magnumlady wrote: » I would love there to be a rail service from Sligo to Enniskillen.
Madge wrote: » +1 but there's a bus that goes up from the station mid-morning it's v handy
irish-stew wrote: » if anything it would be a line to derry via letterkenny linking up with the derry belfast line but with the way the WRC is going and now the phase going as far as sligo now shelfed cant see any new link up with NI railways happening any time soon
westtip wrote: » The section to sligo (Claremorris/collooney section) was never planned and was never part of Transport 21 - where did you get that from West on Track fantasy land?
T Corolla wrote: » Does anyone on this forum believe there is a case for a rail link from Sligo to Belfast via Enniskillen,Dungannon. I have travelled the route on a couple of occasions and found it to be a busy road. In the past was there a rail link and do people feel that there is population. According to sources Enniskillen has a population of 13,600 Dungannon 47,800. The journey time by road is 2hrs 45 mins.
T Corolla wrote: » Nostradamus are you in favor of dualcarriageways that costs far more than a railway and are not envoirmentally friendly.
T Corolla wrote: » I believe there is a case if the railway from Clairemorris to Sligo was connected to provide a mix of Intercity and freight transport from the North to the West considering the current railways are chockablock with traffic. I feel in terms of rail infrastructure we need to provide rail links that do'nt include passing through Dublin all the time
T Corolla wrote: » Nostradamus are you in favor of dualcarriageways that costs far more than a railway and are not envoirmentally friendly. I believe there is a case if the railway from Clairemorris to Sligo was connected to provide a mix of Intercity and freight transport from the North to the West considering the current railways are chockablock with traffic. I feel in terms of rail infrastructure we need to provide rail links that do'nt include passing through Dublin all the time
T Corolla wrote: » I agree with everything you are saying espically where one off houses have destoried beautifaul scenry. You obviously live in the region in question and more more about it than I do. In your heart of hearts could you see a case for freight traffic using such railways.
T Corolla wrote: »
T Corolla wrote: » I really cant understand why so many lorries need to be used when it would be cost effective to transport goods by rail. In the midland the main train stations have large yards that were used in times gone by for goods and now CIE is either piling up tracks on them or leaving them idle. It is a shame to waste them.
westtip wrote: » TC - trying to read your posts but you need to master the quote button for posting so that the post quotes like the ones you have from Nosty appear separate within your post - Anyway all that aside not sure this part of the forum is where you're going to find all the commentators you want on railway re-openings etc try transport and commuting and infrastructure, but really you are bashing your head against a wall re railway openings unless you want to devote your entire life to the subject like the zealots of WOT, Nosty really has said it as it is - The Navan line and possibly the athlone mullingar line and then get IE to deliver good services on the system in place - we simply are not going to return to a 19th century network of railway lines in ireland, there is however massive potential for both tourism and public health in what nosty says about using the old alignments for public footpaths and cycleways - unfortunately it appears the only way this can be done is by constant public campaigning at a local level - Governments should govern - and this opportunity should be driven from the top, so for example on my pet subject the northern section of the WRC Claremorris - Collooney the government should just say - this is going to be a walkway/cylceway and we are going to pay to get it done (It could be done for about 5 million - for a 45 mile walking and cycling track). Huge amounts have been written on this subject (walking and cycling tracks for old railways) but it all gets done in a very piecemeal way. Belfast - Sligo Rail line - it won't happen so don't waste your energy Collooney - Claremorris railway line - ditto. Sligo - Derry railway line - ditto None of these things will ever happen and actually for good reason - they are not needed; the freight argument is very limited from the northwest - how much freight would you need to guarentee for a period of 50 years to justify opening these rail lines? As long distance trailways/greenways/linear parks/cycleways/pathways they would add a great deal to tourism infrastructure and for the locals living near these facilities they would improve public health as they would encourage walking and cycling as an activity; Really you have to accept the facts of life - good quality road corridors drive (sic) commercial development and safe roads save lives (in two ways - they reduce RTA fatalities and they bring specialist units closer in terms of time to populations removed from large urban facilities). The N4 is pretty well developed to Sligo and more will happen on this arterial route - The critical thing for Sligo is the N17/15 Atlantic Road corridor development and a better cross border route to the north east - A southern bypass of Enniskillen and good road to Belfast/Newry is far more important than a rail line. If the road from Belfast to Sligo was a seamless safe DC avoiding all towns - this would place Sligo within an hour and 45 mins of Belfast (about 100 miles is very doable in this time on safe DC) - this would open up new tourist opportunities for the area to attract more visitors from the second largest urban area and city on the island, it would make Sligo a much easier short break (ie weekend) destination for visitors from the east coast - increasing off peak tourism etc and would give residents of the north west better access to what large urban areas have to offer - it would be win win for both sides of the country. Don't waste your energy on campaigning for lost causes like 19th century railway lines re-opening.
cloneslad wrote: » have you driven from sligo to enniskillen lately? where the hell would they find the space to build a train track let alone a dual carraigeway without it costing obscene amounts of money? I think a train from enniskillen to belfast would work, but I don't think the one from sligo to enniskillen would be at all profitable. I have taken the bus that travels that route for years and it is rarely ever full, and I drive it now and the roads are never that busy to be honest. (with the exception of the build up of traffic you hit going into enniskillen on the sligo road about 12:30-1:30, but i never travel there at that time
westtip wrote: » BTW if you do this route on a regular basis - no doubt you already bypass Enniskillen to the south using the "rat run" via Black lion, Florence Court and cutting across country to Maguiresbridge quote] I hate that route, done it a few times before but to be honest i like the other route, I know it well, have travelled it for 7 years or so now and I live on the monaghan fermanagh border so I am used to the terrible road going from clones to newtown but from there to enniskillen is a good enough road. I never really experience any traffic on the road cos, as i say i don't go into enniskillen from the sligo side at lunch time, that's when it's at its worst. I sometimes stop in asda myself and pick up a few things on the way home too, so i can't really complain about anybody else doing it.....except people filling 2-3 trolleys is quite excessive at times :eek:
cloneslad wrote: » I think a train from enniskillen to belfast would work, but I don't think the one from sligo to enniskillen would be at all profitable.
cloneslad wrote: » Oh, I know the line does not exist the whole way to Belfast, but what I was saying was it would be more useful to commuters to have an enniskillen - belfast line than sligo - enniskillen or belfast. The buses go hourly from enniskillen and always have a good number of people on board, not to mention the number of cars travelling in that direction, plus the number of people using buses from the pick up points on the route. The road from sligo to enniskillen is not bad enough yet to warrent large investment, they will probably wait till it detiorates before widening it. The old, don't fix it till it's broken rule will apply.