Ennis Limerick rail line

Ok, thanks, I can now see why a loop would be helpful in Sixmilebridge.

Presumably a temporary speed restriction (TSR).

Surely they know themselves what must be done to increase capacity?

I mean, they have decades of experience?

Anyone know the reason why? Irish rail being a bit cagey on details. No known bridge strike and no engineering works scheduled. I took the train yesterday morning but was bussed back in the evening.

Not a peep! Atkins were supposed to have selected the site by the end of H1 this year so presumably should hear something soon. I would expect a planning application to be lodged before end of year to allow for that run its course and then to sort tenders etc and crack on with construction to be ready for a 2025 opening.

I was being very, very optimistic! 😁🤣

I’ve often travelled from Heuston to Colbert in less than 2 hours which includes a change at Limerick Junction.

With the current state of the line between Limerick and Athenry, Id fail to see how you could make it an attractive option when comparing it with the Cork line. Any upgrade WRC receives is likely to be matched on the Cork-Dublin mainline so it’ll no doubt always be the main route to Dublin.

I do know of a few options where Ennis to Dublin is quicker via Athenry than Limerick/Limerick Junction

The redevelopment of Galway station has been approved by the NTA and will see the number of platforms increase to five.

Interesting article in the Limerick Post on the fairly dramatic increase in numbers travelling on the Ennis- Limerick line these days.

https://www.limerickpost.ie/2023/10/15/limerick-train-travel-shows-significant-increase/

The article states that the number of passengers carried on rail services between Limerick and Ennis during the first six months of 2023 was up 21 per cent on the total figure for 2019. If that trend were to continue then the line in 2023 will carry in excess of double 2019s annual total passengers. Obviously at first glance this seems a success story, but is there any other explanation for the large increase? was 2019 a particularly poor year for ridership (was there a closed line, flooding Ballycar etc)

It's a bit unclear what the figures in the article actually are. Are they only counting the number of passengers using the line to travel from Limerick to Ennis, or are they also counting passengers using the line to make different journeys such as Dublin to Ennis or Limerick to Galway?

It's also unclear if they count a passenger who makes a return journey as one passenger or two separate passengers.

If you have a look at the 2022 National Heavy Rail Census, you can see the total number of boardings and alightings in Ennis Station on each annual census day since 2013, and the boardings and alightings combined on every census day shown add up to more than 240 passengers a day, which is the figure given by the Limerick Post article of the number of passengers "carried on rail services between Limerick and Ennis."

So I'm not sure what to think about this.

Badly needed. Bit of a claustrophobic little kip.

More like something you would expect from a little market town station rather than a city.

Some absolutely awful looking additions made over the years to the surrounding area and hotel too.

Almost feel like I am jinxing things... but does anyone know were flood works put in place in Bally car, plenty of water about but so far not actually on the track