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Glasnevin Junction - A wasted opportunity?

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  • 13-05-2010 11:13pm
    #1
    DWCommuter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,032 ✭✭✭


    Take a look at this overhead pic of Glasnevin Junction, Dublin.

    Glasnevin Junction.jpg

    Considering its connectivity, is it a wasted opportunity in terms of rail development in Dublin? With astute planning, could it have made a significant contribution to rail services in the capital?

    It seems to be a very neglected piece of infrastructure considering its location. Has IE chased the golden ticket and failed to actively exploit its existing infrastructure in the city environs first?

    How would you envisage its use in a world that didn't include IE excuses/spin and those that have bought into it?


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    #2
    SeanW
    Registered Users Posts: 8,744 ✭✭✭SeanW


    Ideally you would send all Western services (Sligo Maynooth and Longford) onto the Midland line, out to Connolly P7 and the Docklands. (It would of course have been better had the Docklands station actually met the Luas, and had connectivitiy to the Drumcondra & Northern lines).
    That would leave the Drumcondra line free for services between the Heuston network and Connolly, allowing major services such as Cork and Galway Intercity, as well as some local Kildare line commuters to serve Heuston P10 and terminate in Connolly. (But again IE made that option less desireable by putting Heuston's Interconnector stop in St. James Gate Brewery and having it avoid Connolly)

    It may have/may still be possible to have a full 4 platform setup there for interchanges between the PPT, Maynooth, Midland and Drumcondra lines. East of the junction perhaps.


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    #3
    dowlingm
    Registered Users Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    Given the number of movements which should follow DARTification one would like any PPT-Midland line connection to be grade separated, but that would mean significant works near Prospect Cemetery (St Paul's) near to what appears to be a large monument at the south east end. A flat connection is probably doable - and if I recall there used to be one - but do we need another Howth Junction style excuse of IE to restrict paths?


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    #4
    crucamim
    Registered Users Posts: 897 ✭✭✭crucamim


    SeanW wrote: »
    (It would of course have been better had the Docklands station actually met the Luas, and had connectivitiy to the Drumcondra & Northern lines).

    Is there any reason (other than Docklands having only two platforms) why Docklands cannot be easily and cheaply connected to the Drumcondra and Northern lines? There are already connections from those lines into the Port of Dublin area - of which Docklands Station was once part.

    Is there any reason why the connection from the Midland line (the line alongside the Royal Canal) to Connolly cannot be improved i.e. a more gentle curve and a more gentle gradient that the current 1 in 60 gradient?


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    #5
    crucamim
    Registered Users Posts: 897 ✭✭✭crucamim


    dowlingm wrote: »
    Given the number of movements which should follow DARTification one would like any PPT-Midland line connection to be grade separated, but that would mean significant works near Prospect Cemetery (St Paul's) near to what appears to be a large monument at the south east end. A flat connection is probably doable - and if I recall there used to be one - but do we need another Howth Junction style excuse of IE to restrict paths?

    A grade separated connection between the Phoenix Park tunnel and the Midland line would be easy enough engineering but would probably cost a lot more than Irish Rail can afford. And, it seems to me, that those who control Irish Rail have their hearts set on a tunnel straight from Hueston to the Docklands and, for that reason, prefer to pretend that the Phoenix Park tunnel does not exist.

    Providing a flat connection between the Midland line and the line to the Phoenix Park tunnel would be quick, easy and cheap - but unthinkable - so long as the Drumcondra line is connected to both the Phoenix Park tunnel and to the line to Maynooth in the vicinity of where a flat connection of the Midland line to that tunnel line would have to be made. Perhaps the current link between the Drumcondra line and the line to Maynooth could be relocated to a point west of Prospect Cemetery. That, too, might be very expensive.


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    #6
    Cool Mo D
    Registered Users Posts: 1,419 ✭✭✭Cool Mo D


    I think the Maynooth line is performing well below it's potential at the moment - it goes through some of the densest residential inner city parts of Dublin, and it currently has a slow, infrequent service, that doesn't even have stations at important road junctions, which would make excellent bus transfer locations.

    Personally, I would like to see a short single track link between Maynooth and Hazelhatch, to send all Sligo/Longford trains to Heuston, and dedicate the Maynooth - Dublin section to a very frequent DART service (with the interconnector). Without any worry about affecting fast trains, more stations could be added at Cross Guns bridge, and North Strand road, which would also benefit from the DART going to Bray, rather than a commuter service to Connolly.

    With the interconnector, the Phoenix Park tunnel could be electrified and services run from Heuston platform 10, through a new station on the Cabra road, around towards Connolly, but instead of entering Connolly, heading straight at Ossory road, and heading into the Interconnector, making a circle line sort of setup, turning back at Heuston/Inchicore (wherever the turnback platforms will be.

    There would then be 3 DART lines - Drogheda/Howth to Hazelhatch, Maynooth to Bray, and Heuston platform 10 to Islandbridge via the interconnector.


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