A lot of track maintenance depots popping up along the track between Limerick and Limerick Junction. is the double tracking about to start?
Where abouts seekers?
Drumkeen? Other spots?
yes, and also north of Limerick Junction and beside the bridge in Oola and also at the Killonan
They have been putting new equipment storaage area's and area's for new masts on other routes which I suspect is the case here.
I don't think a final decision on Limerick J-Limerick capacity has been fully made and even if it has construction will unlikely start this year.
Will there be much of an impact or any beneficial changes to the Nenagh branch line at Killonan where the lines meet?
Prob not just hopeful there might be some improvement required as part of the double track works.
How many trains per hour would there be between Killonan and Limerick Junction v between Killonan and Nenagh and beyond? And apart from direct trains to/from Cork, is there much scope for additional trains to LJ?
Given the towns on the Nenagh branch and the potential for more regular services, I would have thought it would be more worthy of investment.
Doubt it will make any benefit to the Nenagh line. Seems to have a whole host of its own problems that really should be resolved.
I was looking at Killonan on google maps earlier. See attached. Presumably the curve off North East towards Nenagh will have to be reconfigured so that it can allow trains to access either of the new Limerick - Limerick Junction double tracks?
Hopefully the accommodation farm crossing on the East of the attached image may also be closed on both lines and replaced with a culvert etc as part of the project.
... wishful thinking on my part possibly.
Has there been formal confirmation that double tracking is going to happen and, if so, that it would be the full length from Killonan to LJ?
I know it is mentioned in LSMATS but I think that is more as a long term objective rather than an actual commitment.
Limerick - Limerick Junc was double track once upon a time, its not actually part of LSMATS, it predates it.
Its needed to address intercity capacity and potentially freight traffic out of Foynes
I think its definitely one project we can be confident is going to be delivered. Irish Rail have been quite bullish about it during Oireachtas transport committees etc.
Lmk - Lmk Jnc was never double tracked though its good to proved wrong.
Look at the old OSI maps on OSI.ie. The embankment at Oola is too narrow for double tracking, as is Brooks Bridge
The line certainly was originally double track between Limerick and Limerick Junction. I suggest you check your railway history books! :-)
what happened last weekend that the full line was closed?
Works at Killonan Junction. Not part of the double track upgrade afaik
Not sure what history book would carry that. Maybe theres a whole chapter dedicated to it somewhere ... lol.
Anyway, I stand corrected. The old ordinance survey map shows double tracking alright.
“Railway Lines of Córas Iompair Éireann and Northern Ireland Railways” by Oliver Doyle & Stephen Hirsch is the bible in that regard.
https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/1401476/study-underway-on-location-of-new-train-station-in-limerick.html
Any update on this folks? Planning approved yet?
There isn’t any formal plan let alone any funding yet.
Double tracking (in the context of this thread) was first mentioned around 2019/2020 afaik? It's now 2025 and are we any closer to seeing this happen?
IE appointed Atkins as feasibility consultants in Nov 2022. And it was then listed in the All Ireland Strategic Rail Review which was published in July 2023. That's only 18 months ago, which is no time at all in the planning process.
Also IE are busy trying to get DART+ through planning. I doubt you'll see any movement on this until after that.
Re-doubling of a currently single track line should not need to go near ABP, indeed it shouldn't even need PP.
Only if new stations are being built - they should need PP.
This is my thinking. So much red tape in this country. Is it any wonder things take so bloody long?
No final plan has been published so nobody knows the scope of the works. Land may need to be CPO'd, level crossings rebuilt, bridges replaced etc. There is also talk of at least one new station at Ballysimon. You can't just work away without planning when you're changing the existing setup.
And most importantly no funds have yet been committed to progress this scheme to construction.
Exactly - when this finally progresses there will be PR on it you can be sure of that.
It is likely to be delivered under the umbrella of the LSMATS (Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy) project.
When something is happening, it’ll be on this page:
https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments
At the risk of going around in circles, I'm not doubting any of the above points but my point is how frustrating it is that a final plan and/or funding hasn't been sorted since this project was first announced over 5 years ago at the beginning of the last government.
It wasn’t announced per se.
The CEO of Irish Rail indicated that they were examining it from a feasibility perspective.
There’s a massive difference between the two.
It has yet to be announced as a project that is going to go ahead.
Except, as I pointed out in my previous post, it only got official recognition from the government as a possible project 18 months ago with the publication of the AISRR. Nothing was announced about it at the start of the last government. The furthest this has gotten is the feasibility study that Atkins have done for IE.
A station at Ballysimon is all that got mention from the Limerick meeting last week. No mention of double track
Jim Meade mentioned it on Joe Nash's show on 95FM.
