Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

what_traffic

NiallBoo wrote: »

^^^wouldn't standard foot-paths/cycle lanes along the road be the more obvious answer?

Your correct - but in this scenario I believe this N63 scheme was held up in relation to who was going to pay for the Railway Bridge works? The road is been widened and the Bridge has to be widened as a result. I understand a big difference in the cost of reinstating as a Railway Bridge v's Cycleway Bridge was discussed at the time but I have not heard anything on what the final decision was?

Edit for clarification:
as per photo in the following link
http://connachttribune.ie/contract-to-be-awarded-shortly-for-long-awaited-upgrade-of-n63-near-abbeyknockmoy-290/
the Railway Bridge is called the: Ballyglunin bridge

Grandeeod

what_traffic wrote: »

Your correct - but in this scenario I believe this N63 scheme was held up in relation to who was going to pay for the Railway Bridge works? The road is been widened and the Bridge has to be widened as a result. I understand a big difference in the cost of reinstating as a Railway Bridge v's Cycleway Bridge was discussed at the time but I have not heard anything on what the final decision was?

Edit for clarification:
as per photo in the following link
http://connachttribune.ie/contract-to-be-awarded-shortly-for-long-awaited-upgrade-of-n63-near-abbeyknockmoy-290/
the Railway Bridge is called the: Ballyglunin bridge

Well if they dont replace the railway bridge as part of this road project, it doesn't matter. WOT and their supporters wont care because they will simply "demand" its replacement as part of their "demand" for the reopening. Who cares?

Lots more damage was inflicted in areas of decent enough population and nobody batted an eyelid. Think the M3 and the state backed reopening of the Navan rail line. Biggest scam ever in rail terms. A poxy bridge in the backwater of Ballyglunin hasn't a patch on it.:rolleyes:

westtip

NiallBoo wrote: »

^^^wouldn't standard foot-paths/cycle lanes along the road be the more obvious answer?

Not for a long distance greenway to attract tourists, inevitably sometimes alongside a road is used for short sections of greenway, of course in countries like Netherlands cycle lanes are built as a standard part of many roads, that is not going to happen here. There are many different solutions for building greenway infrastructure visit the www.sustrans.co.uk site to see what can be achieved, the use of closed railways though is just an obvious and cheap way of utilizing public land for this purpose, not going to go over old ground here, but the obvious answer and most cost effective solution is actually to use the closed railway.....which ain't going to re-open!

westtip

what_traffic wrote: »

http://connachttribune.ie/contract-to-be-awarded-shortly-for-long-awaited-upgrade-of-n63-near-abbeyknockmoy-290/
the Railway Bridge is called the: Ballyglunin bridge

Ballyglunin Bridge gone is the end of the railway. End of. Period. Full Stop. Adios amigos.

Muckyboots

what_traffic wrote: »

"Contract to be awarded shortly for long-awaited upgrade of N63 near Abbeyknockmoy"

http://connachttribune.ie/contract-to-be-awarded-shortly-for-long-awaited-upgrade-of-n63-near-abbeyknockmoy/

Does this mean the end of the WRC?
Is footway/cycleway mentioned here in relation to the Railway Bridge over the N63? Is it to be converted into a footway/cycleway bridge?

http://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/10/12/4128223-atlantic-rail-corridor-set-to-become-a-reality/

Seán Canny TD (Minister of State OPW) said that he was working closely with Minister Ring and other colleagues to ensure that the Atlantic Corridor becomes a reality.
“The restoration of the Mayo-Galway rail link is a key part of that as far as I am concerned.” He added that he was pleased to confirm that the TII was writing to Galway County Council to confirm that a new railway bridge is to be built at Ballyglunin as part of the works on the new M17 motorway.

eastwest

Muckyboots wrote: »

http://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/10/12/4128223-atlantic-rail-corridor-set-to-become-a-reality/

Seán Canny TD (Minister of State OPW) said that he was working closely with Minister Ring and other colleagues to ensure that the Atlantic Corridor becomes a reality.
“The restoration of the Mayo-Galway rail link is a key part of that as far as I am concerned.” He added that he was pleased to confirm that the TII was writing to Galway County Council to confirm that a new railway bridge is to be built at Ballyglunin as part of the works on the new M17 motorway.

Apart from the statement by Canney, I wonder is there any basis in fact for a belief that a bridge will be built at Ballyglunin as part of the M17 job? If so, what height above the current track will it be built at, and what impact will that have on the other bridges nearby? There is another bridge close enough to Ballyglunin that is already very humped and that is also close to somebody's front garden; will that have to be raised as well to accommodate the raised track bed and won't it create a serious visual intrusion and traffic hazard close to a handful of homes on that road? There is another bridge as well in the zone that will also have to be raised, and I think that both may be listed structures.
I wonder has anybody thought this through? Maybe Junior Minister Canney could elaborate?

westtip

Muckyboots wrote: »

http://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2016/10/12/4128223-atlantic-rail-corridor-set-to-become-a-reality/

Seán Canny TD (Minister of State OPW) said that he was working closely with Minister Ring and other colleagues to ensure that the Atlantic Corridor becomes a reality.
“The restoration of the Mayo-Galway rail link is a key part of that as far as I am concerned.” He added that he was pleased to confirm that the TII was writing to Galway County Council to confirm that a new railway bridge is to be built at Ballyglunin as part of the works on the new M17 motorway.

It will be a promisary note for it to happen sometime in the future, maybe Sean Canney should ask for it to be included in the Western Rail Corridor report he has asked for, apparently going to happen within 6 months of government being formed, shouldn't worry too much about the railway bridge being rebuilt, it will be offered to happen sometime in the future. They will wave the promisary note in the air, "Peace in our time", I believe is the historical reference.

eastwest

Ballyglunin Bridge currently has a clearance off the roadway of 4.14m. Is it not true that part of the access road works includes raising the road level, reducing that clearance?
Either way, TII's own standards for road bridges allow for clearance over vehicles with a maximum height of 4.65m, raised since the year 2000 when it was 4.25m. So, they will have to build any replacement bridge to the new standard, raising the track bed by more than half a meter plus whatever additional height is being added to the roadway. That also has implications in both directions for nearby bridges.
You can't build an access link to a motorway without also building in sufficient clearance for motorway traffic.

NiallBoo

westtip wrote: »

Not for a long distance greenway...

Whether there's a greenway built or not, this article doesn't say anything about it. As you say it would be a completely separate project and thus out if the scope of what's being reported.

What_traffic asks an interesting question about how/if the bridge might be rebuilt, but the article doesn't say anything about it so it's all just guess-work.

serfboard

eastwest wrote: »

is there any basis in fact for a belief that a bridge will be built at Ballyglunin as part of the M17 job?

No.

westtip

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/shane-ross-zeroes-in-on-loss-making-rural-irish-rail-routes-438598.html


Another nail.

Del.Monte

I would be optimistic that this government will be gone before they have time to further damage the railways. What the next one will bring......

JCX BXC

Ennis-Athenry won't go imo. Every line needs subvention as has been stated. The dart is the lowest at 90c, but the journeys are much higher so the cost is great.

eastwest

westtip wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/shane-ross-zeroes-in-on-loss-making-rural-irish-rail-routes-438598.html


Another nail.

That coffin is so full of nails that one more makes no difference, but that's not the problem. Ennis athenry won't be closed at this stage; they'll close the Ballybrophy line to buy time, and hope that the first phase of the wrc manages to stagger on until after the next election.
The real problem is the Athenry Collooney section. They won't build it, obviously, but neither will he do anything about making the asset work for the community. Stagnation is the name of the game, as long as local politicians find it profitable to keep the weeds growing.

eastwest

Del.Monte wrote: »

I would be optimistic that this government will be gone before they have time to further damage the railways. What the next one will bring......

I agree; they will damage the railways by ignoring the key problems, one of which is a small handful of lines that are bleeding money away from viable services.
Rail services won't work anywhere without subvention, but it is the level of subvention that is the problem. A huge slice of the subvention towards public transport in general goes to around 10% of the passengers, and the remainder lose out.
If the government is serious about protecting the overall rail system, they need to root out the rotten bits, like ballybrophy and (to a lesser extent) Ennis-Athenry. However I don't see any government having the b*lls to close the latter, and even the obvious open goal of the empty trains in Nenagh is a hard ball for them to kick.
Doing nothing is easier.

mayo.mick

eastwest

mayo.mick wrote: »

There's a bonanza there for Irish rail on ennis athenry if bus eireann get their way!

Sam Russell

eastwest wrote: »

There's a bonanza there for Irish rail on ennis athenry if bus eireann get their way!

The Free Travel Pass needs to be reviewed as it is distorting services - particularly on rail. Anytime I travel on a train (IC), I get the impression that the majority of passengers are on the FTP.

Now would a small fee (like 10% of the fare) would not go amiss.

Sam Russell

Sam Russell wrote: »

The Free Travel Pass needs to be reviewed as it is distorting services - particularly on rail. Anytime I travel on a train (IC), I get the impression that the majority of passengers are on the FTP.

Now would a small fee (like 10% of the fare) would not go amiss.

Probably wouldn't make much difference, the taxpayers still pick up the tab.

what_traffic

http://galwaybayfm.ie/design-underway-restoration-ballyglunin-railway-bridge/

n97 mini

Sam Russell wrote: »

The Free Travel Pass needs to be reviewed as it is distorting services - particularly on rail. Anytime I travel on a train (IC), I get the impression that the majority of passengers are on the FTP.

Now would a small fee (like 10% of the fare) would not go amiss.

What line? My recent experiences of the Wexford line led me to believe the majority were travelling for free, as at 44 years old I was probably the youngest person in the carriage.

Otoh, as a frequent off-peak traveller on the Maynooth line the amount of fare evasion is huge, particularly between intermediate stations.

Not a hope they will risk stirring up the grey vote.

eastwest

what_traffic wrote: »

http://galwaybayfm.ie/design-underway-restoration-ballyglunin-railway-bridge/

....for 'future' restoration of Ballyglunin Bridge.

what_traffic

eastwest wrote: »

....for 'future' restoration of Ballyglunin Bridge.

Yes very unusual phrasing.

marno21

what_traffic wrote: »

Yes very unusual phrasing.

"We'll restore it when you give us the funds to do so."

No point in it staying unless there's a solid plan to reopen the railway. It's quite narrow and low at 4.14m.

eastwest

marno21 wrote: »

what_traffic wrote: »

Yes very unusual phrasing.

"We'll restore it when you give us the funds to do so."

No point in it staying unless there's a solid plan to reopen the railway. It's quite narrow and low at 4.14m.

That's the key point. Any exit road from a motorway will have to have safe clearance for normal motorway traffic, currently vehicles up to 4.65m. Therefore the reinstated Bridge would have to be high enough to provide safe clearance abive 4.65m high vehicles, and trains (even imaginary ones) can't climb steps.

westtip

what_traffic wrote: »

Yes very unusual phrasing.

Nothing unusual about it at all! It's the usual waffle about something we will put on the wish list. Think about who is going to fund this mythical bridge of the future?

The NRA? I don't think they would touch it?

Irish Rail? Right yeh really likely

Galway coco - like all of them broke.

DOT. oh yeh I can see it now, lets rebuild a railway bridge just in case we want to build the railway again in 30 years time.

The EU - oh yes I can just see structural funding coming through for a railway bridge on a line that is closed and is not part of TEN T transport

I have run out of potential candidates, apart maybe from the fairies...

This bridge coming down is the end of the show.

what_traffic

Any Civil Engineers here? What would the difference in cost be, between a Greenway Bridge and a Railway Bridge?

westtip

what_traffic wrote: »

Any Civil Engineers here? What would the difference in cost be, between a Greenway Bridge and a Railway Bridge?

it could be a compromise, I assume the new road will include footpaths, which means there could simply be a slipway greenway going down to the road level and some form of pedestrian/cycleway crossing put in place. If cost of a single span pedestrian/cycleway bridge was too great.

Using this solution, the site of the old demolished bridge could become the access point for residents of Ballyglunin to get onto their smart new local leisure facility....Now there is a thought Greenways as a local leisure facility or a rusting railway that will not be re-opened....

eastwest

what_traffic wrote: »

Any Civil Engineers here? What would the difference in cost be, between a Greenway Bridge and a Railway Bridge?

Two entirely different animals, and depends entirely on the design. You could fabricate a decent enough footbridge for about 50k and drop it into place on the existing or new buttresses, but I'd imagine that a heavy rail bridge would start at a million and upwards.