Can you go from Westport to Derry by train

24-03-2021 7:53pm #1

I was thinking this would be a bit of craic.
Westport - Dublin
Dublin - Derry.
Has anyone every done this ?

Del.Monte · 24-03-2021 7:55pm

What's the point?

24-03-2021 7:57pm

It got me thinking, Donegal has no rail. Would it not be a critical bit of infrastructure to get a Letterkenny Belfast rail link. Open up an All Ireland rail link.

Del.Monte · 24-03-2021 7:59pm

6541 wrote: »

It got me thinking, Donegal has no rail. Would it not be a critical bit of infrastructure to get a Letterkenny Belfast rail link. Open up an All Ireland rail link.

It would be nice but not going to happen. As for Westport to Derry via Dublin - only for serious trainspotters.

TheBeach · 24-03-2021 8:04pm

Yes, you can go from Dublin to Derry via Belfast. The train journey is lovely actually. Would take about 5 hours, not you'd need to figure out connections.

L1011 · 24-03-2021 8:09pm

With a Luas in the middle or some very complicated swapping back and forth to get a Tunnel service.

05:20 ex Wexport gets you to Heuston 08:31

09:30 ex Heuston gets you to Belfast 11:45

12:17 ex Belfast to Derry at 13:22

6541 wrote: »

It got me thinking, Donegal has no rail. Would it not be a critical bit of infrastructure to get a Letterkenny Belfast rail link. Open up an All Ireland rail link.

It would either have to be an entirely new line, or a reopening of the former GNR line - both exceptionally expensive - or a tack on from Derry on the existing line which would be so slow as to be useless.

Effects · 24-03-2021 8:11pm

6541 wrote: »

It got me thinking, Donegal has no rail.

Technically, it does.

http://donegalrailway.com/

L1011 · 24-03-2021 8:16pm

Effects wrote: »

Technically, it does.

http://donegalrailway.com/

It also has a Railway Refreshment Room with the associated drinks licence at the railway in Oakfield Park in Raphoe.

24-03-2021 8:19pm

A bit of context. I know a few people that do daft journeys. Some folk I know do Westport - Ballina. Have a few pints and then back to Westport.
Now Westport Derry is at the extreme end of things.

Del.Monte · 24-03-2021 8:30pm

6541 wrote: »

A bit of context. I know a few people that do daft journeys. Some folk I know do Westport - Ballina. Have a few pints and then back to Westport.
Now Westport Derry is at the extreme end of things.

Would they go to Tuam for a few pints if the line is reopened?

ted1 · 24-03-2021 8:40pm

6541 wrote: »

A bit of context. I know a few people that do daft journeys. Some folk I know do Westport - Ballina. Have a few pints and then back to Westport.
Now Westport Derry is at the extreme end of things.

Free travel is a great thing. My folks often rude the rails for craic. Game of cards and a few drinks and lunch somewhere random

25-03-2021 12:19am

I don't see why not. I don't think that line will ever open. Unfortunately.

Vic_08 · 25-03-2021 1:58am

L1011 wrote: »

It would either have to be an entirely new line, or a reopening of the former GNR line - both exceptionally expensive - or a tack on from Derry on the existing line which would be so slow as to be useless.

There was never a bridge across the Foyle in Derry nor a connection between the lines north to south.

4 (or was it 5) different stations in the city at one time.

Letterkenny was only ever served by narrow gauge. The GNR went nowhere near, just a transfer to the Swilly in Strabane.

ted1 wrote: »

Free travel is a great thing.

Everything's great when someone else is paying for it.

con747 · 25-03-2021 2:17am

Vic_08 wrote: »

There was never a bridge across the Foyle in Derry nor a connection between the lines north to south.

4 (or was it 5) different stations in the city at one time.

Letterkenny was only ever served by narrow gauge. The GNR went nowhere near, just a transfer to the Swilly in Strabane.

Everything's great when someone else is paying for it.

The majority of free travel passes are held by the people who paid for the infrastructure through working all their lives. A lot of others are disabled so the "Everything's great when someone else is paying for it" is uncalled for. You might just be needing a free travel pass yourself at some stage.

Victor · 25-03-2021 3:13am

Vic_08 wrote: »

There was never a bridge across the Foyle in Derry nor a connection between the lines north to south.

Are you sure?

con747 · 25-03-2021 3:18am

From Wikipedia "The Craigavon Bridge is one of three bridges in Derry, Northern Ireland. It crosses the River Foyle further south than the Foyle Bridge and Peace Bridge. It is one of only a few double-decker road bridges in Europe. It was named after Lord Craigavon, the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.

The present bridge was designed by the City Architect, Matthew A Robinson. Construction began in the late 1920s and was finished in 1933. The lower deck of the bridge originally carried a railway line for freight wagons, but that was replaced by a road in 1968".

L1011 · 25-03-2021 10:18am

Vic_08 wrote: »

There was never a bridge across the Foyle in Derry nor a connection between the lines north to south.

4 (or was it 5) different stations in the city at one time.

Letterkenny was only ever served by narrow gauge. The GNR went nowhere near, just a transfer to the Swilly in Strabane.
.

Craigavon Bridge was a railway bridge as already stated by others. Wasn't used for through services.

Its obvious that a new bridge and line to Letterkenny would be required in *all* options, as even if a routing via the open line was taken; the old line is somewhat blocked heading through Derry and would be a very circuitous route to Letterkenny anyway.

The GNR operated the Irish gauge Finn Valley Railway to Stranorlar before it transferred to the Donegal Railway and was converted to narrow gauge, as an aside - bit closer than 'nowhere near'!

Effects · 25-03-2021 12:01pm

6541 wrote: »

A bit of context. I know a few people that do daft journeys.

I once cycled to Dublin Port, got the ferry to Wales, train to London, and cycled to my family's home in London.

My partner flew over, and saved herself 16 hours or so.

26-03-2021 10:00am

I once got a bus from Westport to Paris - 1990's Ireland. Nothing stopped you except your imagination !

cml387 · 30-03-2021 10:45am

Paul Theroux got on a train in Boston and ended up in Patagonia. (OK, he cheated a bit).

Losty Dublin · 30-03-2021 3:24pm

Effects wrote: »

Technically, it does.

http://donegalrailway.com/

There's no railway on site in Donegal technical or not; it's just a railway museum though it is on the old station site and worth a visit if you are in the area.

Fintown however has one and there is the aforementioned set up at Oakfield as well.

That aside, they are still miles from Westport

purplepanda · 30-03-2021 3:33pm

Effects wrote: »

I once cycled to Dublin Port, got the ferry to Wales, train to London, and cycled to my family's home in London.

My partner flew over, and saved herself 16 hours or so.

That must have been a very slow ferry or a long overnight wait in Holyhead for the morning train. :eek:

During the December 2010 severe freeze when many flights were grounded, I needed to get back for a funeral.

I left London Euston at 7.10, got the fast ferry from Holyhead at 12 noon, arrived Dublin Ferryport around 2PM & was in Longford by 4.30PM.

London to Dublin in around 7 hours, that's the journey time that would encourage more rail & ferry travel. But not as easy nowadays as the fast ferries are withdrawn. :eek:

ohographite · 30-03-2021 4:10pm

I have done a train journey from Waterford to Cobh before, which is similar to Westport to Derry, in that it is a much longer route by train than it is by road. It involved a train from Waterford to Limerick Junction, another train from Limerick Junction to Cork and one more train from Cork to Cobh. It took me just under 4 hours to complete.

Effects · 01-04-2021 11:09am

purplepanda wrote: »

That must have been a very slow ferry or a long overnight wait in Holyhead for the morning train. :eek:

Ferry was delayed a few times, so it left about 3am, rather than 9pm like it was supposed to.
Can't quite remember exactly.

Effects · 01-04-2021 11:22am

Losty Dublin wrote: »

There's no railway on site in Donegal technical or not; it's just a railway museum though it is on the old station site and worth a visit if you are in the area.

Ah, I thought it ran for a couple of kilometres, hence my technical comment.
I have visited, but just a flying visit, as I was due to catch a ferry over to Arranmore.

tabbey · 02-04-2021 3:35pm

Vic_08 wrote: »

There was never a bridge across the Foyle in Derry nor a connection between the lines north to south.
.

There were tracks on the Craigavon bridge linking the four lines. The connection belonged to the port and harbour commissioners.

tabbey · 02-04-2021 3:46pm

ohographite wrote: »

I have done a train journey from Waterford to Cobh before, which is similar to Westport to Derry, in that it is a much longer route by train than it is by road. It involved a train from Waterford to Limerick Junction, another train from Limerick Junction to Cork and one more train from Cork to Cobh. It took me just under 4 hours to complete.

That is still much shorter than Westport to Derry via Dublin and Belfast, 125 miles compared to 367 miles.

end of the road · 02-04-2021 4:09pm

tabbey wrote: »

That is still much shorter than Westport to Derry via Dublin and Belfast, 125 miles compared to 367 miles.

what he means is that both journeys are similar in that they are longer by train then by road, rather then being a similar journey length and time by train

.

tabbey · 02-04-2021 6:08pm

end of the road wrote: »

what he means is that both journeys are similar in that they are longer by train then by road, rather then being a similar journey length and time by train

.

I know that, but Waterford to cobh by rail is a fairly reasonable journey, remember thousands of passengers travelled from rosslare to cork via Limerick junction after closure of the Mallow to Waterford route in 1967 and Cobh is only eleven miles extra.
Westport to Derry via Dublin and Belfast on the other hand is only a journey one would make for the sake of achieving it, something an enthusiast might enjoy, or perhaps a fundraiser seeking sponsorship for a deserving cause.

So if someone seeks sponsorship for such a journey after the pandemic, don't forget you heard it first on this thread.

Del.Monte · 06-04-2021 1:25pm

The longest end to end rail journey that I've done in a day on the Irish railway system was on the 13th June 1982 some 285 miles. I have done more on same day return trips e.g. Dublin/Cobh and back which is some 350+ miles, also on railtours, but never on a one way journey as far as I can recollect.

NCW%2B1982.jpg

209 running round train at Newcastle West - June 1982.

It was an interesting journey too, involving my only time overnighting on a train in Ireland albeit far removed from the Belmond Grand Hibernian - in a CIE sleeping van on the weedkilling train at Foynes. The journey that clocked up the mileage was Foynes/Ballingrane Junction/Newcastle West/Tralee (about five hours) followed by Tralee/Heuston and finally Connolly/Bray. Great days.

Charles Babbage · 06-04-2021 1:52pm

tabbey wrote: »

There were tracks on the Craigavon bridge linking the four lines. The connection belonged to the port and harbour commissioners.

It was a connection suitable for shunting. There were sharp bends at either end of the bridge which made it unsuitable for a locomotive

Can you go from Westport to Derry by train

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