Dismantled railway line to Clifden

yer man!

I highly doubt anyone has gone into it. About 20 years ago there was road works in bohermore above the tunnel where they were excavating and managed to hit the tunnel as they didn't realise it was there so i say it's full of fallen bricks and crap. It wouldn't be safe to enter it.

xflyer

Bit of a coincidence, went for a family drive out towards Clifden on Sunday and recognised obvious signs of a railway along the road.
There were obvious railway embankments and you could see that the telephone lines were following the route of the old railway, sometimes they would parallel the road and then they would veer off down some track. Knew nothing about this being a Dubliner transplanted to Galway.

So I googled it and found out there was a railway and found this thread. Fascinating to find there's a tunnel in Galway as well.

I can't help thinking about what a brilliant tourist asset this would be. It would give access to Connemara. In the summer it would be packed with tourists not to mention commuters living in Connemara and working in Galway.

What a pity, even if it was only a summer only railway. It would be brilliant. It must be tough for people without cars to get in and out of Connemara.

Someone should lobby for a GART, Galway Area Rapid Transit or BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit, just like San Francisco!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

There was talk of a GLUAS a few years back but it was pie in the sky, way too expensive. The money will never be there now anyway.

Robbo

deccurley wrote: »

There was talk of a GLUAS a few years back but it was pie in the sky, way too expensive. The money will never be there now anyway.

Anyone have ~€10k a head for every man woman and child in town?

Looking back on the proposal in these times, it seems even more insane. I wonder is Brian Guckian still working away in his bunker at trying to flog these projects?

JohnFalstaff

I think reopening the Galway-Clifden Line as a functioning rail route is a total non-starter but as mentioned earlier in this thread there is great potential to develope the line as a cycle route.

A similar project was undertaken along the old Westport-Achill railway. A 45 km cycle/walking path, called the Great Western Greenway, opened last summer and has proved to be a great success, attracting tourists from Ireland and abroad to the Mayo region.

A designated cycle path into the city would also benefit commuters who cycle to work from Moycullen and the surrounding areas.

Hopefully the success of the Great Western Greenway will lead to some progress as regards the Galway-Clifden project.

antoobrien

Robbo wrote: »

Anyone have ~€10k a head for every man woman and child in town?

Looking back on the proposal in these times, it seems even more insane. I wonder is Brian Guckian still working away in his bunker at trying to flog these projects?

Ot robbo but yes his supporters are still under the delusion that gluas is a realistic option.

The realism of the project is questionable when you consider this snippets

"It was always clear that the construction of the two line GLUAS tramway would have to be phased, not least because it will involve working on two of the only four bridges that cross the River Corrib. The proposal is therefore that Line One (Bearna to Merlin Park) would be built first, especially as the only two practical sites for a tram depot are on this line. This will involve building the tramway over the Quincentenary Bridge

Okay but what are we going to do with the 30k + journeys on the QB that won't be using gluas (currently 37k)

The five Park and Ride sites have been identified as potential sites for wind generators. Three sites on the River Corrib have been identified as potential hydro generators, in two cases based on historic watermills.

Hydro electricity - good steady stream of regular power - two concerns, scale (how much can it generate) & impact on the fisheries (I wonder if an taisce will go after this one).

Wind powering a tramway - you're having a laugh right? It's so inconsistent as to be a fairy story. If we have another month like December 2010 when we were getting less than 250MW generation out of a possible 1.6 GW daily the trams ain't gonna move!

Go back to bed lads, come back when you've a small nuke to run it.

Robbo

antoobrien wrote: »

Ot robbo but yes his supporters are still under the delusion that gluas is a realistic option.

I do like the way that the esteemed tram-selling professor presents bendy-buses as the only alternative.

There is a level of fanaticism there that can only be compared to the Holy Father of the Western Rail Corridor.

I totally agree that the Galway-Clifden line should be made a greenway. The tourist revenue would be serious.

Zzippy

There is currently work going in the background to develop the railway line, initially between Clifden and Oughterard, as a greenway, suitable for off-road walking and cycling, similar to the greenway between Westport and Mulranny in Mayo. AFAIK there are a large number of agreements to be reached with private landowners, but this work is underway, and Failte Ireland are committed to the project.
The greenway in Mayo has proven to be a huge success so far, with thousands of tourists using it and hiring bikes, and a number of jobs have been created in bike hire and suppport in the area. I presume long-term the plan would be to extend the greenway to Galway - it would be pretty cool to be able to cycle all the way to Clifden without meeting a single car...

Mrs OBumble

xflyer wrote: »

Someone should lobby for a GART, Galway Area Rapid Transit or BART, Bay Area Rapid Transit, just like San Francisco!

What's the population of SF's Bay area?

While I agree that getting to Connemarra is more challenging for those of who choose not to own our own gas-guzzlers, I don't think that a train would be the answer.

A train to Clifden would take you to ... a not overly excisting small town. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice small town, with some cozy pubs. But you're still some miles away from any nice beaches or scenery.

If non-car owners want to get "in" to Connemara, then bicycles, buses and rental cars are the order of the day.

antoobrien

JustMary wrote: »

What's the population of SF's Bay area?

Sorry JustMary but I have to agree with xflyer there, I think a GART service paralleling a potential bypass (just like the BART using the median on freeways in the bay area) to connect say Oranmore, Claregawlay, Moycullen, Bearna & possibly Spiddal would be of far more benefit that a Gluas style system competing for limited road space.

Then have shuttles running to Eyre Sqaure/the Cathedral (or wherever they're planning moving the bus station to).

xflyer

Well the GART idea was just a bit of blue sky thinking, as they say. But even if you were to take it seriously. It's not just about getting to Clifden, more a tourist train ride through Connemara. It's a very scenic trip even in a car, all the better in a train. Let's face it many tourists come to and through Galway to get access to Connemara.

It would be a tourist attraction in itself not a commuter train. The original idea for the railway was to route it along the coast. Now that would be spectacular.

It's never going to happen of course but it's nice to fantasise.

Speaking of fantasys, the GLUAS was one. Galway was never big enough. All it needs is a by-pass for people going to Connemara, see above and a decent bus service. Or antoobrien's idea paralling the by-pass.

At this point even the by-pass looks like 'blue sky thinking':(

Mars Bar

I moved to Dublin a couple of months ago and told the girls that Galway had entertained the idea of a LUAS type thing called GLUAS. They nearly wet themselves laughing. GLUAS just sounds odd!

ben.schlomo

Zzippy wrote: »

There is currently work going in the background to develop the railway line, initially between Clifden and Oughterard, as a greenway, suitable for off-road walking and cycling, similar to the greenway between Westport and Mulranny in Mayo. AFAIK there are a large number of agreements to be reached with private landowners, but this work is underway, and Failte Ireland are committed to the project.
The greenway in Mayo has proven to be a huge success so far, with thousands of tourists using it and hiring bikes, and a number of jobs have been created in bike hire and suppport in the area. I presume long-term the plan would be to extend the greenway to Galway - it would be pretty cool to be able to cycle all the way to Clifden without meeting a single car...

Some of the landowners are less than enthusiastic about it though so i wouldnt hold my breath.

nuac

I agree with the above posts re the Great Wetern Greenway from Westport to Achill

The old railway line had been sold to adjoining landowners. Practically all agreed to allow access to the cyclists and walkers, and to allow necessary resurfacing. Nobody charged for this. In a few cases the Greenway had to detour around properties. Much patient negotiation and cooperation involved.

Now that it is operating all the way from Westport to Achill, further extensions are planned from Westport out to Croagh Patrick, and cross country to Castlebar along Lough Lannagh.

Very popular project. Perhaps that Mayo team be asked to build a Greenway from Westport out to Clifden! There is an old famine road on south side of Killary which would be a start

FlashD

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Some of the landowners are less than enthusiastic about it though so i wouldnt hold my breath.

Why?

It's a shame that there aren't more facilities like this in the country for both the people and tourists.

Despite some bad planning from the boom we have for the most part a generally unspoilt and natural landscape that we should be taking better advantage. Manys a time I have seen tourists with all their gear slogging on bikes on roads around the corrib nearly been driven off the road with massive lorries and vans.

antoobrien

FlashD wrote: »

Why?

Same thing happened with the construction of the Luas Green line. CIE had either sold or allowed adjacent landowners to build onto the disused Harcourt line (more than long enough for squatters rights to kick in). Took a few years and a lot of money to sort out.

galwaycyclist

There is a similar row going on regarding converting the Tralee Fenit Railway alignment to a greenway.

http://traleetofenitcycleway.wordpress.com/

In that case the land theoretically still rests in state ownership. Not the case for Galway Clifden which will be more complicated.

ben.schlomo

FlashD wrote: »

Why?

It's a shame that there aren't more facilities like this in the country for both the people and tourists.

Despite some bad planning from the boom we have for the most part a generally unspoilt and natural landscape that we should be taking better advantage. Manys a time I have seen tourists with all their gear slogging on bikes on roads around the corrib nearly been driven off the road with massive lorries and vans.

People are unsure on the use of their land and whether there could be possible insurance issues if someone was injured on their land.

antoobrien

ben.schlomo wrote: »

People are unsure on the use of their land and whether there could be possible insurance issues if someone was injured on their land.

There's a similar problem with walkers using farmer's land.

Farmers don't want to have to pay for upkeep of facilities & insurance for what they see as trespassers.

Walkers don't see the problem with walking through another person's land, despite the fact that most of them would shout at you or worse for jumping their wall to retrieve a ball and will sue the land owner if they slip and hurt themselves.

Robbo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

People are unsure on the use of their land and whether there could be possible insurance issues if someone was injured on their land.

If you ever get the chance, pick up McMahon & Binchy's book on Tort Law and read the chapter on Occupiers Liability. It brilliantly skewers all the fake concern farmers had about this issue and how it resulted in the 1995 act, which didn't really change anything but mollified the IFA.

_Puma_

Went for a look at the tunnel today, im guessing the other side of it came out behind Argos there where the green area is now, but its filled in. Id say there is about a foot of water in there, fairly packed with rubbish aswell.

yer man!

This was back in the news again today, apparently the council are having a lot of trouble with landowners around Ougherard, they won't sell the land for the greenway to go through.

galwaycyclist

yer man! wrote: »

This was back in the news again today, apparently the council are having a lot of trouble with landowners around Ougherard, they won't sell the land for the greenway to go through.

Link? More info on source?

yer man!

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Link? More info on source?

Heard it on FYI Galway Bay FM. You'd have to pay for the tribune subscription to view it online.... I'm one of those people that don't pay for news...