Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail Discussion

What bemuses me is the assumption of low line speeds. The world has moved on but the conversation hasn't.

Your timings are irrelevant because the ability to travel at a certain speed is not the only constraint. It may be possible to do Castlebar - Galway in 83 minutes (hardly amazing in itself) pre 6am but unlikely for the rest of the day. And even if that time can be regularly achieved, how many people want to make the journey?

At either end of the Athenry - Claremorris section, you have single track which accommodates main line intercity services. For a train to get from Castlebar to Galway via WRC, it has to join/leave two other lines, this limits through paths. An available path heading east out of Castlebar might result in the train approaching Athenry when other services are scheduled to use the station (bear in mind that WRC Phase 1 trains use the station to change direction).

The single track mainlines mean serious limitations on what can be achieved in terms of adding new services from a branch. Obviously the existing intercity services will be given priority as they connect the west to bigger towns (i.e. Athlone, Tullamore, Portlaoise, Kildare, Newbridge, Naas, and of course Dublin). The freight angle is a red herring as freight is already been carried on the existing network and more could be added with targeted investment without WRC.

Double-tracking and capacity increases are needed first on the existing network but even that doesn't guarantee the fastest theoretical time Castlebar - Galway as you still have crossing manoeuvres which require time and good timing. This is why this focus on a Ballina - Rosslare "spine" is only a distraction, the real spine is the existing network which will have to support an expanded network.

The claim then is "we can do both, it doesn't have to be one or the other", well in the real world of limited resources and capacity constraints (funding, labour, planning system, etc.), we need to prioritise and first progress that which will have most benefit. All the media attention around the AIRR has been on reopening lines (WRC, Waterford - Rosslare, Navan, spur to Donegal) and clearly a lot of politicians are on that bandwagon (which the MfT is steering), it only detracts from what needs to happen first. If the AIRR is to be worth the paper it's printed on, it should be making this clear.

Even when Bertie Ahern was firing around borrowed money like snuff at a wake we still did not have unlimited resources and we also had capacity constraints. However, rather than doing "what need[ed] to happen first" (double-tracking Portarlington to Athlone, or double-tracking Athenry to Galway, to cite two examples) we went ahead and built Ennis-Athenry at a cost of over 100 million. We did this because the politicians were under the mistaken belief that this was what the public wanted, thanks to the relentless (and admittedly successful) campaigning of a small pressure group.

Of course, once it was built, the public showed, by their refusal to use it, that it was not what they wanted at all. But sure what harm, 'twas only 100 million.

No politician is ever going to get their photo in the paper double-tracking a line. It's just not a mediaworthy item. So, despite the limited resources and capacity constraints we have now, I wouldn't underestimate the likelihood of it happening. I haven't heard one politician from the West of Ireland oppose it, or suggest that the other work should be done first, even though they may know that to be the case.

That politician is smart enough and honest to the electorate in fairness. No point putting the cart before the horse. What's there position on double tracking Athenry to Galway City?

Confirmation today that the AIRR has recommended opening the WRC to Claremorris

https://www.thejournal.ie/rail-review-report-donegal-cavan-monaghan-6127273-Jul2023/

Bad urban planning on the part of galway council is hardly grounds to ignore any rail upgrades.

Why bother double tracking galway to athenry if its of no use to commuters going to parkmore

So I think more less everyone agrees the Portadown to Mulingar part is by far the most, shall we say, imaginative. What annoys me is why did they not just draw that line a lil bit further to Portarlington, if you're gonna dream that hard, might aswel finish

The predictable glass-half full brigade out in force here - unable to focus on the positive aspects of the report relating specifically to the WRC. Too busy talking about cycle tracks and lines in other parts of the country.

Great to see WRC being included in phase 1 of schedule of works. Looking forward to seeing the line up and running in the years to come.

I welcome the day when I can hop on a train on the Westport - Dublin line and get to Galway. Granted I'll have to change in Claremorris and again in Athenry. Hell of an improvement on Westport - Athlone - change - Athlone - Galway. Perhaps, even go on to Limerick or Cork. No car needed. Happy days.

Except it's a bus. Not a fan of buses. If I'm going to get stuck in traffic, I'll take my car.

The connection of the rail makes a longer journey possible.