[Article] Capital commuter belt on track to extend along coast in €115m plan

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/1664894?view=Eircomnet

Capital commuter belt on track to extend along coast in €115m plan
From:The Irish Independent
Tuesday, 14th October, 2003

DUBLIN'S rail commuter belt has been officially extended into Wexford - and now runs almost the entire length of the east coast, writes Treacy Hogan.

Rail services are being extended to Gorey, 55 miles from Dublin, as part of a €115m doubling of the suburban rail fleet to take tens of thousands more passengers from the east and midlands, and reduce overcrowding during rush hours.

The move will generate widespread housing development in the north Wexford area, Transport Minister Seamus Brennan said yesterday.

It will also dramatically affect house prices in the area as houses close to rail lines are usually more expensive. Owning a home close to public transport could increase its value by up to 25pc, auctioneers estimate.

Thousands more passengers will also be able to avail of rail services as capacity on commuter services from Longford/Maynooth, Arklow, Kildare and Dundalk/Drogheda has been dramatically increased - doubled in some cases.

But while trains will be longer with 80 new bigger carriages at peak times, the number of actual services will not be increased.

Under the new Iarnrod Eireann plan:

* Commuter services are being extended to Gorey for the first time from December. A train will run at 6.45am and return at 5.25pm with plans also for off-peak services on the single track line. The one way journey will take one hour 55 minutes.

* Capacity on the Arklow-Dublin commuter service increases by 30pc.

* The Kildare/South West commuter services will more than double its capacity, able to carry 5,000 people at peak time instead of 2,200 at present.

* Peak services on the Maynooth/Longford commuter service goes up by 26pc from from 3,320 to 4,200.

* Dundalk/Drogheda commuter service will carry 43pc more passengers, up from 5,670 to 8,100. Older carriages are being removed from the route.

* Cork to Cobh suburban doubles its capacity.

embraer170

Interesting and nice to hear some half decent news for once.

* Commuter services are being extended to Gorey for the first time from December. A train will run at 6.45am and return at 5.25pm with plans also for off-peak services on the single track line. The one way journey will take one hour 55 minutes.

I'm wondering if any people will actually commute Gorey - Dublin daily?

John R

Originally posted by embraer170


I'm wondering if any people will actually commute Gorey - Dublin daily?

Lots of people do already by car and bus. I have even heard of houses for sale in Enniscorthy being described as "Perfect for commuters to Dublin"

RicardoSmith

I'm doing a commute thats roughly similar at the moment. Scenic but its too far to do it for very long.

embraer170

How long does Gorey - Dublin take by car/bus nowadays? Surely not more than the train's 1:55?

Sarsfield

I have a concern about this type of development. It encourages urban sprwal (even if it IS 'ribbon development' along the railway).

It means rolling stock doing long 'thin' routes, infrequently. Shorter routes could allow extra journeys to be done with the same fleet. I would try to keep the Dublin Suburban service within around 30 miles of the city centre.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by embraer170
How long does Gorey - Dublin take by car/bus nowadays? Surely not more than the train's 1:55?

Have you seen the traffic and road works on that route? It could take that long just to get across town these days.

John R

Originally posted by embraer170
How long does Gorey - Dublin take by car/bus nowadays? Surely not more than the train's 1:55?

From Bray to Dublin by car in peak hour is close to that.

Gorey to Dublin in reasonably light traffic, without all the roadworks and sticking to the speed limit would be about 1h30 - 1h40.

John R

Originally posted by Sarsfield
I have a concern about this type of development. It encourages urban sprwal (even if it IS 'ribbon development' along the railway).

It means rolling stock doing long 'thin' routes, infrequently. Shorter routes could allow extra journeys to be done with the same fleet. I would try to keep the Dublin Suburban service within around 30 miles of the city centre.

As long as house prices force people way out into the country services have to be provided for them, I agree that it is stupid for people to commute those distances but if these areas are the only decent places people can afford to live what other choice is there?

Sarsfield

Originally posted by John R
As long as house prices force people way out into the country services have to be provided for them, I agree that it is stupid for people to commute those distances but if these areas are the only decent places people can afford to live what other choice is there?

Do we have a "Planning & Urban Development" forum here at boards.ie?

The solution is higher density development on shorter rail corridors.

And yes I know that is a very simplistic one-line answer to a much more difficult problem. But for the railway to follow developments is a bit arse-about-face is it not?

Infrastructure should be the driver for development.

RicardoSmith

"The solution is higher density development on shorter rail corridors"

That only works for some lifestyles. Its less than ideal for families and high density housing has its own problems. Decentralisation is whats needed IMO. It may be less cost effective but it promotes a better living enviroment and quality of life. There should be no reason for everyone to work in the one city.

dmeehan

That only works for some lifestyles. Its less than ideal for families and high density housing has its own problems.

doesnt seem to affect the dutch that much

Victor

Originally posted by Sarsfield
Do we have a "Planning & Urban Development" forum here at boards.ie?

No, but Infrastructure is under the Charter of this board. Similar subjects are also welcome on [url=
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=38]Accommodation / Property[/url]

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by dmeehan
doesnt seem to affect the dutch that much

Pity we don't live in Holland then...or that we aren't dutch

Sarsfield

Originally posted by RicardoSmith
That only works for some lifestyles.

Correct. City lifestyles.

The current situation doesn't really suit anyones lifestyle. Its either 'want to live in the country, have to work in the city' or 'want to live in a proper city but the necessary resources are spread too thin'.

Or 'want to live in the city but I can't afford to because its full of people who don't particularly want to be there'. Sounds crazy when you think of or that way.

I agree with the point about decentralisation. It could solve a lot of problems. How's the National Spatial Strategy coming along?

Qadhafi

Its a case of all roads lead to Dublin and it sucks in the rest of the country, there is nothing to act as a counter weight to Dublin. Until the Government gets its finger out and decentralises to the regions its always going to be a huge traffic jam.

* Commuter services are being extended to Gorey for the first time from December. A train will run at 6.45am and return at 5.25pm with plans also for off-peak services on the single track line. The one way journey will take one hour 55 minutes.

A single line track? thats a bit lame isnt it? Is there any plans to upgrade that to twin tracks?.

Victor

Originally posted by Sarsfield
How's the National Spatial Strategy coming along?

Developers don't want it and would pay FF for it to not happen .....

Floater

While one doesn’t wish to pour cold water on the positive aspect of the announcement....

Example: “The Kildare/South West commuter services will more than double its capacity, able to carry 5,000 people at peak time instead of 2,200 at present.”

Kildare’s population is up 21.4% according to the latest census (1996-2002) – ie up from 134, 992 to 163,944. An extra 28,952 – many of them “exiles” from the Dublin area who can’t afford a house in the capital and have to commute from Kildare. On top of the base population of Kildare – many of whom also commute to Dublin for work, business, shopping, education, etc.

The N7 and N4 and R routes in the Kildare area are saturated every day with vehicular traffic – most of which is destined for the Dublin area.

The rail capacity is being increased to be able to handle 3% of the population of the county instead of 1.3%. Wow!

What about the rest of them? Let them take a car and clog Dublin streets?

Irish Rail – Too little, too slow, too late, too unconnected!

Floater

(You don’t need a consultancy report – go to www.cso.ie and see the numbers for yourself)

sceptre

Originally posted by Victor
Developers don't want it and would pay FF for it to not happen .....

Hmmm, that's one small reason why we should do it.

I like the way you avoided offering the above as a reason why the NSS is moving rather slowly though:D
<cough, splutter>