Western Rail Corridor

Nostradamus

Don't get me wrong Westip I absolutely love the cycleway/pathway idea as one of my hobbbies is hiking and camping. The wife and I already used the WRC for this reason.

But his attack on MN was just arse.

dowlingm

If Metro North was extended to Donabate it would be feasible to use it to transfer city-centre bound passengers during line closures on the Donabate-Connolly stretch rather than expecting Dublin Bus to handle all overflow.

serfboard

dowlingm wrote: »

If Metro North was extended to Donabate it would be feasible to use it to transfer city-centre bound passengers during line closures on the Donabate-Connolly stretch rather than expecting Dublin Bus to handle all overflow.

Having lived for a while in Donabate I absolutely agree that Metro North should be extended to there. It would also provide a way for passengers north of there (Drogheda/Dundalk etc.) to get to the airport. Actually, having been on the bus to Belfast recently, I was amazed at how many northern passengers got on at Dublin airport. Since the Luas is to join up with rail on the South side (Bray) I think it's only right MN would join up on the northside to provide proper integrated transport.

serfboard

Well, official in the sense that printed versions have it.

The printed version of the Dublin Limerick 2010 timetable and the printed version of the Galway->Dublin timetable gives:

From Limerick:

Limerick 06:00 09:35 11:55 14:15 18:05
Sixmilebridge 06:21 09:56 12:16 14:36 18:26
Ennis 06:40 10:14 12:34 14:54 18:44
Athenry 08:08 11:19 13:35 15:56 19:45
Galway 08:25 11:34 13:51 16:13 20:00

From Galway:

Galway 06:40 09:45 12:10 14:30 17:25
Athenry 06:56 10:03 12:26 14:46 17:41
Ennis 08:00 11:08 13:28 15:48 18:44
Sixmilbridge 08:17 11:26 13:46 16:06 19:01
Limerick 08:39 11:48 14:08 16:28 19:24

These are all Monday->Saturday times. There are 4 trains on a Sunday - ye can look that up yerselves! As ye can see each journey is 2 hours, city centre to city centre (except for the first train from Limerick which is 2:25).

GerardKeating

dowlingm wrote: »

If Metro North was extended to Donabate it would be feasible to use it to transfer city-centre bound passengers during line closures on the Donabate-Connolly stretch rather than expecting Dublin Bus to handle all overflow.

If Metro North was a DART that went to Donabate, they could even shift some of the Dundalk/Drogheda trains on it, to take pressure off the northern line..

Nostradamus

serfboard wrote: »

Well, official in the sense that printed versions have it.

The printed version of the Dublin Limerick 2010 timetable and the printed version of the Galway->Dublin timetable gives:

From Limerick:

Limerick 06:00 09:35 11:55 14:15 18:05
Sixmilebridge 06:21 09:56 12:16 14:36 18:26
Ennis 06:40 10:14 12:34 14:54 18:44
Athenry 08:08 11:19 13:35 15:56 19:45
Galway 08:25 11:34 13:51 16:13 20:00

From Galway:

Galway 06:40 09:45 12:10 14:30 17:25
Athenry 06:56 10:03 12:26 14:46 17:41
Ennis 08:00 11:08 13:28 15:48 18:44
Sixmilbridge 08:17 11:26 13:46 16:06 19:01
Limerick 08:39 11:48 14:08 16:28 19:24

Great service for afternoon commuters. So many people who are employed in Galway and Limerick and only work for an hour and a half in the afternoon. If they are stuck at work a little late they can always get the evening service.

Good thing that people in Galway and Limerick don't go to work in the morning and come home in the evenings.

The West has been saved. Cancel the coffin ships!

westtip

Nostradamus wrote: »

Don't get me wrong Westip I absolutely love the cycleway/pathway idea as one of my hobbbies is hiking and camping. The wife and I already used the WRC for this reason.

But his attack on MN was just arse.

Point taken and reading it again I think he has lost the plot on this one.- yes the WRC is useful for a stroll I did one myself on it recently it is very peaceful. A missive has been fired off to the Champion we will wait to see if they give as much air time as they did to our train spotting friend!

westtip

serfboard wrote: »

Well, official in the sense that printed versions have it.

cheers serf but can't find the printed WRC versions - are you sure they have .pdf version up yet? The impression I got when I spoke to them is that the times are very unofficial at this stage. but my god if what you have shown is true - leaving Ennis at 0640 to arrive in Galway at 0825 FFS 1 hour 45 minutes to do a 40 mile journey!!! All the predictions will have come true and worst nightmares for our friends from WOT. I wonder will the trains have a dining car (I jest ) because you will need somewhere to get breakfast on this one....

Judgement Day

As long as there's lashings of ginger beer in the dining car I'll be down for the first last train from Limerick to Galway.

westtip

don't forget your thermos and cheese sandwiches, nigel.

Judgement Day

Just had a look at the printed timetable for Enniscorthy-Rosslare Strand-Waterford and it confirms the worst. You can travel from Enniscorthy and Wexford to Waterford but you can't come back the same or any other day! It won't be long now before the line is axed, perhaps after the budget, 'the paper of record' will interview some useless twit from the IRRS who will utter the immortal words..."'the people didn't support the service"..GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
I have an article from the said same rag the day of the last passenger services on the WRC and a gent from the Railway Records (I will not name him here) came out with that horse manure! Lynch must go, Fearn certainly must go, Dempsey must go and this entire useless Govt must go. :mad:

L1011

Was that time table designed to ensure absolutely NOBODY uses the line?

Admittedly that might be a good idea to try and calm the insane wibblings of those who want a service to Colooney...

Nostradamus

MYOB wrote: »

Was that time table designed to ensure absolutely NOBODY uses the line?

Admittedly that might be a good idea to try and calm the insane wibblings of those who want a service to Colooney...

I think you could be correct.

Judgement Day

MYOB wrote: »

Was that time table designed to ensure absolutely NOBODY uses the line?

Admittedly that might be a good idea to try and calm the insane wibblings of those who want a service to Colooney...

I would like to think that it was designed but just as likely a slip of the pen or a wrong key hit on the computer. I'm sure there are a hundred and one perfectly rational reasons for this new timetable but I'm damned if I can think of even one. The silence from our wonderful radio stations, newspapers, TDs etc on the matter down in the South East is deafening. There's no employment down here, no shops, no infrastructure, no visitors - in fact nothing at all except the magnificent edifice of Rosslare Europort. I suppose the idea being that we can all get the boat and the last one out switch off the light. :mad:

KC61

westtip wrote: »

cheers serf but can't find the printed WRC versions - are you sure they have .pdf version up yet? The impression I got when I spoke to them is that the times are very unofficial at this stage. but my god if what you have shown is true - leaving Ennis at 0640 to arrive in Galway at 0825 FFS 1 hour 45 minutes to do a 40 mile journey!!! All the predictions will have come true and worst nightmares for our friends from WOT. I wonder will the trains have a dining car (I jest ) because you will need somewhere to get breakfast on this one....

It doesn't leave Ennis at 0645 - it waits until 0705 to leave and cross the 0640 ex-Galway at Gort.

The reason for the early departure from Limerick is to accomodate the 0645service from Ennis that connects into the 0735 to Dublin.

The service is basically screwed by the lack of a passing loop at Sixmilebridge, and indeed an intermediate signal in the Limerick-Ennis section which means you have one 40 minute single track section.

I'll expand more on this when I finally get a chance to look at it in detail.

westtip

KC61 wrote: »

It doesn't leave Ennis at 0645 - it waits until 0705 to leave and cross the 0640 ex-Galway at Gort.

The reason for the early departure from Limerick is to accomodate the 0645service from Ennis that connects into the 0735 to Dublin.

The service is basically screwed by the lack of a passing loop at Sixmilebridge, and indeed an intermediate signal in the Limerick-Ennis section which means you have one 40 minute single track section.

I'll expand more on this when I finally get a chance to look at it in detail.

How many passing loops are on the line as a matter of interest - one would have thought they would have put one in at each station, in order to plan for the future......Ahem .....Never mind Wotties it seems to have all been in vain...

KC61

westtip wrote: »

How many passing loops are on the line as a matter of interest - one would have thought they would have put one in at each station, in order to plan for the future......Ahem .....Never mind Wotties it seems to have all been in vain...

There are passing loops at Ennis, Gort and Athenry.

There are plans for one at Sixmilebridge, but that forms part of the Limerick resignalling project that has not been initiated yet, but will need to happen in the next year or two.

Judgement Day

And all of this just to keep a few trainspotters who didn't get to tick the line off in their book happy! Any date yet for the IRRS farewell tour?

PS I think we are well on course to reach 3,000 postings on this thread before the WRC reopens.

westtip

Judgement Day wrote: »

PS I think we are well on course to reach 3,000 postings on this thread before the WRC reopens.

Not sure the OP really intended the kind of debate that has gone on - twill be a pity if the thread closes as has been suggested when the first train rolls - there will then be so much more to debate about quality of service how many times Nigel has come across from Bury St Edmunds with his flask of cocoa and cheese sandwiches - mind I bet he finds those shorts a bit of a tight squeeze now, but he and all his chums will have a jolly good day out - and what about when the heritage mob start running the summer steam specials...oh no this thread should be allowed to run and run and run, and there is yet the small matter of how much more there is to discuss north of Athenry....Actually I think this thread is a lot more important than the actual rail line itself.

Nostradamus

Judgement Day wrote: »

PS I think we are well on course to reach 3,000 postings on this thread before the WRC reopens.

Which is more than the line will carry in its first month of operation.

westtip

Nostradamus wrote: »

Which is more than the line will carry in its first month of operation.

The novelty factor will be there in the first month - and don't forget the price war this is going to cause between Galway and Limerick retailers, will of course have flooding thousands coming to use the rail line:D

3000 in the first month? Who knows - however the novelty of taking almost an hour and a half to travel 40 miles to Galway from Ennis will soon wear off, (or an hour and fifty minutes for Limerick Galway) even for the most casual user never mind the daily commuters the line hopes to attract, and as has oft been said once Gort bypass opens up - then the white elephant of the west will indeed be the dead duck of the west. But at least the historians will have the social comment on this thread to look back on.

BTW isn't it a disgrace that all those pilgrims going to Knock recently couldn't get there by train - they should dam well open up that rail line for them - I must get on to me priest about it......

Nostradamus

westtip wrote: »

BTW isn't it a disgrace that all those pilgrims going to Knock recently couldn't get there by train - they should dam well open up that rail line for them - I must get on to me priest about it......

Maybe McGuckian can design a solar power train for them.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/archbishop-enters-row-over-knock-sun-miracle-1924930.html

westtip

Nostradamus wrote: »

Maybe McGuckian can design a solar power train for them.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/archbishop-enters-row-over-knock-sun-miracle-1924930.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGKPHFrHVVY They can all sing along to this - worth clicking through just in memory of George.

serfboard

westtip wrote: »

cheers serf but can't find the printed WRC versions - are you sure they have .pdf version up yet?

The timtable I posted is a combined timetable from the new Dublin->Galway and Dublin->Limerick->Ennis pdfs. These have the WRC times included in them. Obviously I couldn't put in intermediate stops, because, as you point out, a PDF of the WRC timetable is not up yet.

westtip

serfboard wrote: »

The timtable I posted is a combined timetable from the new Dublin->Galway and Dublin->Limerick->Ennis pdfs. These have the WRC times included in them. Obviously I couldn't put in intermediate stops, because, as you point out, a PDF of the WRC timetable is not up yet.

Serf ah yes I see what you mean but not sure it is going to dovetail like that; i think its still a matter of wait and see based on the conversation I had with them and "unofficial TT" they gave me on the phone.

Zebra3

westtip wrote: »

BTW isn't it a disgrace that all those pilgrims going to Knock recently couldn't get there by train - they should dam well open up that rail line for them - I must get on to me priest about it......

Why worry about no train when you can fly?

westtip

Zebra3 wrote: »

Why worry about no train when you can fly?

Not from Kiltimagh....although you actually fly into Charltestown airport not Knock...:D

Judgement Day

Something to cheer up Westtip, Nostradamus and DWCommuter - according to the IRN website the Westport timber trains are to cease running from next month. Another source of freight for the WRC bites the dust. Good old CIE/IE they'll soon sort out Ballina too - can't be having pesky lorries cluttering up towns with freight traffic to railheads.

westtip

Judgement Day wrote: »

Something to cheer up Westtip, Nostradamus and DWCommuter - according to the IRN website the Westport timber trains are to cease running from next month. Another source of freight for the WRC bites the dust. Good old CIE/IE they'll soon sort out Ballina too - can't be having pesky lorries cluttering up towns with freight traffic to railheads.

JD I take no pleasure in that news - do we have enough forestation to cut down and take the timber by rail from the west of Ireland in the long term - Is there say a forecast to twenty years worth of haulage business in west of Ireland timber being moved as a bulk raw material - ideal for rail freight? If we do then keep the rail freight running - do we? I don't know, clearly CIE feel it is not commercially viable. Most of my argument against the WRC is based on the passenger issues, not the freight issues - I think it will stand or fall on passenger numbers not freight figures. And as you know I firmly believe there just won't be enough of them to justifiy the dam thing. CIE are supposed to be backing this project....so perhaps its CIE the advocates of the WRC (or not I believe) you need to badger...

Re Ballina - any freight coming in from the Dublin Road side to the rail head would not come through the town - nor even from the Crossmolina side, Anything coming from say Coke on the Killala side also does not have to go through the town centre and if road freight to Ballina Rail freight is moved off peak it will present no problems; the real problem for Ballina in tems of through commercial traffic to any viable rail head for freight is from the Sligo side - the town has had a relief road planned from the N59 Sligo road round the back of ARdnaree and coming out near Hollister now for god knows how long, with of course two river crossings - if you are to use rail heads to move freight too I'm afraid you need the roads to do it - chicken or egg?

but no contrary to your post I don't actually take pleasure in your news from IRN at all, I really wish there was enough high volume freight from Westport to justify the business - becasue that would be indicative of a thriving commercial economy; however I have taken a look at the IRN website and do wonder about the train spotting communities actual motivation for campaigning for this line - it seems to be all about "ticking off the Burma Road" and getting off on pics of trains finally doing test runs on the line; rather than any real interest in how people make a living in the west; or indeed about how we live out here.

Anyway have a read of this: I lift a quote from the western rail thread on IRN: "I hope so Burma Rd - I never quite made the Burma Rd section!! Done the rest though." post 413 on the Athenry-Ennis Relay thread on the IRN website Says it all really as to why this is happening at all.

DWCommuter

Judgement Day wrote: »

Something to cheer up Westtip, Nostradamus and DWCommuter - according to the IRN website the Westport timber trains are to cease running from next month. Another source of freight for the WRC bites the dust. Good old CIE/IE they'll soon sort out Ballina too - can't be having pesky lorries cluttering up towns with freight traffic to railheads.

I have no animosity towards rail freight, but in saying that, my concern was always a simple one. If IE can't maintain a long established freight business, then what hope has their passenger business got. Therefore maintaining, developing and perhaps improving the passenger experience was always a crucial concern. They continue to fail there anyway.

I have no particular knowledge of the freight business except to say that closing Fastrack was a big mistake. But that just alludes to the wishes of the overpaid, under worked pricks in IE management who have created a railway that they feel happy with running. The irony in all this is actually the WRC, because they don't really want to run that and it's one of the few things that I agree with them on. In fact even Midleton is a step too far for them. As a company they are traditionally associated with being less than enthusiastic about ANY reopening.