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Western Rail Corridor

Frozen Veg

A public consultation survey on the Western Rail corridor which would join the lines at Claremorris-Tuam-Athenry. Have your say whether positive or negative.

https://emea.focusvisi...elfserve/214c/190513

Personally think it would be a great addition to the West. Could get the train from Galway all the way through to Westport and serviced towns. Also providing link ups to Dublin and other lines.

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Jamie2k9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124050110#Comment_124050110

IE shouldn't be allowed to repeat the mistakes they did with Phase 1.

I think those for and against would prefer it done right.

DumbBrunette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124050009#Comment_124050009

I really hope you're right, but they can't do any of that without a planning application. People appear to be hopeful that the line can be reopened without going through the planning process. If they do go for that, those LCs would have to be reopened also. It will be interesting to see how IE approach this, my guess is they will go for the cheapest and easiest approach.

I'm not sure if a railway order was needed to reopen Ennis to Athenry?

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124049004#Comment_124049004

Okay, but how come I see railway lines in the UK with max speeds of 90 / 100 / 110 mph, and these lines are over a century old?

Example below, with speed limits up to 90mph:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Marches_line

ArcadiaJunction

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124049292#Comment_124049292

The fact that this has even been appoved and people are talking about UK/Japanese style rail fly-overs for a single track line serving various hamlets with declining populations and commerical bases demonstrates Ireland is getting set to be studied by transport economists for centuries to come for all the wrong reasons. This is the rail transport version of FF back in the 1930s telling people they were going to drain the Shannon and give everyone free land.

goingnowhere

Approved and actually building are two very different items. The business case and various decision gates must be complied with, whats been approved is to develop a business case and to scope out the works required and if that meets the standards it gets funded.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124052331#Comment_124052331

Because they were built to higher standards to begin with.

goingnowhere

Engineering standards were the same, the UK invested more over time, WRC is an exception as it was built in part under a light railway order so to a lower standard.

Dublin Galway is passed for 90mph in places, Dublin Waterford even has some 100mph running

Its money if you can eliminate more and more level crossings and make minor alignment changes there is huge scope to increase speeds. ETCS will help as well as signal sighting distances/time will no longer be an issue and hopefully the stepped PSR limits can go as well.

FlataytoOne

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRNe4Hqh/

TD Sean Canney reports clearance works at Tuam station, talks up onward to Sligo links.

The bitterness in anti WRC comenters having to back track to talk about speeds & weights instead of no-goahead in this thread is giving me lifffeee 😂😂😂😂

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124059230#Comment_124059230

To my amateur eye, Athenry to Tuam seems fairly straight, and seems to have only minor LC over farm lanes?

I believe it was built to heavy rail standard.

Maybe 160kph after rebuilding, I hope?

I read that Tuam to Claremorris was built as a "light railway", and there are four LC across the N17 (the two at Ballindine could be removed by re-aligning maybe 1km). Could we hope for 120kph on this stretch?

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124059827#Comment_124059827

What differentiates light rail from heavy rail in terms of spec? Is it the rails or the ballast or both? Im guessing the ballast spec is the main factor.

spacetweek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124056107#Comment_124056107

”UK/Japanese style rail fly-overs”?

Rail over road bridges isn’t reusable rockets, it’s Industrial Revolution technology. Nothing difficult there.

Jamie2k9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124059827#Comment_124059827

They will unlikely allow over 145 km/h for those unmanned crossings. They drop from 160 to 145 on line betweek Kildare/Athy which means trains never reach 160 because of the crossings on most sections.

145 km/h would be enough for this route the issue like network wide is lack of consistent speed. Anything under a consistant 120 km/h south of Tuam is pointless.

DumbBrunette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124059926#Comment_124059926

The trackbed will be excavated and rebuilt anyway. The main differences that will have an impact now are the fact that nearly all crossings north of Tuam are at grade, and there's no way they will put in bridges for the majority of these. This means line speed will likely be limited to 70mph at best north of Tuam. The line is also curvier so this may limit speeds to 60mph in a few locations.

ArcadiaJunction

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124061112#Comment_124061112

It is the cost. A train does not have humpback bridges. It requires VERY long inclines for heavy rail. We are talking several miles, and in this case, and probably thousands of tons of concrete. For that line this would be well, just bonkers. No other country on earth would do it.

spacetweek

There will not be any rail over road bridges nor did I assume there would be. Road over/under rail is cheaper.
Pushing the boat out a bit they could eliminate the crossings at Ballindine by realigning the road.

ArcadiaJunction

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124065367#Comment_124065367

All of these are mega expensive. Even road over and under. This is why I can't see it happening. I think Tuam will reopen for certain. The rest I doubt it. Level crossings will be the Achillies Heel too far to deal with for a railway rebuild on that scale that goes nowhere significant.

ArcadiaJunction

I will say this. I would not be surprised if they did reopen to Clairemorris with the N19 level crossings in-situ and run nothing regular on it. Another Foynes relay. Foynes proves you can keep a lot of professional victim complexes happy with just a bit of oul track and few extra bits and bobs.

end of the road

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124065805#Comment_124065805

not going to happen.

if the line is reopened there will be trains.

Geuze

If the WRC is ever re-opened,

and if there are hourly trains from Ballina to Galway

and if there are hourly trains from Limerick to Galway

and if the Dublin train goes to hourly frequency

…..this implies three trains per hour each way on Athenry to Galway

……with six departures per hour from Athenry.

(1) can Athenry station manage this?

(2) can this be done without re-doubling Galway to Athenry?

crusd

There looks to be significant work required at the site of the old N63 bridge near Ballyglunin.

The road is quite a bit higher and the old bridge was not massive as it was. Would liekly need grading works to increase the track height and these would need to go back a distance.

Westernview

Just saw this posted on other thread. There was discussion here last week about passing loops between Westport and Claremorris. There seems to be one planned somewhere west of Claremorris according to this. Its mentioned more in the context of the Dublin line but could also benefit the WRC.

https://www.boards.ie/api/v2/media/download-by-url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus.v-cdn.net%2F6034073%2Fuploads%2F1RZM9IKGND2V%2Frail-project-prioritisation-strategy-2025.pdf

PlatformNine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124071585#Comment_124071585

Athenry should be fine capacity wise, the question would really just be about track capacity.

At that frequency Galway-Athenry would practically have to be twin-tracked. Otherwise there needs to be 10 minute paths on Galway-Oranmore and Oranmore-Athenry, which even if physically possible (which I doubt it is) it would be incredibly risky and prone to delay.

Though while I wouldn't be concerned about Athenry directly, I would be a bit worried about issues from a lack of track capacity on the various lines. The lines to Claremorris, Dublin, and Limerick would be single track and delays on one could have knock on delays at Athenry, at least for services from Galway.

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124072142#Comment_124072142

Has it been announced that there is an ambition to have hourly trains from Ballina or just personal views here? Given that there isnt even trains every 2 hours on the Westport Dublin line yet im not sure where that level of frequency is coming from. Sounds unrealistic for the reasons you state and also probably in terms of initial demand.

Geuze

Well even if there aren't hourly services from Ballina, you would expect hourly from at least Tuam.

It's shocking that in 2025 every station doesn't have a passing loop.

PlatformNine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124072175#Comment_124072175

No, but like Gueze says it is likely for there to be reasonably frequent commuters to Tuam.

I also wasn't thinking too much about what the actual frequency would be more just answering the question.

I would note though, that the Wesport services I believe are struggling quite a bit with capacity and the biggest limitation to the Galway-Dublin and Westport-Dublin services is Portarlington-Athlone single track. When that section it is twin-tracked it could allow for much more frequent services. I would expect to see 2-hourly services to Westport all day and hourly peak services, as we currently have with Sligo services.

spark23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124072189#Comment_124072189

No rail expert here. If a station has two platforms would it help nationally if the new standard was that one of the pathways acts as a passing loop?

Geuze

The politicians in Mayo/Roscommon/Galway need to be convinced that infrastructure in Offaly will benefit them, i.e double-tracking Portarlington to Athlone.

DumbBrunette

Just going back to the discussion on line speeds and level crossings above, the Bradley Report on reopening Athenry to Claremorris suggests 100mph running will be possible to Tuam, but only 60mph north of Tuam due to the amount of level crossings. The report does not envisage major spending to close any of these crossings. It's amazing that a decision made in the 1890s to go with the cheap option north of Tuam will continue to have consequences well into the mid 21st century. Link below.

http://www.westontrack.com/bradley-report-1-214.pdf

ArcadiaJunction

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124073251#Comment_124073251

This might be finally happening.

Seems like I nailed it concerning a WRC superfical relay - as per Foynes - according to the latest refinement of the All Ireland Rail plan. The section from Athenry to Claremorris is now designated a relay with possible future freight. Which would be the best option. I have nothing per se on relaying old lines and maintaining them just in case. It's mad in theory, but this being Ireland it is par for the course.So no packed commuter trains between Leney and Swinford coming going at 100km ph on the 8 mile long express fly-overs and so on. Like Foynes, all the professional victim complexes are getting is a 'bit of track' and a technical reopening. N17 level crossing and all. A few IRRS specials and lads from the 'mainland' ticking off their journals.

spacetweek

What are you blathering about.

There's been no details released unless you can show us a link. This isn't connecting a port like Foynes it's filling in a missing railway link.