Western Rail Corridor

Victor

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Aren't those signal masts 3-4m tall?

Victor

CIE wrote: »

The only thing you've proven is that you can go to the IE web site and concoct more assertions. "Bends" (curves), stations and level crossings do not preclude 100-mph operation at all;

Do you think you could do 100mph on the Loopline in Dublin? While I don't think the WRC is quite that bad, some of the vertical curvature is. I understand that the number of level crossings on Athlone-Galway is one of the reasons it doesn't have 100mph running.

the only thing that precludes that would be underinvestment in signalling, because the modern track is well up to scratch for 100-mph operation, and you don't need to run at 100 mph to achieve average speeds that would beat the cars.

But the train isn't providing either a direct or a door to door service, which is the dominant problem with the WRC - not enough people live in the towns to make walking or busing to the train station practical.

(They run trains at 143 mph past station platforms in Germany, you know.)

No longer allowed AFAIK, 125 mph is the max through a station and its lower for an occupied platform.

Maybe some people don't have as long of memories as I have, but the Dublin-Maynooth commuter service started with as many trains per day and used the leftover push-pull trains that were replaced on the Dublin-Howth runs by the GEC DART EMUs. A mere four stations, as well (Ashtown, Clonsilla, Leixlip Louisa Bridge and the terminus). And look at it today.

One to two hundred thousand people live in the Maynooth line catchment (within 1km of stations) and it is a trip of about 16 miles (although most people only travel half that distance).

The WRC is 73 miles with a few tens of thousands in the catchments.

Now, use of a transport system is proportional to population and inversely proprtional to distance and time. Which do you think is going to work better?

The WRC between Limerick and Galway is way lower than that

As those photos prove. :pac:

Carawaystick

Victor wrote: »

No longer allowed AFAIK, 125 mph is the max through a station and its lower for an occupied platform.

I'd respectfully suggest there is no 125mph limit in Germany, maybe 124,3 ....

I see a lot of the three most useless phrases in the English Language.

Should have

Would have

Could have

Horse. Gate. Bolted. Can we close this until we hear about the recommencment of the Athenry-Ennis work?

And, again, I ask, can we please separate the "why" from the "what" of the WRC?

Victor

Victor wrote: »

But the train isn't providing either a direct or a door to door service, which is the dominant problem with the WRC - not enough people live in the towns to make walking or busing to the train station practical.

Victor, I grew up in the countryside, a 10 minute drive from Ballinasloe. When I needed to go to Galway, my parents would drive me into the station in Ballinasloe. I know of people who travel to Woodlawn from Mountbellew, a town 9 miles north of it. You have to consider that country people drive or are driven to rail stations, so there's a catchment area of about 15-odd miles either side of the station, more if it's an area with less road options (northern coast of Clare, for example)

I don't know if that makes up the numbers, but those countryside part-drivers make up a substantial part.

(I count my post above as off-topic, by the way.I rally this big hypothetical "big transport debate" you all seem to love belongs in Infrastructure)

westtip

Deleted User wrote: »

Victor, I grew up in the countryside, a 10 minute drive from Ballinasloe. When I needed to go to Galway, my parents would drive me into the station in Ballinasloe. I know of people who travel to Woodlawn from Mountbellew, a town 9 miles north of it. You have to consider that country people drive or are driven to rail stations, so there's a catchment area of about 15-odd miles either side of the station, more if it's an area with less road options (northern coast of Clare, for example)

I don't know if that makes up the numbers, but those countryside part-drivers make up a substantial part.

(I count my post above as off-topic, by the way.I rally this big hypothetical "big transport debate" you all seem to love belongs in Infrastructure)

So are you seriously suggesting SS that commuters living say ten minutes drive from Gort railway station will drive into Gort, take a train via Athenry to Eyre Square then get a shuttle bus out to their place of work in say Balybrit - where incidently they have free parking??

Re driving to railway stations of course this is accepted - but commuter services, which is what the WRC is being sold to us as,

http://www.irishrail.ie/projects/western_rail_corridor.asp

Deliver direct, regular Galway to Limerick services, timed to meet commuter needs

...tend to pass through high density population areas - there are probably more people living within a mile of each dart station, or your average tube station, than live along a mile wide corridor along the entire length of the WRC from Athenry to Ennis. - 36 miles. Yes the line is built, yes lets see people use it - but everyone is still entitled to debate the merits or not of the dam thing.

westtip

westtip wrote: »

So are you seriously suggesting SS that commuters living say ten minutes drive from Gort railway station will drive into Gort, take a train via Athenry to Eyre Square then get a shuttle bus out to their place of work in say Balybrit?

Yep. I know a guy who, every day, took bus from Swords in Dublin, into the city centre, then out again to Tallaght. 4 hours commuting For college. Then work. He lived with his parents.

No, they won't drive into Gort. they will be *driven* into Gort. By freinds. Or parents. Or taxis.

When I started driving, I drove. When I didn't drive, I took the train.

Oh, and we are not "entitled" to debate this. You (i suppose, "we") have the privelige of being allowed debate this by Victor (who has an interest, although I'd question how some of the stuff above stays within charter, that talk's not for here.).

Ok, using Google Maps, I've looked at the WRC using the 15-mile catchment area rule either side, here's a few observations, starting north and heading south.

-Loughrea falls within the catchment area of Craughwell, and is served by an *excellent* road straight from one to the other. Loughrea-Galway commuters would most definitely form part of the passenger intake at Craughwell. Considering the road to Gort from Loughrea, any Limerick bound Loughrea people would find getting on at Craughwell a great improvement.

-15 miles from Ardrahan to the west, you end up in Bealaclugga, I reckon that could be brought further west to ballyvaghan, but further from that you end up with a journey where more of it is spent driving to the station than railing it into town (galway city)

-Gort, as a town, stands as a decent stop for this reopening rail link. It's on the other end of the R66 from Loughrea, so between Craughwell, Ardrahan and here, anyone along the R66 is within reach of a rail station. Head east along the R353 for 15 miles sets you in Derrybrien. You could extend the catchment here also, as the r353 runs to Portumna, and you might get those for whom Portumna is further than Gort.

-As for the Burren, Lisdoonvarna and most of that area, I'd say that would generate traffic for Dublin-bound traffic. Would itbe enough to be noticable? I'm not sure, but I would say that If I was sitting in Ennis trying to get to Dublin, I'd take a more direct route than Limerick Junction.

black47

Time for another 500 posts before it opens. Delayed by floods

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=578

Nostradamus

Deleted User wrote: »

-Loughrea falls within the catchment area of Craughwell, and is served by an *excellent* road straight from one to the other. Loughrea-Galway commuters would most definitely form part of the passenger intake at Craughwell.

How many 2 or 3 people? You are living on Mars if you think that any numbers will "commute" like this from Loughrea.

Deleted User wrote: »

-15 miles from Ardrahan to the west, you end up in Bealaclugga,

Where?

Sponge Bob

On the sea shore with the sea shells ND . Even WOT wouldn't count whelks in their catchment demographic .

More pics from Kiltartan taken by Brendan Quin of Quins Pharmacy ( thanks) according to the clare fm website .

Calina

Okay.

I've reviewed the last few parts of this thread prior to a temporary lock of it so that I can review it some more detail later on when I've a bit more time. Right now I have none.

Victor

Some posts deleted. Thread under moderator discussion.