utilised, before anything else is done infrastructure wise more flights should be moved to Shannon in my opinion, friends of mine travelled from Dublin last year, they were longer getting from the car park to security than they were getting from Ennis to the car park. It's a motorway from Dublin and Galway to Shannon, you'll get from the Red Cow to Shannon in about 2 hours, instead of looking for massive investment just use what we have first.



  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,989 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    If it is necessary, according to the DAA, to get to the (Dublin) airport two hours early for a short haul flight, and three hours for a long haul flight, then surely getting to Shannon makes sense as it takes only a few minutes to get through security there.

    Dublin to Ennis takes 2 and a half hours using either the M6/M18 or the M7/M18. Now that assumes one is leaving from Dublin city centre.

    Flights need moving from Dublin to Shannon.


    Edit: M18 meant instead of M16 typo

    Post edited by Sam Russell on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,077 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    The triumvirate of DUB, SNN & ORK must mean that at least 1 of those airports is very easily within 2hrs drive of at least 85% or so of the population? With SNN probably 2nd to DUB in terms of that reach. Taking in the N20/M20, M7, M18, N17, N21 and other road coverage would IMO that SNN is accessible in that 2hr window to far more people than ORK?

    I'm saying that as a best guess on my part, not looked at road user data. But Cork City is 70minutes from SNN, Galway 50mins or so and then take into account the populations served by the roads above and my initial take would be that in addition to the longer runway and larger apron space at SNN to accommodate any expansion,that it also has a larger pool in the 2h4 drive range.

    It also has the easiest route to link into rail service and already has US pre-clearance and acres of parking.

    Surely all good things.

    Like some of the others here, I believe that we have too many airports too and that rather than a 3rd for Munster? That we'd take an all island view and look towards what we can do to bring all of the N.E within the 2hr drive to an airport. If that means contributing to motorway building and Airport expansion in NI? Let's do it 🤷‍♀️



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    The rail link to Shannon is something that waster councillors and backbenchers throw out round election time but there is no hope of it happening and it's actually not really that much a game changer.

    A more frequent direct bus from Limerick and Ennis would be a start and could be done almost instantly if flights to Shannon grew.

    But as I was saying earlier the Irish market is pretty small and the real way to ease pressure on Dublin is to make Shannon a better transatlantic connector. You can go to fek all of the big European cities from Shannon. It's just UK, USA the Costas for the Irish and Poland and Lithuania for the immigrant communities in the area.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,989 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Shannon used to be a hub, until DAA ate their lunch.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,650 ✭✭✭snotboogie


    The regional airports live and die on their immediate catchment area. It’s very hard to convince someone to drive 90-120 minutes to Shannon or Cork when you can be in Dublin and all of its routes, options and low prices in 2-3 hours.

    Besides this, Cork airport is doing well. It’s projected to have 2.7 million pax this year, its highest number of international pax ever and 5 million pax by the end of the decade.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    So what is your solution when Dublin is at capacity ?

    It's already struggling.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,077 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    I know it's a quick and dirty guesstimate to drop 200km radius on a map and make that your 2hr travel to the airport window.

    So I'll acknowledge that the numbers are dirty and the Dublin catchment in particular is pulling a little bit of GB, but the numbers that SNN and DUB have in that 2hr window are far above Cork and if a developed western corridor is still the plan to balance our Dublin centricity?

    Surely enhancing SNN is the prime option?

    The arbitrary 200km circle and population within it. SNN 4.23million, ORK 2.27million and both of course dwarfed by DUB with it's 6.2million Catchment.




  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,989 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    Dublin is building itself as a hub for European lesser airports to USA airports to benefit from pre-clearance to USA airports - particularly those USA that are purely domestic.

    SNN should be able to do the same. For example - Manchester to SNN to USA.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,507 ✭✭✭✭Larbre34


    Shannon Airport is just 4km as the crow flies from a railway line and yet it doesn't meet it.

    Cork Airport could quiet easily stand a light rail line to connect it to the city and the heavy rail network at Kent Station and yet it doesn't have one.

    Before we start looking at sledgehammer solutions to a problem that doesn't exist, then let's, along with Dublin's connectivity deficit, maximise the effectiveness of the feckin airports we already have too many of.



  • Registered Users Posts: 66 ✭✭Perks


    Close Shannon and give Limerick City an airport and you might be onto something.

    Never will forget the time Dublin airport closed with snow so got diverted to Shannnon to only be drove back to Dublin aiport in a bus.

    The main airport should have a clean as you go snow plan in place not a let it build up and up and up and then shut it all down.

    Planning is not our strong suit.

    NO it would not help.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 70,172 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    No airport has a let it build up plan - there are cases when the snow is too much to be cleared easily regardless of what you do. And yes, it does happen in countries with more snow than here.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    The 51 bus is already good enough as a route but it needs more frequency at least on the Limerick to Ennis leg.

    More flights to Shannon should be done regardless of some way off in the future train. Better to upgrade now which is possible with what is available than to wait on something like a train link.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,650 ✭✭✭snotboogie


    The 200km circle for Shannon includes Dublin lol. Who is going to drive 2.5 hours from Dublin to Shannon to get a more expensive flight? The 200km circle for Dublin includes most of Wales 🙃



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    The idea of expanding the airport could mean it will have flights not serviced by Dublin or flights on different days to Dublin.

    Or maybe you go to Shannon because Dublin is an absolute disaster.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 27,571 Mod ✭✭✭✭Podge_irl


    Flights need moving from Dublin to Shannon.

    The airlines don't agree.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,077 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    Because each airport would service substantially different routes and hubs. And yes it does include part of Wales, as was actually stated in my post. It's a quick and dirty example to outline the populations served by each airport.

    If you carry through on a little consequential thinking for that Dublin population estimate as a result of your wonderfully astute observation? It would actually increase the viability of SNN & ORK as alternatives as Dublin's population on the basis of the quick estimate on the basis of the map,would drop by 1mln+



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,077 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    The bus link is decent. I agree with utilizing what we have on that front before we proceed with infrastructure dreams. That said, the Ryder cup in 2027was surely the ideal event for SNN and as impetus of both the Cork-Limerick Motorway and expanding SNN link via rail and urban light rail in Limerick. The plans for both are well in hand now but likely too late for either to be in use in time for that marquee event.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,650 ✭✭✭snotboogie


    It’s nonsense though, can you name any country in the world that reverse engineers their airports to share flights between cities? Every country chases scale for the economies that come with it. It would be madness to try and shrink Dublin airport.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,077 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    Where have I mentioned shrinking Dublin? The discussion is on alternatives to it. The reduction in numbers you were eager to highlight(despite its being addressed in the post) doesn't make a case for shrinking Dublin nor did I claim it did. I said it makes the case for SNN and ORK as alternatives stronger.

    While the Dublin catchment drops, neither SNN or ORK do.

    And again,it's not about flying the same routes. It is about an alternative airport in the MW or South offering alternative destination and connections to onward hubs. You seem to have difficulty in grasping that? An example that might help is New York. It is serviced by 3 international Airports, LGA, JFK and Newark. All of which offer different routes and onward hub connections. There is no reason that the Irish triumvirate can't do the same. It spreads passenger load without undue inconvenience and creates far more choice and options for the traveller.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Limerick has huge problems with lack of commuter trains on lines that already exist.

    We are now relaying Foynes which runs through Adare on an existing line with no plan for passenger services.

    Shannon would be a brand new route. It's just not going to happen sadly.

    The Cork to Limerick motorway is a no-brainer and up a massive failing of 25 years worth of governments.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,077 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    Oh I agree with you on the rail issues around the city & county.

    The Motorway has really been an unfortunate hostage for far too long. If there is to be a west coast rod corridor it is really is a no brainer to open Cork all the way through to Sligo and beyond.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    There is a reason we can't (won't) do it like your New York example and its simply that Dublin people can't handle the "insult" of being asked to travel to their airport the way the rest of the country has to.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,742 ✭✭✭StevenToast


    Bertie bowl stuff

    "Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining." - Fletcher



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,163 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    “I'm a bit biased, but Shannon is massively under utilised”

    The problem with Shannon though is that the demand just isn’t there, its catchment area is relatively poor. Shannon has every advantage, very long runway, zero debt, independent, transatlantic flights, US pre clearance, yet it carries 1 million per year less then Cork!

    Little Cork airport, which is hobbled in every way possible, short runway, no transatlantic traffic, no us pre-clearance, big debt and isn’t independent and yet it carries 1 million more people per year then Shannon!

    The reason why Cork does better because it has in reality a much larger catchment area then Shannon, short distance from Cork city and it surroundings make it quick and easy to get too from Ireland’s second biggest city. Give Cork the same advantages as Shannon it would grow WAY larger then Shannon quickly.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying take anything from Shannon, but I honestly can’t see what else you could do to make Shannon any more attractive, it already has pretty much every advantage possible. No, I’m just saying if you want to balance out Dublin, then you will get more bang for your buck by giving some of the same advantages Shannon has to Cork.

    If you could just add a couple of transatlantic and Middle Eastern destinations to Cork, it would greatly reduce the number of Corkonians who head to Dublin Airport.

    .



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,163 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Errr….. but no it isn’t! It is nowhere near capacity, I’ve no idea where people get this nonsense from.

    They have just recently opened the second runway at Dublin Airport, plenty of capacity.

    There are plans for a third terminal, with intermediate plans to increase the capacity of the existing two terminals to 40 million people per year (from 32 at the moment).

    There is plenty of space around Dublin Airport to continue to expand, a big land bank (controversially) came up for sale between the two runways just this week.

    Sure, there are some bottlenecks at Dublin Airport, with parking, etc. and they definitely need Metrolink to help it grow, but it is VERY afar from capacity!



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    They "get this nonsense" from a report that it is already past growth projections and that something will have to be done in the next 10/15 years.

    That's why there has been so much talk recently about upgrading either Dublin/Shannon/Cork or building a midlands airport.

    It is not very far from capacity.

    There are not plans for a 3rd terminal.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭Strumms


    Shannon used to be a stopover too, aka, dragging a load of people into an airport you didn’t wish to be at and into a terminal to go shopping and eating whilst landing fees, handling charges, parking charges, extra fuel, extra wear and tear on wheels / landing gear, engines etc were all charged to the airline who passed those charges on to their clients… landing gear and engines have lifecycles… doesn’t matter what nick they are in…

    So Shannon really can’t complain, they had the biggest most disingenuous mafia style scam going in any civilised democracy, almost gangsteresque for decades, a gun to the head job on passengers traveling from other regions of the country, so they could make a few bob.

    be like if you were driving to Belfast from Dublin and you had to use the east link bridge… pure gangsterville…

    ultimately these businesses need to be at the behest of their customers needs, not the other way around.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985




  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 19,989 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    The benefit of SNN having the pre-clearance is to allow European flights to go to SNN for passengers to fly onward to USA airports that are mostly domestic. This is a huge advantage that is not being exploited.

    However, it has to be grown by having plenty of USA flights, and the attracting European connections. A chicken and egg problem.



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,163 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    No it isn’t, it is completely accurate, the Shannon stopover was a complete scam, it was one of the worst examples of parish pump politics.

    ”They "get this nonsense" from a report that it is already past growth projections and that something will have to be done in the next 10/15 years.”

    LMAO, so you have now gone from Dublin Airport is at capacity, too it might be in the next 10/15 years!

    Dublin airport growing faster than projections is a good thing, but it certainly isn’t any indication that it is at capacity, far from it!

    DAA aren’t currently planning to build terminal 3, because they believe they can increase the capacity of the existing terminals from 32 million to 40 million people per year, only after that will they look to build Terminal 3, which there is plenty of space for at Dublin Airport.

    Dublin is nowhere near capacity, to give you an idea, Heathrow airport is also a two runway airport and it carries 62 million passengers per year, versus Dublins current 32. Plenty of growth space there.



  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 70,172 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Shannon was never a hub. There was a ridiculous enforced stopover that airlines were entirely free to keep doing after the requirement to do so was dropped by the Government - not the DAA.

    Only one airline retained it, briefly - Air Transat. Everyone else stopped - because Shannon was never the traffic generator

    Shannon have had the guts of a decade independent now and have achieved nothing. The ability to keep blaming Dublin for everything is running out.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    I do apologize if I said "at capacity" I was wrong there.

    Runways are not the only thing that counts for capacity. It will require lots of money to keep increasing Dublin's capacity and the whole conversation here is could it be better spent elsewhere.

    Yes of course Dublin can be increased but should it be.



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,163 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    “Yes of course Dublin can be increased but should it be.”

    Of course it should, if the demand is there from both passengers and airlines.

    There is absolutely nothing stopping both passengers and airlines from using Shannon, yet they both vote with their wallet and use Dublin.

    Keep in mind, that the taxpayer doesn’t pay for any of the expansions at Dublin Airport, the costs are completely covered by the DAA themselves by fees paid by the airlines. In fact Shannon has actually cost the taxpayer, Dublin doesn’t. So there really isn’t argument if many should be spent elsewhere. In the end it will be up to the DAA and indirectly the airlines/passengers if investment continues in Dublin or not.

    We are actually very lucky with Dublin Airport, it is nice and close to the city, but still has loads of land around it for continued growth in future, unlike say Heathrow. And Metrolink will absolutely transform the connectivity to it.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    "There is absolutely nothing stopping both passengers and airlines from using Shannon"

    Well fair enough I agree about airlines but passengers don't really get a choice.

    I also agree about Metrolink because my biggest issue with booking a holiday from Dublin is the bus part. No problem with the train to Dublin but hate that bus in/out.





  • Expand Shannon, as someone said put in rail, even light rail, link up with Galway, express bus links far and wide, turn it into a second hub. Maybe some commuter feed from Donegal to link in too.

    Light rail Colbert Station via city centre, a couple of key stops near hotels north side, Cratloe, Bunratty, Shannon Town, Shannon Airport.

    Alternatively an express hovercraft service would fit the bill, with included minibus link to Colbert station. The hovercraft could swiftly traverse the estuary mud flats and provide a smooth commute. In strong winds an alternative bus could be provided.


    Post edited by [Deleted User] on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,012 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    Dublin airport is in the right place for Dublin and for "stealing" passengers from the M1 corridor. Its on the wrong side of Dublin to steal passengers from Cork or Limerick or Galway or Waterford directions, due to M50 traffic and the need to do complicated changes in Dublin to get to it on anything other than a bus.


    Shannon may take off a little if the M20 gets built as it could steal traffic from Cork.


    As it stands I for one would rather eat my own luggage then drive to Dublin for a flight. All buses to Dublin airport leave from the middle of Cork, not anywhere where I can put my car while I holiday. Shannon is just stressful with the N20 or with the M8/Hospital route.


    With Cork I can leave the house 1h45m before the flight and watch it land before walking into the terminal. Aside from a slight lack of the routes and the fact that it only has a Cat2 runway for jets (and the resultant problems with fog then) its my favourite airport. When they get the new CT scanners in it'll be even better.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Shauna677


    What good is that to people travelling up from cork kerry etc, having to spend a night in a hotel in Dublin too and the crazy prices they charging.



  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 23,163 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    “Dublin airport is in the right place for Dublin and for "stealing" passengers from the M1 corridor. Its on the wrong side of Dublin to steal passengers from Cork or Limerick or Galway or Waterford directions, due to M50 traffic and the need to do complicated changes in Dublin to get to it on anything other than a bus.”

    It might be on the “wrong side”, but large numbers of people travel from Cork, Limerick and Galway to use Dublin Airport. I’m a Corkonian, lots of family and friends use Dublin Airport. All the intercity coach services (Aircoach, GoBus, Citylink, etc.) feeding into Dublin Airport.

    I can agree though, there is a lot you can do to make Cork more attractive, extend the runway, potential for a route to JFK and Middle East and you could attract a lot of Corkonians who are currently heading to Dublin.

    “All buses to Dublin airport leave from the middle of Cork, not anywhere where I can put my car while I holiday. “

    FYI, the buses leave from near Kent station, you can park at Kent station, it costs money, but a damn sight cheaper then Dublin Airport parking.

    “Expand Shannon, as someone said put in rail, even light rail, link up with Galway, express bus links far and wide, turn it into a second hub.”

    Sure expand rail to it, but realistically it won’t make much difference, maybe an extra 50 to 100k passengers per year (if that). It already has various BE routes serving it, so it is already served by public transport. Honestly I don’t see many people saying they won’t use Shannon because they can only take a coach to it, but would if it had a train.

    Express buses, nothing stopping any of the bus and coach companies from requesting a license to operate to Shannon. No one stopping them, they don’t because the demand just isn’t there.

    “but passengers don't really get a choice.”

    I get what you mean, not on an individual basis, but they do indirectly. Airlines don’t just open up random air routes, they study the market, how many potential customers, the airport catchment area and then they do surveys of potential customers to see how much interest there is.

    If they find that people in the catchment aren’t willing to pay a premium to fly out of Shannon and instead will make the trip to Dublin, then the customers are making a choice.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,496 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Genuinely don't see the argument for a rail link to Shannon Airport. It makes no commerical sense.

    The buses from Limerick take 35 minutes on a lightly trafficked motorway. The rail service from Colbert to Sixmilebridge takes 20 mins or so so a rail link would take near on 30 minutes. All that investment for 5 minutes saved?

    And from the other side, buses from Galway to Shannon would be much, much quicker using the motorway than any rail service due to the slow journey times on the line north of Ennis.

    The Limerick-Athenry rail line is also single track, and flights into Shannon are sporadic and infrequent.

    The train service also runs 7am-9:30pm at present which would require adjustment to suit early transatlanic arrivals and late night Ryanair flights. There were 5 flights arriving after this last night for example upto 12am.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,554 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    On that last bit connectivity has nothing got to do with catchment area and people are already driving or travelling to Dublin from outside the catchment area.



  • Advertisement
Advertisement