Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail Discussion

westtip · 03-11-2019 5:45pm

JJJackal wrote: »

Common sense would suggest not building a greenway beside active rail lines unless you are 100% sure there will be no risk to those using the greenway.

Realistically I would not be happy with a greenway beside a train line if there was less than a 1 in 100,000 chance of injury to a person using the greenway due to a train accident or incident

This really gets more hilarious by the minute, based on your 1 in 100,000 chance of injury you would have to have a crash barrier put in place on every pavement in the country that runs alongside a road. If you can provide an actuarial figure of liklihood to back up your thinking, then I suggest you remain unhappy with the idea. By the way there is a path alongside the Dart I think around Sandycove area how many people have leapt onto the Dartline there........Errr none so far.

ShaneC1600 · 03-11-2019 5:56pm

westtip wrote: »

This really gets more hilarious by the minute, based on your 1 in 100,000 chance of injury you would have to have a crash barrier put in place on every pavement in the country that runs alongside a road. If you can provide an actuarial figure of liklihood to back up your thinking, then I suggest you remain unhappy with the idea. By the way there is a path alongside the Dart I think around Sandycove area how many people have leapt onto the Dartline there........Errr none so far.

There is a walkway along Lough Atalia, Renmore to Galway station too, I wouldn't drive to Galway for a walk along it though! And there is a palisade fence along the full length too, i don't know why they put the fence along it, must be something to do with trains.

end of the road · 03-11-2019 7:04pm

Deleted User wrote: »

As for the WRC, well, it hasn't been active line since 1976 so it's a non issue.

it was active up until the late 90s.

Del.Monte · 03-11-2019 8:29pm

CIE love any excuse to whack up a palisade fence and a greenway fenced off by one would hardly be a pleasant experience, but there's nowt queer as folk.

Lord Glentoran · 03-11-2019 8:37pm

ShaneC1600 wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

How has everyone suddenly lost the ability to quote properly on this thread?

On topic, a greenway beside an active rail line is not an issue and done all over the world

Interested, where is there a greenway along an operational railway? Any idea of train speeds and type of fencing?
Sorry if its me not quoting correctly, I'm new to boards

25mph train speed limits on the Avon valley Heritage railway. Clearly that’s what cycling campaigners want on any operational railway beside a Greenway.https://www.avonvalleyrailway.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/RISK-ASSESSMENT-2016.pdf

Lord Glentoran · 03-11-2019 8:42pm

Muckyboots wrote: »

Sligo eye wrote: »

Matt Carthy is a SF MEP who lobby's for WOT in Europe. That's a fact is it not?

The same logic would suggest that Matt Carthy is a male, therefore all males are Sinn Féiners.

westtip · 03-11-2019 8:47pm

ShaneC1600 wrote: »

There is a walkway along Lough Atalia, Renmore to Galway station too, I wouldn't drive to Galway for a walk along it though! And there is a palisade fence along the full length too, i don't know why they put the fence along it, must be something to do with trains.

Nobody is asking anyone to drive a long way to use any greenway, there are two priorities in the campaign for the Greenway on the closed railway from Athenry to Collooney on the route of the closed railway.

1. Provide a local amenity for the communities along the route, so they don't have to drive anywhere to use a greenway, whether its parallel to an existing railway or on the route of a closed for 40 years railway
2. To be part of the national greenway network so that tourists can take long distance cycling trips and happen to pass through places like Tuam, Claremorris etc and bring trade to those communities - people need to eat sleep and drink.

Re the palisade fence for a greenway alongside an existing route, my guess is here in Ireland this is the kind of thing that would happen, as said in previous posts totally unnecessary, totally over the top, totally ugly and doesn't happen elsewhere, people would still use it though and it might be the solution needed to complete the Dublin Galway greenway. The reason I say it would not be necessary is strangely I trust people to be able to walk on a footpath without stepping out in front of a truck, so no reason why I wouldn't apply the same thinking to people walking alongside a railway, but hey ho each to their own. On we go choo choo.

westtip · 03-11-2019 8:54pm

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

ShaneC1600 wrote: »

25mph train speed limits on the Avon valley Heritage railway. Clearly that’s what cycling campaigners want on any operational railway beside a Greenway.https://www.avonvalleyrailway.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/RISK-ASSESSMENT-2016.pdf

could folks please look at this photo attached and do a risk assessment, I mean what are those people thinking of placing themselves in peril and danger with only so much as a flimsy wire fence to protect them from imminent calamity; And this clearly is not the Avon Valley Heritage Railway, people call me Anti railway, I am not by the way but maybe we now have the anti greenway parallel to a railway faction! one thing I will say if they had done this alongside the Ennis/Athenry line it would have had more users than the railway! and it would have encouraged people to cycle one way and train it back the other, hey ho on we we go choo choo cyling by the railway 1.jpg

trellheim · 03-11-2019 9:38pm

close enough here in Dun Laoghaire https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2957362,-6.1464219,3a,75y,50.75h,72.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sizLVa2_IDHOp_VJXnc8cnw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

ShaneC1600 · 03-11-2019 9:55pm

westtip wrote: »

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

could folks please look at this photo attached and do a risk assessment, I mean what are those people thinking of placing themselves in peril and danger with only so much as a flimsy wire fence to protect them from imminent calamity; And this clearly is not the Avon Valley Heritage Railway, people call me Anti railway, I am not by the way but maybe we now have the anti greenway parallel to a railway faction! one thing I will say if they had done this alongside the Ennis/Athenry line it would have had more users than the railway! and it would have encouraged people to cycle one way and train it back the other, hey ho on we we go choo choo cyling by the railway 1.jpg

In fairness a 4ft or 5ft chain link fence like that isn't the worst!

yer man! · 03-11-2019 10:23pm

ShaneC1600 wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

How has everyone suddenly lost the ability to quote properly on this thread?

On topic, a greenway beside an active rail line is not an issue and done all over the world

Interested, where is there a greenway along an operational railway? Any idea of train speeds and type of fencing?
Sorry if its me not quoting correctly, I'm new to boards

There's a greenway I use here in Leiden, The Netherlands that runs along the main railway into Amsterdam. Trains travel up to 140km/h on this particular section and there's a train every 3 minutes. It's not an issue at all, there's a decent wire fence separating the line from the greenway. It's about 10ft tall. It honestly feels very safe, it's just really nice not to be next to cars and buses!

ShaneC1600 · 03-11-2019 10:31pm

westtip wrote: »

Nobody is asking anyone to drive a long way to use any greenway, there are two priorities in the campaign for the Greenway on the closed railway from Athenry to Collooney on the route of the closed railway.

1. Provide a local amenity for the communities along the route, so they don't have to drive anywhere to use a greenway, whether its parallel to an existing railway or on the route of a closed for 40 years railway
2. To be part of the national greenway network so that tourists can take long distance cycling trips and happen to pass through places like Tuam, Claremorris etc and bring trade to those communities - people need to eat sleep and drink.

I have cycled the westport greenway and its excellent. The benefits for the area are clear to see and I'm sure with the population of both Tuam and Athenry the greenway would be well used but alot of emphasis for the proposed greenway is on tourists.
Is there a possibility that building greenways throughout the country will dilute the number of tourists. Like, has the Waterford, Athlone or Limerick greenway taken tourists from Mayo? Or are numbers equally good for all open greenways?
And could it create a best greenway takes all? I've walked the WRC many times and the views would not be as scenic as say the proposed Connemarra greenway. Even if you read the reviews of say the Mayo greenway there all great but nearly all use the scenery as the main reason.
But I do wish a decision is made soon.

westtip · 03-11-2019 11:02pm

ShaneC1600 wrote: »

But I do wish a decision is made soon.

And so say all of us!

Grandeeod · 03-11-2019 11:41pm

I'm convinced that if it wasn't for the Greenway idea, the WRC would be dead and buried by now. Flies are attracted to ****e. And vice versa. 16 years later and its still a topic here. 38 years later after the Priest report and its still going strong.

Amazing and futile stuff. I'l check back in a year and no doubt I'll read the same oul guff from both sides.:rolleyes:

Lord Glentoran · 04-11-2019 12:24am

westtip wrote: »

could folks please look at this photo attached and do a risk assessment, I mean what are those people thinking of placing themselves in peril and danger with only so much as a flimsy wire fence to protect them from imminent calamity; And this clearly is not the Avon Valley Heritage Railway, people call me Anti railway, I am not by the way but maybe we now have the anti greenway parallel to a railway faction! one thing I will say if they had done this alongside the Ennis/Athenry line it would have had more users than the railway! and it would have encouraged people to cycle one way and train it back the other, hey ho on we we go choo choo

Indeed. The same railway that has been pointed out many many times before that has a 25mph speed limit.

I have some sympathy with Grandeeod’s post that we go around the houses on these threads.

Perhaps a bit of 1980s BASIC programming would replicate these threads in perpetuity:

10 START
20 TYPE “TRAINS ARE BAD”
30 TYPE “TRAINS ARE GOOD”
40 GOTO 20

Markcheese · 04-11-2019 2:44am

westtip wrote: »

strangely I trust people to be able to walk on a footpath without stepping out in front of a truck, so no reason why I wouldn't apply the same thinking to people walking alongside a railway, .

This isn't an Irish thing, but have you noticed people on holiday when they walk, they wander, up the middle of the road, stop and contemplate life at the entrance to a car park, halt behind a fork lift on a working pier... People are idiots, (I know I'm people), so a fence would be necessary to stop some twit wandering along an active rail line... But as it'll never again be an active railway line. And because sour grapes seems to stop it being a green way, its all bit accedemic really..

westtip · 04-11-2019 8:36am

Markcheese wrote: »

This isn't an Irish thing, but have you noticed people on holiday when they walk, they wander, up the middle of the road, stop and contemplate life at the entrance to a car park, halt behind a fork lift on a working pier... People are idiots, (I know I'm people), so a fence would be necessary to stop some twit wandering along an active rail line... But as it'll never again be an active railway line. And because sour grapes seems to stop it being a green way, its all bit accedemic really..

Yep good points MC, I think the debate has got a bit sidetracked (sic), the alongside argument only really applies to when a working line alignment is being used, this won't be the case on the Athenry - Collooney line as it is not going to be re-opened we are just waiting for the inevitable to actually stated. Re a fence to stop someone going on an active line from a parallel greenway the debate seems to have got a bit futile, we would probably end up with a huge over the top palastrade like the Canneygates in Athenry because that seems to be they way Irish Rail think, although I see no reason why a small modest wire fence could not be the solution. As you say all a bit academic, there appears to be no plans to put a parallel greenway on the Galway Dublin line to resolve the impasse on the Galway - Dublin Greenway and we seem to be getting nowhere these days on building tourism in the west with a greenway from Athenry to Collooney, the impasse is frustrating to say the least. Government review of the Western Rail corridor.......when oh when is that going to be released.....when it has been fudged into another can kicking exercise is probably the answer.

Lord Glentoran · 04-11-2019 9:34am

Markcheese wrote: »

This isn't an Irish thing, but have you noticed people on holiday when they walk, they wander, up the middle of the road, stop and contemplate life at the entrance to a car park, halt behind a fork lift on a working pier... People are idiots, (I know I'm people), so a fence would be necessary to stop some twit wandering along an active rail line... But as it'll never again be an active railway line. And because sour grapes seems to stop it being a green way, its all bit accedemic really..

You assume “sour grapes”, I assume the desire of the greenway campaigners to reinforce rural and urban sprawl unhindered. It’s all relative really.

Muckyboots · 04-11-2019 12:20pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

CIE love any excuse to whack up a palisade fence and a greenway fenced off by one would hardly be a pleasant experience, but there's nowt queer as folk.

I see nowt as queer as sitting a stool, freezing the brass monkies, in anticipation of a 001 Class or a 121 Class with an overpriced Canon or Nokia on a tripod, but I promise I'll give a friendly wave when I pass on my grossly overpriced hybryd in unnecessary tight-fitting lycra. Horses for courses - if you excuse the mixed metaphor. I'll take a greenway anyway and anyhow.

random_guy · 04-11-2019 12:36pm

yer man! wrote: »

ShaneC1600 wrote: »

There's a greenway I use here in Leiden, The Netherlands that runs along the main railway into Amsterdam. Trains travel up to 140km/h on this particular section and there's a train every 3 minutes. It's not an issue at all, there's a decent wire fence separating the line from the greenway. It's about 10ft tall. It honestly feels very safe, it's just really nice not to be next to cars and buses!

I can throw a little into this debate.
The fences don't need to be massive. In general, the situation is a lot safer that road traffic.

The photos is one that I took in 2016 in Germany. On that line are freight trains, ICEs (not at full speed), IC, Regional trains, and s-bahns. Around about a train of some description every 10 minutes.

That rickety old fence is all that separates people, bikes, children, animals, and the odd car from the trains. Since I took this photo the situation has not improved and in fact the fence is missing in many places.

A bit of common sense goes a long way in these situations. (yes yes, common sense is not so common).

Another example which I'm aware of, and which is more similar to the Irish situation (in terms of traffic volume and speed) is here: https://goo.gl/maps/a4dppfG28Ndip2ME8

In this case, there is no fence. Only a grass margin about 2 metre wide or so.

eastwest · 04-11-2019 1:24pm

The sad part of all this is that the row between the pro tourism group and the people who probably genuinely believe that trains will run on this route just allows the government to take their money elsewhere. The existence of two factions gives them the perfect excuse to do nothing, and the money goes to waterford, or Kerry, or anywhere but Galway/Mayo/Sligo.

Lord Glentoran · 04-11-2019 3:33pm

eastwest wrote: »

The sad part of all this is that the row between the pro tourism group and the people who probably genuinely believe that trains will run on this route just allows the government to take their money elsewhere. The existence of two factions gives them the perfect excuse to do nothing, and the money goes to waterford, or Kerry, or anywhere but Galway/Mayo/Sligo.

You are implying that those who support the redevelopment of a railway connection are anti tourism. Do any number of bikes get anywhere by bus in Ireland?

galwaytt · 04-11-2019 3:48pm

westtip wrote: »

Difficult to understand how they can be taking so long to state the obvious!

oh that's easy, it's called ... "Billable Hours".

westtip · 05-11-2019 3:38pm

galwaytt wrote: »

oh that's easy, it's called ... "Billable Hours".

Possibly but I think this a fixed fee contract, I think its got more to do with the liklihood they have been told to ease off on the gas and not rush it, sure we wouldn't want a decision before an election would we!!!

Muckyboots · 05-11-2019 9:24pm

https://www.shannonside.ie/news/local/west-meath/irish-rail-asked-consider-developing-light-rail-system-link-athlone-mullingar/
Irish Rail is to be asked to consider developing a light rail system that would link Athlone to Mullingar. Councillor Tom Farrell believes that with Athlone’s designation as a centre of regional development, as well as an expected increase in students at AIT and increased economic growth in the Shannonside region and a link between two of Westmeath’s biggest towns would make sense. He has proposed that a light rail system would run on the currently disused track, which in recent years has seen thousands of tourists walks its paths as part of a greenway. Councillor Farrell believes that a similar system works well in Europe, where a fence is erected between the greenways and the rail line to improve safety.

There ya are now!

Carawaystick · 05-11-2019 11:14pm

No light rail carriages/trams run on 1600mm gauge, and none ever will.

eastwest · 05-11-2019 11:31pm

Carawaystick wrote: »

No light rail carriages/trams run on 1600mm gauge, and none ever will.

Just as with the railway north of athenry, none of the track on mullingar-athlone is capable of carrying anything, and would have to be ripped up and replaced along with the ballast if it was decided to open a light or heavy railway on the route.
The light rail idea is just a flyer from a councillor, if any railway is laid in the future on this route it would make sense to build a heavy railway.
But all least the route will have been preserved by the greenway.

serfboard · 06-11-2019 4:12pm

Muckyboots wrote: »

Irish Rail is to be asked to [do something]. Councillor [X] believes ...

Yada, yada, yada ...

An alternate version of paper never refuses ink, is that local radio never refuses any content from politicians - no matter how daft.

westtip · 07-11-2019 4:38pm

eastwest wrote: »

Just as with the railway north of athenry, none of the track on mullingar-athlone is capable of carrying anything, and would have to be ripped up and replaced along with the ballast if it was decided to open a light or heavy railway on the route.
The light rail idea is just a flyer from a councillor, if any railway is laid in the future on this route it would make sense to build a heavy railway.
But all least the route will have been preserved by the greenway.

The truth is if we had a real rail lobby group representing the West of Ireland the Athlone - Mullingar - Connolly route had the potential for an alternative Athlone commuter route to Dublin and an alternative route for Galway Dublin. The greenway does protect this route, but as a railway route is has massively more potential than Claremorris to Athenry!

07-11-2019 6:49pm

westtip wrote: »

The truth is if we had a real rail lobby group representing the West of Ireland the Athlone - Mullingar - Connolly route had the potential for an alternative Athlone commuter route to Dublin and an alternative route for Galway Dublin. The greenway does protect this route, but as a railway route is has massively more potential than Claremorris to Athenry!

That route would work better if the trains terminated at a reopened Broadstone station

Grandeeod · 07-11-2019 9:51pm

westtip wrote: »

The truth is if we had a real rail lobby group representing the West of Ireland the Athlone - Mullingar - Connolly route had the potential for an alternative Athlone commuter route to Dublin and an alternative route for Galway Dublin. The greenway does protect this route, but as a railway route is has massively more potential than Claremorris to Athenry!

When there was a REAL Railway lobby group, the Athlone-Mullingar route was often mentioned and featured in print media and radio in the region as an alternative route to Galway and the west. That same lobby group burst the bubble of the WRC that you are still battling. That same lobby group didn't even have a presence across the media today on Newstalk as they dedicated the week to commuting issues - "Commuter Hell". That same renamed lobby group deleted the real driving force from their history and became a trainspotting talk shop.

Lord Glentoran · 07-11-2019 11:01pm

westtip wrote: »

The truth is if we had a real rail lobby group representing the West of Ireland the Athlone - Mullingar - Connolly route had the potential for an alternative Athlone commuter route to Dublin and an alternative route for Galway Dublin. The greenway does protect this route, but as a railway route is has massively more potential than Claremorris to Athenry!

Oh come on. The cycle/greenway lobby would fight it tooth and nail.

westtip · 11-11-2019 8:43pm

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

Oh come on. The cycle/greenway lobby would fight it tooth and nail.

They would struggle as the respective county councils along the route have legally binding agreement that if the route is ever required for rail, rail will take precendence, of course the greenway protects the route from squatters and if the route is needed for rail in the future a parallel greenway would be simply run parallel. I sit and wait now for the post to come about Comber valley, as sure as night follows day this will happen.

eastwest · 11-11-2019 9:22pm

westtip wrote: »

They would struggle as the respective county councils along the route have legally binding agreement that if the route is ever required for rail, rail will take precendence, of course the greenway protects the route from squatters and if the route is needed for rail in the future a parallel greenway would be simply run parallel. I sit and wait now for the post to come about Comber valley, as sure as night follows day this will happen.

But but but comber busway...
(Is that ok?)

Lord Glentoran · 12-11-2019 5:00pm

eastwest wrote: »

But but but comber busway...
(Is that ok?)

Thanks for raising it. Have a lemon curd sandwich.

18-11-2019 7:40pm

Was chatting to a colleague about the farce that is the campaign to reopen the line northwards from Athenry and he asked about freight so did a little digging, thought it might add to the conversation here too

According to CSO data from IE here rail freight has dropped to point to being nothing worth talking about

6034073

eastwest · 18-11-2019 7:43pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Was chatting to a colleague about the farce that is the campaign to reopen the line northwards from Athenry and he asked about freight so did a little digging, thought it might add to the conversation here too

According to CSO data from IE here rail freight has dropped to point to being nothing worth talking about

But but but comber.....

Lord Glentoran · 18-11-2019 8:29pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Was chatting to a colleague about the farce that is the campaign to reopen the line northwards from Athenry and he asked about freight so did a little digging, thought it might add to the conversation here too

According to CSO data from IE here rail freight has dropped to point to being nothing worth talking about

Ok so we won’t talk about it then.

eastwest · 19-11-2019 12:08am

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

Ok so we won’t talk about it then.

Except for maybe now and again, especially the hub in claremorris.
Where they can ship loads of hub caps.

Losty Dublin · 19-11-2019 1:06am

Deleted User wrote: »

Was chatting to a colleague about the farce that is the campaign to reopen the line northwards from Athenry and he asked about freight so did a little digging, thought it might add to the conversation here too

According to CSO data from IE here rail freight has dropped to point to being nothing worth talking about

True but there are some points to raise here that are very relevant to this.

Almost all of the freight traffic today goes to and from Mayo, whereas freight traffic of 20 years ago served other parts of Ireland. If anything, the region is busier than it ever way
In 1999 Cabinet decided that road freight was largely the way to go. Hence our shiny new motorways, tunnels and slip roads and heaps of sole trader truck drivers.
Any freight traffic on the railway can not be subvented by CIE and must be run on a no loss basis. This effectively has privatised rail freight insofar that a company hires the service of rail for it's private loadings. What they also need to offer are regular loadings offering regular trains; ad hoc trains and one off specials can't and don't work anymore.
A lot of Irish freight customers have gone to the wall or are no longer in production or have moved to new distribution/production lines. Sugar Beet, IFI, Irish Cement, Molasses, Guinness, Kingspan, Asahi, Bell Ferries.
Lots of what we produce in ireland just isn't suitable for rail haulage for many reasons. Meat, Dairy, Whiskey, computer chips, Cloud and other IT services, Hedge Funds;

trellheim · 19-11-2019 12:22pm

And that the lack of road pricing means road is always cheaper

eastwest · 19-11-2019 12:51pm

trellheim wrote: »

And that the lack of road pricing means road is always cheaper

Yes, by right they should build the railway out to every house in Ireland, and put road tax on trains and charge Irish rail excise on the diesel. Then you'd have balance.

westtip · 19-11-2019 12:54pm

And this is the most important freight in a knowledge economy

Sligo eye · 19-11-2019 12:55pm

eastwest wrote: »

Yes, by right they should build the railway out to every house in Ireland, and put road tax on trains and charge Irish rail excise on the diesel. Then you'd have balance.

Well done eastwest, you have put out yet another childish and ridiculous statement.

I note you are always silent about the sprawl of building that passes for planning policy in this country. I would love to see your obvious dedication and energy put to good use fighting the vested interests that are destroying the environment here rather than speaking up for them.

eastwest · 19-11-2019 1:15pm

Sligo eye wrote: »

Well done eastwest, you have put out yet another childish and ridiculous statement.

I note you are always silent about the sprawl of building that passes for planning policy in this country. I would love to see your obvious dedication and energy put to good use fighting the vested interests that are destroying the environment here rather than speaking up for them.

Just stating facts.
There is a train (apologies) of thought that suggests that road-based distribution of freight has am unfair advantage because the capital costs are not included in comparisons.
This argument not only ignores the fact that we need roads to service our houses anyway, but also ignores the heavy subsidy to railway running costs. When rail freight was required to break even, while still conveniently ignoring the establishment and maintenance cost of the permanent way, it disappeared off the map.

ShaneC1600 · 19-11-2019 1:26pm

westtip wrote: »

And this is the most important freight in a knowledge economy

Someone should tell the ports not to bother investing or expanding as the 53 million tonnes transported in 2017 will in a few years be transmitted. I think you are watching too many sci-fi films.

westtip · 19-11-2019 1:52pm

ShaneC1600 wrote: »

Someone should tell the ports not to bother investing or expanding as the 53 million tonnes transported in 2017 will in a few years be transmitted. I think you are watching too many sci-fi films.

Granted but ask Apple how much they needed the freight line from Athenry to Claremorris. Unfortunately it was other forces that stopped that investment. Ask any SaaS company (SaaS = Software as a Service) what they want if they need to invest in the West of Ireland and it won't be freight trains trundling through Tuam. Of course we need investment in our ports, we also need investment in our tourism infrastructure; like greenways and investment in industrial strength internet connectivity to data centres and for SaaS companies. Re our railways yes investment is needed - priorities being in the main population centres and electrification of mainline routes, Athenry to Tuam and Tuam to Claremorris is so low on the agenda even if a slight straw in the wind can come out of the latest Review it is never going to happen in our lifetimes.

ShaneC1600 · 19-11-2019 2:07pm

westtip wrote: »

Granted but ask Apple how much they needed the freight line from Athenry to Claremorris. Unfortunately it was other forces that stopped that investment. Ask any SaaS company (SaaS = Software as a Service) what they want if they need to invest in the West of Ireland and it won't be freight trains trundling through Tuam. Of course we need investment in our ports, we also need investment in our tourism infrastructure; like greenways and investment in industrial strength internet connectivity to data centres and for SaaS companies. Re our railways yes investment is needed - priorities being in the main population centres and electrification of mainline routes, Athenry to Tuam and Tuam to Claremorris is so low on the agenda even if a slight straw in the wind can come out of the latest Review it is never going to happen in our lifetimes.

Your right on that one, Apple will not be looking for freight trains, I agree no software company will require trains either. I also agree that investment should be prioritised for say railways with greater investment in the main population centres makes more sense. But, on the same line of thought, Ireland is tiny compared to France or Germany so Europe should not give funding for infrastructure investment in Ireland. Or another one, a greenway from Galway City to Connemara would bring many more tourists than a trail along the WRC so all Galway greenway money should go there. If investment followed that logic nothing would ever happen on the WRC or west of the Liffey for that matter.

eastwest · 19-11-2019 3:07pm

ShaneC1600 wrote: »

Your right on that one, Apple will not be looking for freight trains, I agree no software company will require trains either. I also agree that investment should be prioritised for say railways with greater investment in the main population centres makes more sense. But, on the same line of thought, Ireland is tiny compared to France or Germany so Europe should not give funding for infrastructure investment in Ireland. Or another one, a greenway from Galway City to Connemara would bring many more tourists than a trail along the WRC so all Galway greenway money should go there. If investment followed that logic nothing would ever happen on the WRC or west of the Liffey for that matter.

Except that connemara and the wild Atlantic way is at saturation point, and the tourism offering across the west needs to be broadened.

ShaneC1600 · 19-11-2019 3:57pm

eastwest wrote: »

Except that connemara and the wild Atlantic way is at saturation point, and the tourism offering across the west needs to be broadened.

Connemara is an area of natural beauty and tourists come because of that, well I go there because of that whether for walks with family or adventure racing it is class and a greenway out there would be even better. I am afraid the rail line from Tuam to Claremorris offers no such amenity. I have had the pleasure of walking that line on numerous occasions, I actually have to do it again in December and it I know I would prefer if it was out west, it is quite boring, full of cuttings and flat. Now that is just my opinion on that line. I am sure for locals it would offer a safe place to walk or cycle but for tourists travelling to Ireland or from around Ireland other greenways have much more to offer. They might pass through but it will not be the savior some in the greenway movement would have you believe.

Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail Discussion

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