Any plans in motion for removing them?
Given how long it's taken to get the Cork Level Crossing project over the line I'd like to see them starting planning/design now
Multiple level crossings.
Is Limerick to Limerick Junction currently completely grade separated or does it have any level crossings?
limerick to the junction to the ennis line.
nope doubling limerick to limerick junction is a quick and easy win and can be done relatively quickly in the great scheme of things.
the more urjant investments will take a long time and there is money for them anyway so no reason they can't happen separately.
I know not the point of the thread but I agree wholeheartedly with having Waterford services carry on to Colbert, I always think this makes the most sense (with a pre-09:00 arrival at both ends of course…!)
You need to look at map. It's not physically possible to double track the Ennis line through Limerick.
The double track needs to be extended some distance beyond Killonan Junction at the very least, ideally as far as the loop at Dromkeen, as it is a very limiting factor when trying to schedule services on the Limerick/Limerick Junction section. The shuttles pass at Killonan Junction right now, with little or no margin for late running.
I've explained before that it's impossible to schedule closer connections from Cork in the mornings currently because the line is too congested.
There is a clear aspiration to run additional direct services between Limerick and Cork aside from the Limerick/Limerick Junction services connecting services, and the Limerick/Dublin direct services.
It's going to be difficult to path them without additional track capacity, and doubling Killonan to Dromkeen would make a lot of sense.
Well there isn't going to be demand to justify 2tph to Dublin, 2tph to Cork, and 1tph to Waterford for a long time if talking about direct trains. Realistically you could have an hourly direct train to Dublin and one to Cork, plus then changing to/from Dublin - Cork trains between the direct trains. If the timing can be gotten right, the Waterford train could potentially serve as the link between Limerick and the Dublin - Cork trains. Obviously the Ballybrophy line also can provide a link to trains to/from Dublin and it also serves other journeys too. That level of service doesn't necessarily mean separate 10 separate train paths per hour.
I really don't see double-tracking to LJ adding much, I'm convinced that money could do more good if spent elsewhere. Staying in the Limerick area, investment would be better put into the lines to Ennis or Nenagh.
Sorry, but what do you mean by "to the junction with the Galway line"? Do you mean Limerick to Athenry? There are more urgent investments than this.
doubling limerick junction to limerick is a case of you need to double to the junction to the galway line anyway, and if you are doing that you may as well just go on further and do the lot. so a passing loop won't suffice.
IMHO, every intercity line should be:
So the line from Limerick to LJ should be re-doubled, yes.
I hope there is the potential for 5 tph each way: 2tph to Dublin, 2tph to Cork, and 1tph to Waterford.
We need to build for growth and massive modal shift, we need to be ambitious.
Hopefully the passing loop at Sixmilebridge doesn't take as long as Oranmore's.
Five years have passed, and the application for planning permission still hasn't been submitted.
Why only a passing loop at Sixmilebridge, but double track from imerick to Limerick Junction. There is no commuter potential on the line to LJ, only intercity which will never to more than a few trains per hour so a passing loop would suffice (if even that is needed) . The Ennis line can grow passenger numbers if frequency is increased, plus it is an intercity line, wouldn't it be better to invest more on that side of the city?
Incidentally, there is a thread for the Ennis line which is probably better suited for this discussion.
Local politicians never mention the town when talking about the spur. It's always referred to as a link to the airport.
The spur is probably more about serving Shannon town than it is about the airport no?
The passing loop is a good idea and could be instigated relatively quickly. The airport spur will never happen.
https://www.clare.fm/news/irish-rail-unveils-plans-double-frequency-ennis-routes/
Passing loop at Sixmilebridge, improved journey times, double track from limerick to limerick junction and a rail line to Shannon discussed by Jim Meade (if anyone has a link to the actual presentation it’d be appreciated:)
October. Apparently.
Nothing can proceed if it doesn't have a design and planning permission.
Any sign of the new trains arriving yet ?
There’s huge rail projects mooted in their Rail Infrastructure Plan and given their scale they’d want to be getting underway soon in planning at least t for progress to get underway - seems big on aspiration, short on exact detail and timeframe delivery. Dual tracking and electrification of lines are huge projects not to mention the new lines
However, some projects can perhaps partially proceed. For instance, the N2 dualling from Ardee to Catleblayney is mostly online, this could proceed in smaller sections. I have the impression that Monaghan County Council wanted to move on this but someone is slowing things down.
There are some minor realignment schemes but it is the only major project underway. There is not a huge pipeline of schemes ready or near ready to go either - M28 and M21 are basically it.
The pipeline has not been kept going in recent years; there are some schemes pootling along in design and one that might have been ready to go but has failed (again) to get planning - the Galway Bypass.
The intercity motorway network cost about 10 billion. Metrolink alone won't be far off that!
BusConnects is going to top 3bn, DART+ 5bn, that is before we even start looking at the AIRR (40bn for the total plan!).
But as Pete said above, inflation makes a difference here.
Though do keep in mind when the Motorways were being built 20 years ago, so were the two Luas line, DART platform lengthening, the ICR and Mark4 fleets were bought and plenty of other "smaller" rail projects were happening. Not enough of course, but it was happening.
Ber in mind that comparing capital expenditure from periods 20 years apart would be meaningless without first adjusting for inflation.
You need projects through planning before you can build them. Once Metrolink and all the DART+ and BusConnects projects get through planning and into construction then you'll see the Capex rise sharply.
As to the roads, they are in a similar boat. There aren't many ready to go to construction. Next year the M21 and M28 schemes should get underway, but there's nothing else through planning.
Is that really true? Just the N5? I am a big fan of investing in transit, but that seems too little.
Sorry, what I'm really trying to compare is capex on transit now versus capex on new roads during the motorway building period.
What I mean is that given we have the GP in Govt, plus given that tax receipts are strong, I would hope to see capex on new transit infrastructure during 2023/2024/2025 on the same scale as the peak of motorway copnstruction period.
I would like to get data on that.
I don’t know how you came to that conclusion. It is totally the opposite. There is only one road scheme under construction nationwide right now, on the N5. If you look at the period to the end of 2030 I’d say public transport spending will easily be five times road spending, if you add up what will we spent on metrolink, Dart, Luas and BusConnects.
Some drone footage from a week ago :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-dyE7H7YBY
