Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail Discussion

25-05-2018 7:29pm #1

Carrying on with the discussion as the other thread is full

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2055766866/1

Grandeeod · 25-05-2018 8:22pm

First in. Just for the craic and obvious sensible discussion.:D A good start would be a re-posting of the flood repair costs from the old thread.

Del.Monte · 25-05-2018 11:49pm

And this old classic deserves a repeat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0TkT3ctRIA

westtip · 26-05-2018 12:20am

As this was the last word (thanks for that honour Devnull) on the last thread as I was saying
More bad news for railway campaigners from the Oireachtas committee rooms, look at the committee this week looking into flooding on Limerick/Athenry line, as Irish Rail tell the committee it will cost 10 million to fix the flooding problem on the branch line from Limerick to Athenry, can't see anyone coughing that up, best way to get a train from Limerick to Athenry, check weather forecast first

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireach...mmittees/1692/

At 1.07, Irish Rail start talking about the Ballycar flooding issue he said that the optimum solution for the flooding on the wrc -- raising the track -- would cost 10 million and is unviable.
He also says that Irish Rail sees greenways as the best option for protecting disused alignments in the medium term avoid the mistakes of the past where incursions caused problems.
At 1.42 Michael Fitzmaurice asks a direct question about what IR sees as medium term, and whether there was any plan in the medium term to extend the wrc. Irish Rail spokesman said 5 years was medium term and there is no plan to extend the wrc.

Interesting stuff, I was reminded of Gerry Murray SF cllr for the Charlestown Co Mayo, famously stating on national television five years ago, "The Western Rail Corridor is not up for discussion", he got that one right but perhaps not in the way he meant!

Grandeeod · 27-05-2018 10:30pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

And this old classic deserves a repeat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0TkT3ctRIA

Stalker!:D

Muckyboots · 28-05-2018 7:57pm

https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2018/0528/966660-waterford-port/ BALLINA - WATERFORD
"Late last year, DFDS reduced the rail service to one departure per week to seek to minimise losses while keeping the rail service going.
"Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all parties involved, DFDS have now concluded that the rail service cannot continue in its current form and we must cease to operate it."

marno21 · 28-05-2018 11:57pm

Not sure how recent this is but all level crossing signage and flashing lights at the three level crossings on the N17 between Tuam and Claremorris have now been removed

One of the level crossings has also had the rails covered in tarmac so that's Tuam-Claremorris now split at two points (at least) along the line

Drifter50 · 29-05-2018 10:12pm

Muckyboots wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2018/0528/966660-waterford-port/ BALLINA - WATERFORD
"Late last year, DFDS reduced the rail service to one departure per week to seek to minimise losses while keeping the rail service going.
"Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all parties involved, DFDS have now concluded that the rail service cannot continue in its current form and we must cease to operate it."

This is really not good news for Railfreight in Ireland that was starting to see opportunities to take more freight off the road. Very bad for Waterford and Ballina

Del.Monte · 29-05-2018 10:17pm

The trouble with rail freight today is that we have long passed the tipping point, yards and gantries swept away, staff gone, sidings gone, wagons gone, locomotives..blah, blah, blah. It has little to do with distances being too short or the so-called motorway network and more to do with the State paying lip service to the railways, carbon emissions etc.etc. blah, blah.

marno21 · 29-05-2018 10:54pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

The trouble with rail freight today is that we have long passed the tipping point, yards and gantries swept away, staff gone, sidings gone, wagons gone, locomotives..blah, blah, blah. It has little to do with distances being too short or the so-called motorway network and more to do with the State paying lip service to the railways, carbon emissions etc.etc. blah, blah.

Wasn't that long ago there was talk of the Manulla branch closing. Hard for any potential customer to take railfreight seriously as an option if the railway line to be used is up in the air. Same with the Waterford-Limerick railway.

30-05-2018 6:42pm

Ciaran Cannon calling for an end to the talk of extending the WRC on foot of the DFDS move

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-junior-minister-says-western-rail-corridor-extension-should-be-abandoned/

Del.Monte · 30-05-2018 6:57pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Ciaran Cannon calling for an end to the talk of extending the WRC on foot of the DFDS move

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-junior-minister-says-western-rail-corridor-extension-should-be-abandoned/

Another visionary politician. :rolleyes:

Grandeeod · 30-05-2018 7:15pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

Another visionary politician. :rolleyes:

In fairness DFDS aren't making money on the route and that particular freight traffic was used by WRC campaigners as a reason to reopen to Claremorris. If you know of another reason why it wasn't a success, I'm all ears.

This particular politician is like many of them and they are never visionary anyway. However since the Ennis - Athenry part reopened, the argument was doomed. The only way and it is the only way, to successfully reopen any railway in Ireland, is to subsidize it to the hilt. But as you well know that is an entirely different argument/debate. Personally I'd have no problem with any reopening, once the sitting Government is happy to subsidize it and not at the expense of more justifiable reopenings/vital rail projects. Oh and lets not forget that the CIE dinosaur needs to be dismantled, melted down and sunk into a concrete bunker before anything happens.

#greenway.:D

Jamie2k9 · 30-05-2018 11:36pm

Excellent news about WRC!

31-05-2018 2:35am

Some news about the Connemara greenway and the support of landowners along the route.

I think it's safe to say that the days of the WRC as a railway from Athenry northwards are numbered. Once Galwegians see the benefits it bring to Connemara they'll be clamoring for the Western Rail Trail to be developed

Praise for landowners as Connemara Greenway opens

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/100990/praise-for-landowners-as-connemara-greenway-opens

bk · 31-05-2018 10:51am

Del.Monte wrote: »

The trouble with rail freight today is that we have long passed the tipping point, yards and gantries swept away, staff gone, sidings gone, wagons gone, locomotives..blah, blah, blah. It has little to do with distances being too short or the so-called motorway network and more to do with the State paying lip service to the railways, carbon emissions etc.etc. blah, blah.

What kills rail freight is how little heavy industry we have here in Ireland. What little industry we do have is mostly light industry and in the modern world that is all about just in time delivery, which rail freight isn't well suited to. The short distances in Ireland and motorways are the nail in it's coffin.

Light industry simply has no need for rail freight and it is very hard to justify the cost of maintaining those yards, gantries, sidings, wagons, locos, trackbeds, staff for how little heavy industry we have. There just isn't the scale to justify it, specially when you can just roll a truck up to your factory load it up and have your freight anywhere in Ireland in just 3 to 4 hours.

The environmental argument is also pretty weak. After all rail freight locos use the same Diesel that trucks do and in fact trucks most meet much stricter pollution regulations (Euro 5 and 6 engines) then old rail freight locos which likely have zero filtration.

Muckyboots · 31-05-2018 1:33pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

Another visionary politician. :rolleyes:

I reckon the Greenway advocates just need a priest or a monsignor to back their idea and it will be done and dusted. The missing link all along.

serfboard · 31-05-2018 5:54pm

Muckyboots wrote: »

I reckon the Greenway advocates just need a priest or a monsignor to back their idea and it will be done and dusted. The missing link all along.

I'm not so sure about that.

Monsignor Horan (Knock Airport) 1 - Monsignor McGreil (WRC) 1/2

westtip · 02-06-2018 4:08pm

To save the effort of going to Galway Bay FM and the fact the podcast will drop off the GBFM site in due course, here is the Ciaran Cannon interview of May 30th for posterity transferred to You Tube;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkTT1DjcG1w&feature=youtu.be

westtip · 05-06-2018 11:19am

This is just an interesting comment on this thread and its huge (2) predecessors.
The original thread was called
The Western Rail Corridor, when that closed down (the thread!) we all moved on to the second thread which got to 10,000 posts called the
The Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

We now are just at the start of our third thread or chapter in this saga and what is the thread called:

Western Rail Corridor/Rail Trail.

As you know the famous quote from SF Charlestown Mayo Cllr Gerry "not up for discussion" Murray, I think we can clearly say the Western Rail Corridor is most definitely up for discussion!

Interesting how debate and words change history.

14-06-2018 12:16pm

Canneys on the ropes

Shock poll shows TD’s seat under threat

http://connachttribune.ie/shock-poll-shows-tds-seat-under-threat-687/

A prominent Galway East TD is in danger of losing his seat at the next general election if an opinion poll conducted in the constituency is anything to go by.

The sample poll of 1,500 has revealed that Independent TD Sean Canney could face an uphill struggle to retain his seat – despite being a poll topper back in 2016.

The poll, conducted by senior Fianna Fail party members last month, shows that Fine Gael will be putting in a strong bid to win a second seat in the three-seater constituency which has experienced even further boundary changes since the last general election.

It shows that Minister Ciaran Cannon of Fine Gael topping the poll on 18.4% of the vote – an increase of almost 3% on his performance last time out.

Fianna Fail’s Deputy Anne Rabbitte is on 16.6% which is a slight increase on her 2016 vote while Deputy Canney is back on 16% which is a drop of almost 2.5%.

But the surprise package in this whole scenario is the performance of Fine Gael’s Cllr Pete Roche who polled 15.6% of first preferences which would put him in with ‘a fighting chance’ of taking the third seat.

And close behind is Fianna Fail’s Cllr Donagh Killilea on a very respectable 15% but he has not decided if he will contest the party convention which is due to be held in the autumn.

It is thought that party member Ned Burns from Abbeyknockmoy, who has strong ties to Deputy Anne Rabbitte, will allow his name go forward having been nominated and could well be the second FF candidate in the constituency.

Canney has been hit on two fronts. Since the last general election there have been further boundary changes with more of Galway East going into the Roscommon-Galway constituency.

Areas like Dunmore, Brownsgrove, Clonberne, Moylough and Mountbellew are no longer part of Galway East and Canney has lost around 1,000 first preferences in the process – in 2016 he topped the poll with almost 8,500 votes.

eastwest · 14-06-2018 12:41pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Canneys on the ropes

If he tried representing the electorate and not his cronies, he could be at the trough for life. But he will be kicked out, and should be. In fact if current speculation is anything to go by, he could be gone in weeks.

marno21 · 15-06-2018 11:02pm

Shane Ross response to Tony McLoughlin yesterday:

Shane Ross wrote:

As the Deputy is aware, both the "Programme for a Partnership Government" and the recently-published "National Development Plan" commit to independent review of the costings for a proposal to extend the existing Western Rail Corridor.

My Department is currently at an advanced stage in developing an approach for progressing such a review in line with these commitments, and I expect to be in a position shortly to decide on the approach to be taken. I am also cognisant of the need for stakeholder consultation as part of the process, and can assure the Deputy that this will be an integral part of the review's arrangements. Once the process is complete, the findings of this review will be submitted to Government for consideration in the usual way.

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2018-06-13a.416

15-06-2018 11:22pm

I'll be making a submission to that consultation for a greenway and I know plenty of others who will be doing so too

23-06-2018 12:20pm

There's some new players on the field, though I am unsure of what game they are playing, charades maybe?

http://connachttribune.ie/minister-cannon-comes-under-fire-for-supporting-greenway-000/

Minister Cannon comes under fire for supporting greenway

A Government minister has come under fire for lending his support for the provision of a walking and cycling greenway on the old Western Rail Corridor.

Junior Minister Ciaran Cannon has been accused of adding to the current gridlock that exists in and around Galway city by his stance on abandoning the rail track.

Minister Cannon recently rubbished any suggestion that the Western Rail Corridor should be reopened to train traffic and he said that the provision of a greenway from Athenry all the way to Enniskillen was the way to go.

And he added that “a small cohort” of individuals who are advocating rail traffic on the line were doing “a disservice” to a lot of people who could benefit from a greenway.

But an organisation called Future Looking Athenry Group (FLAG) have made contact with the Connacht Tribune and say that the closure of the Tuam to Athenry railway line in the 1970s is now a major contributory factor in the current congestion.

A statement signed by Seamus Mulkerrins, Noel Doherty and Kevin Higgins says that while motorways are great, they add to the bottlenecks around cities like Galway by moving traffic more efficiently.

They believe that Athenry can be the centre for rail travel in the west and that is why they are totally opposed to the rail corridor being used for any other purpose.

Minister Cannon said that there will not be any trains running along the Western Rail Corridor “in our lifetime” and he also went on to dismiss the prospect of it being used for freight traffic.

He said that the biggest rail freight company in the country had recently scaled back their demand for a service between Ballina and Waterford Port to just one a week and now there was no service required.

However, the members of FLAG say that Minister Cannon along with fellow greenway advocate Deputy Anne Rabbitte of Fianna Fail did not judge the views of the country in the recent referendum very well and they believe that they have called it wrong on this occasion as well.

“We are not against a greenway but we just don’t accept that it should be provided on the old railway line.

“Those people old enough can still remember the destruction of the Galway to Clifden railway line and the tram lines in Dublin.

“We reject strongly his assertion that a small cohort of individuals are advocating rail traffic. The closure of the Tuam to Athenry line is a major contributory factor in the current traffic congestion.

“There have been occasions recently of traffic back-ups as far as Oranmore, Derrydonnell and, indeed, as far back as Athenry on the approach to Galway.

“This, we suggest, is a sign of future traffic congestion around Galway and imagine what it will be like in 20 years time when the population of the country is expected to double,” the group stated.

They are of the opinion that the Galway to Limerick rail service is very well utilised and that the closure of the Western Rail Corridor would be short-sighted in the future.

eastwest · 23-06-2018 5:06pm

Deleted User wrote: »

There's some new players on the field, though I am unsure of what game they are playing, charades maybe?

http://connachttribune.ie/minister-cannon-comes-under-fire-for-supporting-greenway-000/

A small group.of Sean Canney supporters in athenry with their heads firmly stuck in the sand.
They won't like this morning's news from.Tuam!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2000745290000364&id=398227776918798

23-06-2018 5:43pm

eastwest wrote: »

A small group.of Sean Canney supporters in athenry with their heads firmly stuck in the sand.
They won't like this morning's news from.Tuam!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2000745290000364&id=398227776918798

Holy crap lol

I look forward to the reaction

eastwest · 23-06-2018 6:27pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Holy crap lol

I look forward to the reaction

People are tired listening to 5hite.

westtip · 25-06-2018 2:08pm

marno21 wrote: »

Shane Ross response to Tony McLoughlin yesterday:

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2018-06-13a.416

That was on June 13th look what he wrote to me in APRIL 26th! Ross is so full of BS it's untrue.

Our Ref: SR/18/21898

Dear Mr Quinn

On behalf of the Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Shane Ross, T.D., I wish to thank you for your email of 19 April 2018 regarding the review of the western rail corridor, the contents which have been noted. My Department is currently at an advanced stage in developing an approach for progressing this review.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Smith
Private Secretary to Minister Shane Ross

serfboard · 25-06-2018 2:44pm

DTTAS wrote:

My Department is currently at an advanced stage in developing an approach for progressing this review.

I bet there was a bonus in the office that day for whoever could come up with the most meaningless sentence.

"An advanced stage in developing an approach for progressing a review". Wow! Sir Humphrey of Yes Minister would be proud.

This is civil service code for: "This will never happen".

marno21 · 26-06-2018 12:02am

Just biding their time until Canney is no longer relevant when it will be quietly dropped. Everyone knows it's out of the question.

Why Canney hasn't done a massive U turn on this is bizarre. There seems to be a clear appetite in Tuam for a greenway on the old line judging by the events of the weekend and it could very well be his undoing at the next election.

eastwest · 26-06-2018 8:15am

marno21 wrote: »

Just biding their time until Canney is no longer relevant when it will be quietly dropped. Everyone knows it's out of the question.

Why Canney hasn't done a massive U turn on this is bizarre. There seems to be a clear appetite in Tuam for a greenway on the old line judging by the events of the weekend and it could very well be his undoing at the next election.

If you look at the west on track website it all becomes a bit clearer. Sean Canney has been associated with WOT pretty much since he got involved in politics, and has his colours nailed firmly to the WOT mast. His loyalty to the rail lobby is obviously much stronger than his loyalty to the people who elect him, but as you say, he will pay a price for that.
The mood in Tuam appears to be very much for the greenway, judging by recent 'direct action' in particular. Logic is slowly overcoming rhetoric, it seems.

Muckyboots · 26-06-2018 9:11am

marno21 wrote: »

Just biding their time until Canney is no longer relevant when it will be quietly dropped. Everyone knows it's out of the question.

Why Canney hasn't done a massive U turn on this is bizarre. There seems to be a clear appetite in Tuam for a greenway on the old line judging by the events of the weekend and it could very well be his undoing at the next election.

Popular Tuam based, Cllr Peter Roache has been selected for FG in Galway East. The question with the Canney dissatisfaction camp was always where these votes might go, and how this would effect him. At least 1,000 Tuam town centric votes. Roache has already showed ahead of Canney in opinion polls. With Cannon looking set to pull a sizable surplus, this is big trouble for Canney. Too late for a Greenway U-turn and Ross has thrown his Rail report in the waste paper basket.

westtip · 26-06-2018 11:06am

Muckyboots wrote: »

Ross has thrown his Rail report in the waste paper basket.

Ah so, he has a strategy to take things forward! Thought as much.:D

serfboard · 26-06-2018 6:21pm

Muckyboots wrote: »

Popular Tuam based, Cllr Peter Roache has been selected for FG in Galway East. The question with the Canney dissatisfaction camp was always where these votes might go, and how this would effect him. At least 1,000 Tuam town centric votes. Roache has already showed ahead of Canney in opinion polls. With Cannon looking set to pull a sizable surplus, this is big trouble for Canney. Too late for a Greenway U-turn and Ross has thrown his Rail report in the waste paper basket.

From the Connacht Tribune report quoted earlier in the thread:

The Connacht Tribune wrote:

It shows that Minister Ciaran Cannon of Fine Gael topping the poll on 18.4% of the vote – an increase of almost 3% on his performance last time out.

Fianna Fail’s Deputy Anne Rabbitte is on 16.6% which is a slight increase on her 2016 vote while Deputy Canney is back on 16% which is a drop of almost 2.5%.

But the surprise package in this whole scenario is the performance of Fine Gael’s Cllr Pete Roche who polled 15.6% of first preferences which would put him in with ‘a fighting chance’ of taking the third seat.

And close behind is Fianna Fail’s Cllr Donagh Killilea on a very respectable 15% but he has not decided if he will contest the party convention which is due to be held in the autumn.

All four are firmly in The Greenway camp.

Muckyboots · 28-06-2018 1:01pm

I don't disagree with some of his vision but his pitch is rambling and incoherent. Double track Athenry to Galway and then on to Athlone to Dublin is a simple and understandable demand but his performance on Newstalk yesterday was embarrassing. I wonder what was that comment from the "Boyle listener" that they couldn't read out, but the presenter found very funny??

http://connachttribune.ie/galway-needs-rail-link-boost/

blanch152 · 29-06-2018 10:50pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

The trouble with rail freight today is that we have long passed the tipping point, yards and gantries swept away, staff gone, sidings gone, wagons gone, locomotives..blah, blah, blah. It has little to do with distances being too short or the so-called motorway network and more to do with the State paying lip service to the railways, carbon emissions etc.etc. blah, blah.

Rail freight was C19.

Diesel Road freight was C20

The coming age will see hybrid and electric freight, it is only a matter of time.

eastwest · 29-06-2018 10:55pm

blanch152 wrote: »

Rail freight was C19.

Diesel Road freight was C20

The coming age will see hybrid and electric freight, it is only a matter of time.

Once they start mining coal in Ballina it will all come right.
In the meantime, the freight we want coming out of Mayo is measured in bytes and not tonnes.

monument · 01-07-2018 4:16pm

eastwest wrote: »

Once they start mining coal in Ballina it will all come right.
In the meantime, the freight we want coming out of Mayo is measured in bytes and not tonnes.

Meanwhile, right here in Ballina, Coke are expanding and that will mean more tons being exported from Ballina.

The way to bump up rail capacity is of course not the western railway, but rather cos-effective measures on the mainline, ie extra passing loops, etc.

eastwest · 01-07-2018 6:57pm

monument wrote: »

Meanwhile, right here in Ballina, Coke are expanding and that will mean more tons being exported from Ballina.

The way to bump up rail capacity is of course not the western railway, but rather cos-effective measures on the mainline, ie extra passing loops, etc.

I'm not sure how much coca cola freight is coming out of Ballina, but I'd hazard a guess that it's no more than one train a day. The notion that this would justify a second line to Mayo is simply not based on reality.
As you rightly say, a few passing loops will cater for any expansion, as will Irish Rail's trialling of longer trains.
A second line is not only not needed, it would just be a complete waste if coca cola pulls out of Ballina, which they inevitably will. Remember Asahi?

westtip · 01-07-2018 7:35pm

monument wrote: »

Meanwhile, right here in Ballina, Coke are expanding and that will mean more tons being exported from Ballina.

The way to bump up rail capacity is of course not the western railway, but rather cos-effective measures on the mainline, ie extra passing loops, etc.

Coke certainly have no interest in shipping from anywhere but east coast ports, so necessity to use claremorrris - Athenry is meaningless for them. The extra passing loops is something many of us pro-greenway, pro-tourism, pro-meaningful railway development have advocated for a long time. I see Eamon O'Cuiv quoted a couple of posts up has started talking some sense about double tracking on the Athlone-Galway line, was he still wittering on about the WRC as well? Ah well I guess sooner or later they will be put out to grass.

marno21 · 01-07-2018 7:46pm

westtip wrote: »

Coke certainly have no interest in shipping from anywhere but east coast ports, so necessity to use claremorrris - Athenry is meaningless for them. The extra passing loops is something many of us pro-greenway, pro-tourism, pro-meaningful railway development have advocated for a long time. I see Eamon O'Cuiv quoted a couple of posts up has started talking some sense about double tracking on the Athlone-Galway line, was he still wittering on about the WRC as well? Ah well I guess sooner or later they will be put out to grass.

I think monument is agreeing with you there westtip.

As has been said, the Claremorris-Athenry section is not a requirement for increased freight operations from Ballina. The existing railway is very much underused and with passing loops there could be a lot more value achieved from the existing asset (e.g. Portarlington-Athlone-Manulla-Ballina).

Hopefully there is enhanced freight ops and it helps strengthen the case for double tracking Portarlington-Athlone which would be very beneficial for passenger services also.

Muckyboots · 17-07-2018 8:37pm

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32369-taoiseach-accused-of-being-at-sixes-and-sevens-over-european-funding

Leo Varadkar - "But it’s important to say two things. The big single investment that happened in transport in Ireland in the last seven years was the Gort to Tuam motorway … Anyone that is saying that rural Ireland was somehow mistreated compared to other parts of the country really isn’t speaking on the basis of facts …
“There is also a misunderstanding about Ten-T. Some people seem to think that Ten-T is a big pot of money that we can draw down money for roads and railways. It’s not like structural funds. If you include something on the core network of Ten-T you have to build it and you might get a bit of money from the European Union for it. However, the chances are that the projects that get funding are ones that are trans-European, ones that are cross-border projects for example ports and airports. There isn’t a pot of European money to invest in Irish roads and railways anymore. That era is over."

" However, Kealan Flynn, a leading authority on the matter and a former Government advisor, said the Taoiseach’s comments are contradictory. It was Mr Flynn’s Freedom of Information request which revealed, earlier this year, that Mr Varadkar had removed the Western Arc from the Core network in 2011 and brought the issue to national prominence.
“The Taoiseach seems to be at sixes and sevens on the Ten-T,” he told The Mayo News. “On the one hand, he’s saying, mistakenly as it happens, that there is no pot of European money for road and rail infrastructure. On the other, he’s promising to keep the pledge in the Programme for Government, to reapply to get the Western Arc/Atlantic Corridor put back on the EU’s Ten-T Core road, rail, port and airport network map. Which is it? And why is the application still sitting in Dublin two years after it was meant to be sent to Brussels?
“The EU is investing €500 billion in multi-modal (road, rail, airport and sea port) transport infrastructure from 2014-2020, with a further €250 billion needed to finish the Ten-T Core Corridors by 2030. It’s worrying to hear the Taoiseach say the cross-border element doesn’t exist because Northern Ireland is not a trans-European route. It is. And what is the Brexit backstop for, if it isn’t to protect and defend the special relationship and the all-island economy that requires these trans-European links?
“Europe is joining the dots – and handing Ireland the pencil. Last May, Ten-T leader Brian Simpson said funding rules were being rewritten for peripheral regions. The EU is now proposing an investment package for a new maritime route to Europe via Cork and Waterford or Rosslare, as the UK will no longer be a common transit area after Brexit. This is to upgrade port and supporting infrastructure, including rail and road. On funding opportunities, Mr Simpson said: “The reality for Ireland now is, in order to get EU money, you have to apply for it. You’re pushing an open door with me. If you do not apply for the funding you will not get it, so please apply.”
“For the Taoiseach to say there is no more EU funding, is to miss both the point and the opportunity. Ireland should grab, not spurn, the opportunities and partnerships,” said Mr Flynn."

Del.Monte · 17-07-2018 9:26pm

Does this mean that the Waterford/Rosslare Strand line will be reopening or is it needed for a Greenway?

eastwest · 18-07-2018 11:39am

Muckyboots wrote: »

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32369-taoiseach-accused-of-being-at-sixes-and-sevens-over-european-funding

Leo Varadkar - "But it’s important to say two things. The big single investment that happened in transport in Ireland in the last seven years was the Gort to Tuam motorway … Anyone that is saying that rural Ireland was somehow mistreated compared to other parts of the country really isn’t speaking on the basis of facts …
“There is also a misunderstanding about Ten-T. Some people seem to think that Ten-T is a big pot of money that we can draw down money for roads and railways. It’s not like structural funds. If you include something on the core network of Ten-T you have to build it and you might get a bit of money from the European Union for it. However, the chances are that the projects that get funding are ones that are trans-European, ones that are cross-border projects for example ports and airports. There isn’t a pot of European money to invest in Irish roads and railways anymore. That era is over."

" However, Kealan Flynn, a leading authority on the matter and a former Government advisor, said the Taoiseach’s comments are contradictory. It was Mr Flynn’s Freedom of Information request which revealed, earlier this year, that Mr Varadkar had removed the Western Arc from the Core network in 2011 and brought the issue to national prominence.
“The Taoiseach seems to be at sixes and sevens on the Ten-T,” he told The Mayo News. “On the one hand, he’s saying, mistakenly as it happens, that there is no pot of European money for road and rail infrastructure. On the other, he’s promising to keep the pledge in the Programme for Government, to reapply to get the Western Arc/Atlantic Corridor put back on the EU’s Ten-T Core road, rail, port and airport network map. Which is it? And why is the application still sitting in Dublin two years after it was meant to be sent to Brussels?
“The EU is investing €500 billion in multi-modal (road, rail, airport and sea port) transport infrastructure from 2014-2020, with a further €250 billion needed to finish the Ten-T Core Corridors by 2030. It’s worrying to hear the Taoiseach say the cross-border element doesn’t exist because Northern Ireland is not a trans-European route. It is. And what is the Brexit backstop for, if it isn’t to protect and defend the special relationship and the all-island economy that requires these trans-European links?
“Europe is joining the dots – and handing Ireland the pencil. Last May, Ten-T leader Brian Simpson said funding rules were being rewritten for peripheral regions. The EU is now proposing an investment package for a new maritime route to Europe via Cork and Waterford or Rosslare, as the UK will no longer be a common transit area after Brexit. This is to upgrade port and supporting infrastructure, including rail and road. On funding opportunities, Mr Simpson said: “The reality for Ireland now is, in order to get EU money, you have to apply for it. You’re pushing an open door with me. If you do not apply for the funding you will not get it, so please apply.”
“For the Taoiseach to say there is no more EU funding, is to miss both the point and the opportunity. Ireland should grab, not spurn, the opportunities and partnerships,” said Mr Flynn."

Does Mr flynn not get it? An Taoiseach was pointing out that any infrastructure funding on that route will go into the N17. Apart from making the most sense, this is what most people want.
Nobody is going to rebuild a victorian railway that nobody was using. When will that sink in with the few remaining diehards?

marno21 · 18-07-2018 11:42am

What's the speed limit on the stretch of line between Swinford and Kiltimagh?

Pete_Cavan · 18-07-2018 12:24pm

"The Taoiseach seems to be at sixes and sevens on the Ten-T,” he told The Mayo News. “On the one hand, he’s saying, mistakenly as it happens, that there is no pot of European money for road and rail infrastructure. On the other, he’s promising to keep the pledge in the Programme for Government, to reapply to get the Western Arc/Atlantic Corridor put back on the EU’s Ten-T Core road, rail, port and airport network map. Which is it?

Thats not what Varadkar said at all. He was clearly pointing out that it isn't a case of slap a TEN-T sticker on a project and the EU will throw money at it. We have to be selective in which projects we are putting forward for funding and are prioritising cross border link projects which have the best chance of getting funding.

He can keep the pledge in the Programme for Government to reapply to put it back on Ten-T but that won't make a blind bit of difference. There is no way it is getting funding as the amount needed would be huge and the benefits negligible.

For the Taoiseach to say there is no more EU funding, is to miss both the point and the opportunity.

Again, that's not what he said. He's saying we aren't going to be given an €X00m One4All voucher to spend on whatever we want. It shouldn't be that difficult to understand.

eastwest · 18-07-2018 1:31pm

marno21 wrote: »

What's the speed limit on the stretch of line between Swinford and Kiltimagh?

To answer that I'd need to know what speed a grazing cow can reach.

westtip · 18-07-2018 4:58pm

marno21 wrote: »

What's the speed limit on the stretch of line between Swinford and Kiltimagh?

Or it depends if the grazing cow gets in the way of a velorail cart travelling at about 5 kph.

Whatever happened to the €300K Michael Ring threw at that velorail project? Was anybody ever held accountable for the way that money was spent, maybe it will all come out when their planning application is examined???:D

Del.Monte · 18-07-2018 10:33pm

Interesting photograph included in this upbeat piece about the Velorail project: http://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2017/12/13/4149722-completion-of-velo-rail-project-in-kiltimagh-is-on-course/ as there's not a concrete sleeper to be seen between Claremorris and Collooney.

I'm looking forward to my first trip on the Velorail.

marno21 · 19-07-2018 2:42am

Another question, how much remedial work would be required at the cattle loading stations along the line to make them suitable for a TEN-T Core passenger rail route in the 21st century?

Obviously some investment would also be required to protect passengers from the high speed freight trains and the risk of electrical shock from the high voltages of the catenaries.

Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail Discussion

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