Train station in Letterkenny?

mikemac

Hi guys

I'm not attacking anyone here though it may have seemed like that:)
Just thought that reopening a railway in Donegal and North Mayo will end up being a white elephant. It's a subject I'm interested in.

BTW, the link does work, just checked

byte

I got the link working by dropping the last forward-slash.

Indeed you're not the only person that thinks a rail link now would be a white elephant. I think there were a few who said the same on the older thread on the subject. I must admit I haven't done much in the line of research on the subject.

muffler

micmclo wrote:

BTW, the link does work, just checked

Amazing!!!!! Did you sort it before or after posting

Paddy20

I have not read all the posts on this subject, but just thought I would let you know my opinion.

My Grandfather was the main blacksmith/DIY repair man at the County Donegal Railways repair depot at Stranorlar, and my father worked there as well until he moved to being the only maintenance man at the County Home 'Now St Josephs Hospital'.

The railway was a narrow gauge steam set up, and I have very fond memorie's of excursions and school day trips from Stranorlar to the seaside, as well as playing 'in the dark of night' on the parked up steam trains, some of which are now based in Derry, where you can take a nostalgic trip on trains that operated out of Stranorlar.

It is in my blood to support any call for a North-West railway linking into an all Ireland network and I appreciate the costs and advantages.

It is needed, and is IMHO feasible provided the Political will existed ?..:( .If they can have a train service in the poorest remote areas of India etc, why not here ?..IS THIS WAKE UP TIME ?..

P. :cool:

Wishbone Ash

Paddy20 wrote:

If they can have a train service in the poorest remote areas of India etc, why not here

In India, there is great economies of scale. Most trains that I have travelled on in India were extremely long (30/40 carriages) and usually full.
Running costs on a per capita basis, would be much lower and it's much safer and more comfortable than travelling by bus on their poor road network. There is a very minimal amount of private car ownership there.
There is also a ready market as it's also the second most populated country in the world.

mikemac

muffler wrote:

Amazing!!!!! Did you sort it before or after posting

It always worked for me. Using a mac so possibly that's the difference, I'm not too sure what the problem was

Paddy20

Wishbone Ash wrote:

In India, there is great economies of scale. Most trains that I have travelled on in India were extremely long (30/40 carriages) and usually full.
Running costs on a per capita basis, would be much lower and it's much safer and more comfortable than travelling by bus on their poor road network. There is a very minimal amount of private car ownership there.
There is also a ready market as it's also the second most populated country in the world.

Yes, I fully understand the India,China,Russia, Malaysia etc,etc, need for a railway, but that will never detract my belief in the future need for a rail network for people and heavy goods transport throughout 'all of Ireland' ?.

P. :cool:

Tazz T

Furthermore, where was the economies of scale 100 years ago when Ireland was full of railway networks?

As one of the fastest growing population centres in Ireland, Letterkenny should at least be linked to Derry.

Having said that it was about time Derry was linkied directly to Dublin again.

Paddy20

Tazz T wrote:

Furthermore, where was the economies of scale 100 years ago when Ireland was full of railway networks?

As one of the fastest growing population centres in Ireland, Letterkenny should at least be linked to Derry.

Having said that it was about time Derry was linkied directly to Dublin again.

Nice one Tazz T.

No one IMHO, can ignore the fact that if the North-West is to prosper, we need an all Ireland 'state of the art railway network' .

P. :cool:

Wishbone Ash

Tazz T wrote:

Furthermore, where was the economies of scale 100 years ago when Ireland was full of railway networks?

True, but there was little other option.There was no motorised transport as such meaning no bus companies. Motors were in their infancy 100 years ago and the only other option was by horse and carriage - not suitable for long journeys.

conleth

Haven't read all the previous posts but http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e4/Map_Rail_Ireland_Viceregal_Commission_1906.jpg
shows the rail network in Ireland in 1906. Real shame most of the track was lifted.

retalivity

thats quite a good map conleth

byte

Jaysus, I never knew the railway system of old was so vast! It covered a LOT of villages and towns!

smashey

The coverage was pretty amazing and I spotted acouple that were missing.

il gatto

nanook wrote:

was there not a thread running a while back in relation to a train line from donegal to sligo.
Did it not run through the barnesmore gap.

It did run through the gap, and at points if you look at the hillside to the right as you're heading towards Letterkenny, you can still see sections of cut stone embankments.

Glazun

Train station is now a light house.. o_O it sells lamps.. ~_~

Fintown has a train.. its being extended at the moment. Quite odd, since Donegal could really do with a rail system.. >_>;

The north wanted to build a railway system through donegal to connect it to the south.. but yeah.. ~_~

Civilian_Target

I've said it once, I'll say it again....
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054934478#post51471195

Bus ain't bad actually, the express services do genuinely take 3 and a half hours (they stop Dublin Airport->Monaghan->Lifford->Letterkenny usually). The non-express services take 4 or 5 though, and Bus Eireann don't run any after lunch last time I looked. So you just get John McGinleys instead

bettlebrox

it'd be fun to catch a train all the up to Malin Head, too bad it's long gone.