Galway Commuter Rail: Galway-Athenry

Geuze · 18-10-2024 12:57PM

Thanks.

So it may not look like this:

KrisW1001 · 18-10-2024 05:19PM

Sounds like it’s more like this:

LXFlyer · 18-10-2024 05:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122734416#Comment_122734416

Only one set of points would be there where the siding is - not a reverse set out of the siding.

Loops are signalled bi-directionally so no need for the second set of points.

It’s common at virtually every passing loop along the single track lines.

It allows for a train to be stored offline (be it a per way train or a failure).

Geuze · 19-10-2024 04:38PM

Okay, thanks.

I have seen a cul-de-sac siding in Athenry alongside the car park, that is only accessible from the Limerick branch, and I was wondering about that.

Maybe it has a similar purpose.

Geuze · 19-10-2024 04:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122734533#Comment_122734533

This seems to imply that a train could start from Oranmore in the morning, as in be parked there overnight in the siding, driver walks into station, revs her up, and the train starts from there?

Geuze · 20-02-2025 02:00AM

The passing loop got planning permission today.

p_haugh · 20-02-2025 09:10AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123190028#Comment_123190028

By the looks of it, just the bog standard conditions attached as well so that's good to see.

https://www.eplanning.ie/GalwayCC/AppFileRefDetails/2461261/0

spacetweek · 21-02-2025 12:52AM

Am I right in saying it took just over 5 months?

cooperguy · 20-10-2025 12:41PM

The underpass now installed at Oranmore, next job is the passing loop

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/iarnrod-eireann-irish-rail_all-in-a-weekends-work-in-oranmore-last-activity-7384859863337627648-R4Nn/

bikeman1 · 20-10-2025 10:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122734533#Comment_122734533

There is one other important signalling aspect for these headhunts / sidings at the end of a loop.

With signalling you have a “overlap”, this means that in the event of a train passing the signal at danger, it goes into the section of the train coming the other way. Having a siding, means the overlap goes into that siding.

This means that you can bring a train in faster than when it is not there and bring the one coming the other way closer to the station / crossing point. All in all it improves efficiency.

Similar ( but different) scenarios happen at various locations on the network.

spacetweek · 22-10-2025 08:37AM

Is that underpass wide enough for 2 tracks?

KrisW1001 · 22-10-2025 09:23AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123926853#Comment_123926853

Yes. The project includes 1 km of dual track at the station, in addition to the second platform to the north of the original track.

Summary here: Iarnród Éireann Projects and Investments

hans aus dtschl · 22-10-2025 09:23AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123926853#Comment_123926853

And if yes, maybe it would have made sense not to centre the existing track over the underpass. Still, very impressive job.

KrisW1001 · 22-10-2025 01:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123926973#Comment_123926973

It’s not centred, although it does run slightly further north than it should.

I suspect there’s a chicken-and-egg situation here: the track has to be doubled, but building the underpass should be done first, to reduce the amount of track that needs to be re-laid later in the project. But, the way the existing track approaches the station means it doesn’t neatly line up on its “proper” side of the bridge. Of course, you could fix that by re-aligning the track, but that means closing the line for longer as you’re lifting more track, and it’s also likely that doing this would require work that won’t be done until the doubling part of the project is started. But: the track doubling task must follow the underpass being put in place.

So, to break the cycle, you put the underpass in place with the track as-is, then come back and re-align it as part of the doubling.

spacetweek · 22-10-2025 11:27PM

Are we really waiting over two years for planning permission for the passing loop to be granted?

loco_scolo · 23-10-2025 06:40AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123929547#Comment_123929547

Plans were first announced in February 2019. Completion is now expected in the summer of 2027. So 8.5years.

Over EIGHT years for a passing loop and second platform, at a station surrounded by green fields. Not a single home constructed around this station since it opened 12 years ago.

This should be a case study of everything that is wrong in this country right now. It's actually embarrassing.

goingnowhere · 23-10-2025 10:53AM

What interesting is how fast Irish Rail got moving once approved.

The issue isn't really planning, its the byzantine nature of approvals with the DoT, NTA etc, for some reason everything happens serially not in parallel

Geuze · 23-10-2025 10:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123929547#Comment_123929547

The long delays were before the planning application and approval.

2019 = Passing loop first mentioned, by my records

2020 Sep = this thread starts

2024 Sep = actual planning application to two LA for 820m passing loop

2025 Feb = PP granted by two LA

2025 Oct = underpass built

2026 = construction due to start on main project

spacetweek · 24-10-2025 08:26PM

Sorry everyone, Sep 2024 is only 1 year ago not 2. Also I didn't know permission had been granted in Feb 2025.

Geuze · 20-11-2025 04:19PM

I'm told by an IE employee that the tender for the main construction will be issued in Jan 2026.

Geuze · 21-02-2026 09:03PM

No sign of any tender yet??

Seven years to even start building 1/2 mile of track!!!!

Geuze · 07-03-2026 01:17PM

Eight years to build 820 metres of track.

Eight years.

spacetweek · 07-03-2026 05:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124255089#Comment_124255089

It’s shocking I know, but the main reason for the long delay is that this project is just not seen as any kind of priority. To be honest by the time we finally get it done we’d want to be moving onto Galway to Athenry double tracking and grade separation right after. So Oranmore will be obsolete the day it opens.

cgcsb · 07-03-2026 08:05PM

I mean, what if castlebar needs another bypass, there just wouldn't be enough money left over for double track at Galway.

hans aus dtschl · 09-03-2026 10:43AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124294520#Comment_124294520

I do like your "not enough money" angle, but I suggest we go with the tried and tested circular argument we get against cycling infrastructure: "few people use the Galway commuter rail at the moment, so we shouldn't spend money on it".

I'm sure that between us we can think up a few more super reasons this one can't be done.

cgcsb · 09-03-2026 11:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124297735#Comment_124297735

What about the rain? I mean rain is a tried and tested stock answer as to why we can't have nice things. It never rains outside of Ireland, as we all know.

Geuze · 12-03-2026 10:17PM

The IE website says:

"This contract was tendered in late 2025. It is planned for works to commence in the first half of 2026, with the overall project planned to be completed by the end of 2027.

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/oranmore-station

Geuze · 03-04-2026 12:29AM

https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/150165/oranmore-station-to-get-second-platform-and-multi-storey-car-park-by-2027-says-connolly

Oranmore Station is to get a second platform, passing loop, and multi-storey car park by the end of 2027, which Dep John Connolly has described as “very welcome news, if a frustratingly long timeline”.

The National Transport Authority has confirmed to Deputy John Connolly that Iarnód Éireann has identified a preferred bidder for the construction of the scheme.

The planned upgrade of the station will involve the construction of a second platform as well as the insertion of a passing loop into the tracks. A passing loop is a short section of double track on a single-line railway to allow trains travelling in opposite directions to pass or faster trains to overtake slower ones

Iarnód Éireann has submitted a Final Business Case to the NTA and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The FBC is currently under review and subject to approval; construction is expected to begin in Q3 2027.

“It is very welcome news that the project is progressing and expected to be operational within the next 18 months,” said Dep Connolly. “This should make life easier for the many commuters who use the station on a daily basis, as well as facilitate more regular commuter services from Athenry, and the frequency that might be expected from the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor.”

spacetweek · 03-04-2026 10:11AM

The dates aren’t adding up. The article says it will have the platform and passing loop, i.e. the project is complete, by end of 2027, but construction isn’t due to start until Q3 2027? Is it only going to take a few months to build?

More importantly, if they have a preferred bidder and are just about to receive final approval, why will construction not start for another year and three months? I assume this is something to do with contractor availability. If so, they should’ve taken that strongly into account when choosing the preferred one, especially because this is a tiny project so cost won’t be a big factor.

PlatformNine · 03-04-2026 02:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360131#Comment_124360131

I suspect that is a typo in the article based on what Connolly is saying.

I would imagine it was suppoesed to say either that construction is starting Q3 2026 or that consturction is finishing Q3 2027.

Galway Commuter Rail: Galway-Athenry

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