Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

marno21 wrote: »

There already is a Galway-Limerick railway and it has very light usage, and the Sligo-Galway line has over 400 pages of comment here.

The only solution to transport along the west is a fully dualled N17, the population is too sparse for railway, and only one station in Galway and Limerick, far away from the college in Limerick, is not doable.

This of course is predicated on a " roads first " policy objective , that is in itself a debatable question

BoatMad wrote: »

This of course is predicated on a " roads first " policy objective , that is in itself a debatable question

Agreed. Ireland has a problem about roads in general, not just in the west, Dublin too. Is it really acceptable that the area around BOI and Trinity in DUblin turns into a car park at 8am and 5pm every day because the lack of a proper light rail system. "Build a road, that will fix it" not only is bad in terms of civil infrastructure, but environmentally too. The proof is in the pudding when you look at the dart line and how towns have flourished around it. A Sligo - Limerick link, would actually allow towns along it to prosper, because running a car is expensive whatever way you look at it.

BoatMad wrote: »

this being true of all politics of course

Absolutely, but the syndrome is worse in the west than elsewhere.
The example of the Deise Greenway says it all. Proposed later than the western rail trail, but now delivered and they're already talking about linking if on to the primary market in Dublin via New Ross and the Barrow Way.
Meanwhile, in Claremorris......

Consonata wrote: »

Is there a case to be made for a Sligo-Galway-Limerick line for freight and tourism, advertise it as the "Wild Atlantic railway" I don't know. And put the green way alongside

Not according to all the best advice, and the expensive lesson learned from the first section.
What you suggest is actually the essence of the problem. The initial approach was to 'build it, and maybe they might come'.
They didn't.

Consonata wrote: »

There is a bit of correlation/causation here. Is the population density too small so it isn't worth building a railway, or is it too small because there isn't a railway/proper public infrastructure. People move to the South-East because infrastructure is good and it is easier to raise a family.

So you are one of those "build and they'll come" types? This argument is dead in relation to the WRC. The WRC will deliver nothing to improve population density along its alignment.

Deleted User wrote: »

It took until May for the floods to recede!! :eek:
Surely it would have made sense to have rerouted or built it up when the line was reconstructed.

They did!
It wasnot enough!

eastwest wrote: »

Not according to all the best advice, and the expensive lesson learned from the first section.
What you suggest is actually the essence of the problem. The initial approach was to 'build it, and maybe they might come'.
They didn't.

They only reinstated one section of it. A section connecting West Mayo and Sligo to Galway would be well used, especially for students going to UL or NUIG. Many Many students go from Castlebar and Sligo down to Galway but that service is expensive and isn't run most of the time. Look at what is happening to the section by Galway and Limerick now also. Yes it had a slow start, but since they've dropped the price the usage has soared.

So you are one of those "build and they'll come" types? This argument is dead in relation to the WRC. The WRC will deliver nothing to improve population density along its alignment

.

Just like the Dart delivered nothing to population density in the Dublin satellite towns?

It will take something other than a railway to reverse the population decline in the west. Sligo has a railway, with a good service, but struggles to stay afloat.

The second largest growing railway is struggling? Second only to Galway/Dublin?

savagethegoat wrote: »

read the preceding 400+ pages before you come here with what you probably think is a new argument Mr Consonata

It is when it is a different economic environment between now and 2010

Consonata wrote: »

They only reinstated one section of it. A section connecting West Mayo and Sligo to Galway would be well used, especially for students going to UL or NUIG. Many Many students go from Castlebar and Sligo down to Galway but that service is expensive and isn't run most of the time. Look at what is happening to the section by Galway and Limerick now also. Yes it had a slow start, but since they've dropped the price the usage has soared.

.

Just like the Dart delivered nothing to population density in the Dublin satellite towns?



The second largest growing railway is struggling? Second only to Galway/Dublin?

Not the railway; the town.

marno21 wrote: »

Railways to Dublin are slightly more effective because there is ways around Dublin (DART, Luas) and Dublin isn't as car centric as Galway/Limerick.

Dublin is pretty car centric compared to other european cities. It needs to be cleaned up too. And that is a major problem in Galway as it turns to gridlock every morning and evening.

Grandeeod wrote: »

What are you trying to imply? DART had an existing customer base served by poor trains and timetables. It had nothing to do with Dublin satellite towns.

yes but it was also a major factor in decisions to place new builds, it directly led to expansion of urban areas along its length

Grandeeod wrote: »

Yes. Urban areas. Whats your thanks person on about satellite towns for?

bray is a satellite town, the DART was a major factor in its expansion

Outer commuter areas like Drogheda, have now a population twice that of waterford, directly linked to a combination of improved rail and road access

There is no argument that rail access can benefit towns, the issue is the type and nature of that rail access

I saw mention of some history on this thread, I love coming up with juicy little quotes from the past in particular from our dear friends at West on Track. Anyway, remember them, they are the pressure group that was allowed to have significant input into that garbage report the McCann report, no doubt they will be sniffing around their new hero in the Dail, the white knight, Sean Canney seeking (ney demanding)input as stake holders into the new report that Mr Canney wants to see, McCann Mark II 2016.

Well let them reproduce their great numbers, here is one they came up with in a press release back in October 2006: We cannot allow this discredited thinking to be allowed into public policy ever again:

Opinion Poll Findings show Significant Passenger Demand for Western Rail Corridor Press Release 31st October 2006 (from West on Track ...Who else!!!)

......The West on Track Community Campaign has welcomed the findings of the MRBI/TG4 Opinion Poll in Galway West which show that almost a quarter of those interviewed would use the soon to be reopened section of the Western Rail Corridor from Ennis to Athenry and that 8% would use it at least 2-3 times per week.
Commenting on the findings, a spokesman for West on Track said: "These figures more than bear out the passenger demand projections of West on Track and are in line with ongoing research being conducted both north and south of Athenry which indicate that demand north of Athenry (the Mayo-Galway route) is 80% of that south of it," he said.
"For example, if 23% of the population of Co. Galway over 18 yrs (approx 150,000) were to make a return journey just once a week, as indicated in the MRBI Opinion Poll, that would generate 828,000 passenger journeys per year (see 1 below).

Lest we forget it was allowing a pressure group like this into the corridors of power to give goverment its half baked ideas that led to the waste of €105 million on Western Rail Corridor phase one. This must not be allowed again,m and remember their total focus in the past few years has been on freight not passenger services, a report produced by the WOT cronies at the Western Development commission could not prove the case for freight, let's not forget it folks but taxpayers money is actually our money.