Irish rail fleet and infrastructure plans

"A lot of people" are going to be very disappointed when that line opens and it's only for freight. I know people from West Limerick who only follow the story from a vague "line being built" point of view and don't understand that it doesn't automatically mean passengers.

It will be interesting to see what kind of political drive both real and bonkers gets behind passenger services.

Wait, are you saying the Dart+ fleet allow for retrofit of toilets? I can't feasible see that happening.

An airport spur would only become an option if the ongoing EU funded four tracking feasibility assessment study reports in favour of implementing four track expansion along the Northern Line.

That would change the landscape.

But again we shall have to wait and see what the study reports in due course.

Well let us wait and see what the engineering feasibility study says.

I'd rather wait for a full professional assessment of this before making any pronouncement.

The railway moves much too slowly. 😂

Marino Point

I have to agree with CitizenSix - it will take a mint of money to get the fourth track, plus the construction disruption. A third is doable without too much land take , but for four through each station you need a second overbridge minimum (track either side of existing platforms), or you move a platform to create an express track or tracks in which case you’re reconstructing the overbridge that’s there. But if there is a big shove on to get the airport train maybe there is a mint to be had, we’ll see

interesting that he thinks Adare worth discussing when some thought it was impossible - still leaves himself an out for CRR to say no but it feels like he’s sticking his neck out.

presumably the mid west container customer is in Raheen - who are the big players there these days? I thought Dell’s production was gone to Poland? and send it where - Dublin Port or Belview?

As for freight north of Claremorris, I read that they are not seeking out freight business elsewhere in the country at present - that’s where it’s all coming from now anyway. There may be a distinction where the “mid west” customer came to them, and if it’s someone in Raheen then there is some synergy in that Limerick is where wagon repair happens at the moment anyway, so wagon swaps could be done at the other end to get wagons due for service over to Limerick.

I do wonder who’s going to be sending what from Mayo through Foynes, and how well it’s going to work with running around freights in (presumably) both Athlone West and Limerick Yard if an increase in Dublin-Galway service is also anticipated.

@Jamie2k9 given the capacity constraints Athlone-Portarlington and Athlone-Mullingar handed over to the bike crowd, where do you see the Mayo shuttle terminating? Seems hard to believe the Shannon bridge and Athlone Station as currently configured isn’t a serious pinch point - more constrained than Mallow, but reinstating Athlone West may not be welcomed even if it is rebuilt as a substantial facility with a decent waiting area.

Metrolink might be faster but from the same catchment? Assuming it’s operated as a DART branch and not some notions branded link, then you’re coming from Howth or down from Malahide/Balbriggan you could just transfer at Howth Junction. It would also provide some relief to Metrolink in the event of maintenance or incident.

Athlone which has 3 platforms. I don't think they will go back to splitting trains like they did before when they axed 08:05 Heuston/Westport. Never an issue goning west but could cause problemes going east when joining them.

My thought on how you get the airport spur into the two tracks.

You will have Dart North which will be combining both the current Malahide DART service plus the Northern Commuter services. These run every 15 minutes out to Drogheda all stations.

Then a DART out to the Airport every 15 minutes. At Howth Junction connection into and out of the Airport DART.

This gives a 7.5 minute headway to Clongriffin, 15 minutes to Howth, Malahide and Drogheda.

Belfast services hourly, following out the Airport DART, stop at Clongriffin, which then overtake at Skerries / or Donabate, new long loops as required where land allows for overtaking to take place both ways.

Peak extensions to Dundalk.

Ideally, 3 or 4 tracks to Clongriffin would be ideal but a huge cost if even possible.

Having both a DART to the airport would allow for the whole southside of Dublin along the DART through to the North East of the city to be directly connected with the airport, with parts of the city (especially Clontarf to Donaghmede) that don’t have an airport connection.

Then Irish Rail can have a win for city centre journeys to the airport, connecting also with Belfast and Sligo directly.

The loop line is the constraint as always but something will have to be worked out there.

I feel very much like "I'll believe it when I see it" about Metrolink.

Expanding the tracks along the Northern Line is currently the subject of an EU funded feasibility study.

I think you can be pretty sure that EU funds would be a major part of any resulting capital investment project and that it would be pushed as part of the peace dividend on the island of Ireland as the Enterprise would be the main beneficiary along with outer suburban trains.

But we will have to wait and see what results from the feasibility study.

I suspect that would be the card that the NI Executive and Irish government would be playing but we shall see.

I wouldn’t be concerned too much about Brexit - given the special circumstances that NI finds itself in, I’m sure that arms could be twisted!