Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

Shn99

has been suggested on RTE news that there will be a commitment to a review on the WRC

marno21

There can be review after review of the WRC, it won't make it in. It won't pass a feasibility study or meet the Department's project appraisal criteria.

The only way, and I mean the only way, is if it can be done by a politician looking after his own patch in return for supporting a Government. Going by recent years this is best done with Fianna Fail.

marno21

Martin Kenny TD, SF for Sligo-Leitrim talking on RTE Radio 1 about how Sligo needs an electrified freight rail corridor from Sligo down to Waterford to provide a counterbalance to Dublin.

This was when questioned about the benefit of dualling the N4 and N17.

westtip

marno21 wrote: »

Martin Kenny TD, SF for Sligo-Leitrim talking on RTE Radio 1 about how Sligo needs an electrified freight rail corridor from Sligo down to Waterford to provide a counterbalance to Dublin.

This was when questioned about the benefit of dualling the N4 and N17.

I know I heard, funny that because when I interviewed him before the last election he told me the WRC had no chance of being built and he backed the greenway idea! He was also talking through his backside about European TEN-T policy, he claimed if it was going to be an electrified route we could get 75% EU capital funding! What rubbish. European TEN-T grants for electrification only apply to European TEN-T routes, the WRC is not a designated European TEN-T route. It looks like this thread will run a while longer until we get the famous report. Ah well another opportunity missed and the north west complains....little wonder no one listens when we ask for things like the WRC. (sorry our politicians ask for things like the WRC)

Anyway we can't even get to read the actual document yet as www.npf.ie is closed for maintenance, found it here http://www.gov.ie/en/project-ireland-2040/

and guess what folks, it's hanging on for grim glory:

Page 44

The Western Rail Corridor Phase 2 from Athenry to Tuam, and phase 3 to Claremorris could play an important role in the Atlantic Economic Corridor. The extension of the WRC could increase passenger, tourist and commercial use. In line with the Programme for Government an independent review will be undertaken immediately. If the findings of the review are approved by Government, the project will be prioritised during this plan.

marno21

From the National Development Plan:

NDP wrote:

The Western Rail Corridor Phase 2 from Athenry
to Tuam, and phase 3 to Claremorris could play an
important role in the Atlantic Economic Corridor.
The extension of the WRC could increase passenger,
tourist and commercial use. In line with the
Programme for Government an independent review
will be undertaken immediately. If the findings of the
review are approved by Government, the project will
be prioritised during this plan

Shn99

marno21 wrote: »

From the National Development Plan:

In other words they'll conduct a fesability study and bin the whole project

eastwest

Shn99 wrote: »

In other words they'll conduct a fesability study and bin the whole project

They won't do the study before the next election, to save Canney's ass. It will.be in the Programme for Government next time around with the same six month deadline that Canney won't push because he knows how it will.pan out.
You have to hand it to him, he has stopped the greenway from being built on his watch and probably well into the future. That won't mean that a railway will be built of course, but at this stage the main thing for him is not to be seen to have lost the debate, and he hasn't. The fact that there are no winners is irrelevant to his political future.

eastwest

marno21 wrote: »

There can be review after review of the WRC, it won't make it in. It won't pass a feasibility study or meet the Department's project appraisal criteria.

The only way, and I mean the only way, is if it can be done by a politician looking after his own patch in return for supporting a Government. Going by recent years this is best done with Fianna Fail.

It doesn't have to make it in, it just has to stop alternative uses of the asset. That's a win for the railway lobby, most of whom know it is only a matter of time but who want to fight to the bitter end.

Ffs!

Politics at the expense of society!

This is the very definition of it

Topgear on Dave

Deleted User wrote: »

Ffs!

Politics at the expense of society!

This is the very definition of it

Giving the voters what they want.... and giving it to them good & hard :pac:

westtip

Press release From: The Western Rail Trail campaign
February 16th 2018 for immediate release: 617 words (main body text)

• National Development Plan: No plans to rebuild Western Rail Corridor but there will be another report about closed railway
• For what reason say greenway campaigners?
• More can kicking about a project that won’t happen
• Sean Canney to blame say greenway campaigners
• Lost opportunity for tourism as Greenway funds will go elsewhere whilst Galway Mayo and Sligo lose out.

A spokesman for the Western Rail Trail Campaign – a collection of community-based campaign groups in Galway Mayo and Sligo campaigning to preserve the alignment of the closed rail line from Athenry to Collooney by utilising the route for tourism and leisure as a greenway until such time as a railway may be possible, has welcomed the fact that a decision has finally been made about the so called Western Rail Corridor. Confirmation came today in the National Development plan that there are no plans to extend the Western Rail Corridor north of Athenry in the Capital Plan. There will however be an independent review of the Western Rail Corridor completed immediately which will enable a final decision on the rail corridor.

A spokesperson of the Greenway campaign said “Sean Canney the Independent Alliance TD for Galway East insisted a report into the Western Rail Corridor should be part of the programme for Government and it seems this will now happen. His two fellow TDs in Galway East, Ciaran Cannon and Anne Rabbitte have both supported a greenway on the closed railway”

A spokesperson continued, “At least the National Development plan says the report into the closed railway will now take place immediately so let’s see what it has to say and we can all move on”

Quinn added, “we are somewhat surprised that Leo Varadkar and Paschal Donohoe who both said the Western Rail Corridor would not be extended when they were Ministers of Transport have not simply said enough is enough we don’t need any more reports, the railway is not going to be built so let’s use the route for something useful”

In the Dail this week Mr Varadkar said this about the Western Rail Corridor

“The commitment on the western rail corridor in the programme for Government is not to build or complete it but to carry out such an appraisal of a benefit to cost ratio. The last time it was done it came out negatively at a cost of 100 against six - 100 being the cost and six the benefit. Most rail projects come out around 100 to 80.” (Leo Varadkar in the Dail on Wednesday February 14th 2018)

“It is difficult to see how yet another report will come up with a benefit to cost ratio that is likely to make the Western Rail Corridor extension a runner” said A spokesperson, “however let’s get the report done and then a decision can finally be made.”

A spokesperson added “ The disappointing thing really is that whilst we wait for this report, the people of Galway Mayo and Sligo will be denied the opportunity to see the greenway happen and will miss out on greenway funding opportunities. The blame for this lost opportunity can be laid at Mr Canneys door ”

The National Development plan says “Investment in activity based tourism, including greenways, will be a priority over the period of the National Development Plan.”

“Mr Canney will be able to say he has a report into the Western Rail Corridor. Unfortunately his report will not create any jobs and will not provide a leisure facility for his constituents, and the likelihood is the outcome of the report is unlikely to bring him the railway” said A spokesperson.

“It’s a day of mixed feelings” said A spokesperson. “Many of our supporters for the Western Rail Trail Greenway from Athenry to Sligo are involved in tourism related industries and just wanted to see a decision made, creating a greenway on this closed railway; it would be a quick and easy project to implement and would create immediate jobs. At least when the report into the Western Rail Corridor is completed we will know what is going to happen, although there are no guarantees a decision will finally be made, it is frustrating”

ENDS: body text 738 words

Contacts:
Find us on Facebook: sligomayogreenwaycampaign

Shn99

Well i guess this is it..eh? The notion of a WRC was nice whilst it lasted

voz es

How ye lads ;-)

UP the West !!!!!!!!!!!

voz es

For the actual true Greenway people consider backing this, it actually makes sense:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=105703072

Muckyboots

voz es wrote: »

For the actual true Greenway people consider backing this, it actually makes sense:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=105703072

Just three posts and....

trellheim wrote: »

What about the old railway line out to Valentia

Might be a message in that for you !

Shn99

Statement from WestOnTrack

West on Track welcomes inclusion of Mayo-Galway rail link in Capital Programme

16 February 2018

West on Track welcomes the inclusion by the Government in the Capital Plan announced today of Phases 2 and 3 of the Western Rail Corridor linking Galway and Mayo, and its specific acknowledgement that the railway could play an important role in the Atlantic Economic Corridor and could increase passenger, tourist and commercial use.

We are confident that the independent review of the potential of the railway in the context of the Atlantic Economic Corridor will confirm the major contribution that the railway can make in terms of regional connectivity, linking Galway city with its natural hinterland in line with the National Planning Framework, as well as opening up the southern ports directly to freight traffic from the west, an essential requirement in the context of Brexit.

Linking Westport, Ballina, Castlebar, Claremorris and Tuam by rail to Galway would have an enormous impact. It would also enable direct rail travel to and from Limerick and Cork offering tourists proper access to the west and north-west for the first time.

Text in Capital Programme:

‘The Western Rail Corridor Phase 2 from Athenry to Tuam and Phase 3 to Claremorris could play an important part in the Atlantic Economic Corridor. The extension of the WRC could increase passenger, tourist and commercial use. In line with the Programme for Government an independent review will be undertaken immediately. If the findings are approved by Government the project will be prioritised during this plan.’

[END]

westtip

Shn99 wrote: »

Statement from WestOnTrack

West on Track welcomes inclusion of Mayo-Galway rail link in Capital Programme

16 February 2018

West on Track welcomes the inclusion by the Government in the Capital Plan announced today of Phases 2 and 3 of the Western Rail Corridor linking Galway and Mayo, and its specific acknowledgement that the railway could play an important role in the Atlantic Economic Corridor and could increase passenger, tourist and commercial use.

We are confident that the independent review of the potential of the railway in the context of the Atlantic Economic Corridor will confirm the major contribution that the railway can make in terms of regional connectivity, linking Galway city with its natural hinterland in line with the National Planning Framework, as well as opening up the southern ports directly to freight traffic from the west, an essential requirement in the context of Brexit.

Linking Westport, Ballina, Castlebar, Claremorris and Tuam by rail to Galway would have an enormous impact. It would also enable direct rail travel to and from Limerick and Cork offering tourists proper access to the west and north-west for the first time.

Text in Capital Programme:

‘The Western Rail Corridor Phase 2 from Athenry to Tuam and Phase 3 to Claremorris could play an important part in the Atlantic Economic Corridor. The extension of the WRC could increase passenger, tourist and commercial use. In line with the Programme for Government an independent review will be undertaken immediately. If the findings are approved by Government the project will be prioritised during this plan.’

[END]

Could. Could. If. The three most important words in that document. You gotta laugh though. These boys will do anything to make sure the greenway doesn't happen in the certain knowledge the railway won't be re-opened. Lets see those figures Varadkar stated in the Dail incorporated into the Canney report, hey ho, then lets here the spin!

Shn99

westtip wrote: »

Could. Could. If. The three most important words in that document. You gotta laugh though. These boys will do anything to make sure the greenway doesn't happen in the certain knowledge the railway won't be re-opened. Lets see those figures alter which Varadkar stated in the Dail.

IMO the whole piece on the WRC was put in to shut Canney up.

westtip

Shn99 wrote: »

IMO the whole piece on the WRC was put in to shut Canney up.

Correct. The report won't emerge until after the next election, the can will be kicked down the road, the whole thing is a farce, and as for Varadkar, tell him to look this one up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kR1YDn9lM



Shambles,

westtip

voz es wrote: »

For the actual true Greenway people consider backing this, it actually makes sense:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=105703072

parallel with the WAW. woudl need a lot of land to be purchased on the closed railway = no land to be purchased.

Lets not get carried away with todays revelation about the Canney report, it has not been written yet and difficult to see how the numbers will stack up. enough said at this stage.

voz es

voz es wrote: »

For the actual true Greenway people consider backing this, it actually makes sense:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=105703072

Have you driven much of it? A leisurely cycle it ain't. There are a hell of a lot of hills, you know.

You go from sea level beaches to cliffs.

Sure it should be done, but provide a leisurely cycle for tourists and locals, including children, it won't do that, the WRT will

eastwest

voz es wrote: »

How ye lads ;-)

UP the West !!!!!!!!!!!

The west hasn't done all that we'll out of the NDP. The insertion of a delaying tactic in the western rail trail project can in no way be described as a success, although wot are trumpeting it as such. It simply postpones the inevitable to suit the electoral advantages of a couple of TDs with little else to offer.

dok_golf

They have demolished the bridge approaching Ballyglunin train station ( where is crosses the road a couple of miles outside abbeyknockmoy on the Galway side. )

eastwest

voz es wrote: »

For the actual true Greenway people consider backing this, it actually makes sense:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=105703072

Yes, drive tourists on to a route that is already getting close to capacity, while abandoning a route that is shovel ready, involves no land purchase and would regenerate all the towns on the route.
Makes a lot of sense.

eastwest

dok_golf wrote: »

They have demolished the bridge approaching Ballyglunin train station ( where is crosses the road a couple of miles outside abbeyknockmoy on the Galway side. )

There is no intention anywhere to build a railway on that route, and the sooner that people accept this the sooner we will get investment on the route.

westtip

voz es wrote: »

How ye lads ;-)

UP the West !!!!!!!!!!!

Quite good actually, the WRC report will now have to be written, the cost benefit ratios are already known and quoted only last Wednesday in the Dail. There is a commitment to build the road from North West to Cork, the road building will take precedent over any railway - which is subject to said report, I think we took a big step to finally getting a decision on the western rail corridor yesterday. Now lets have the report, with the cost benefit clearlyi laid out. Then we can move on and do something useful with the alignment.

eastwest

westtip wrote: »

parallel with the WAW. woudl need a lot of land to be purchased on the closed railway = no land to be purchased.

Lets not get carried away with todays revelation about the Canney report, it has not been written yet and difficult to see how the numbers will stack up. enough said at this stage.

The problem isn't the Canney report as much as the timing of it. Originally his 'red line' issue was a report within six months, but two years on there's still no report because he didn't push the issue. Canney knows full well that the report will bury the western rail corridor fior good, so the last thing he wants is an actual report, just the promise of one suits his purposes better. A report before the next election would spell the end of Canney's political career, so don't expect it any time soon.

Muckyboots

eastwest wrote: »

The problem isn't the Canney report as much as the timing of it. Originally his 'red line' issue was a report within six months, but two years on there's still no report because he didn't push the issue. Canney knows full well that the report will bury the western rail corridor fior good, so the last thing he wants is an actual report, just the promise of one suits his purposes better. A report before the next election would spell the end of Canney's political career, so don't expect it any time soon.

It's actually worse than that. If Athenry to Claremorris, as an option, isn't included in the Greenway Strategy, to be published in April, its game over.

westtip

Muckyboots wrote: »

It's actually worse than that. If Athenry to Claremorris, as an option, isn't included in the Greenway Strategy, to be published in April, its game over.

The pressure needs to be applied that the caveat in the Greenway report is that if the WRC report basically says what we all know it should say, then there has to be a caveat in greenway strategy that says if the WRC is not to be opened the route can be protected by a greenway, that is now a priority to apply pressure on the intelligent politicians to get that into the report. Canney will try and stop this on the instruction of his masters in Claremorris.

westtip

Here is some reflection on the cop out of yet another report, Our erstwhile friends in West on Track are claiming some kind of victory, well lets analyse that.

Back in the halcyon days of the CT they got the McCAnn report written, they formed part of the group of experts writing that report, the contributors to that report were loaded with west on track advocates like the former county manager of Roscommon and members of the Western Development Commission. They will not get away with such a joke report again. It was the ultimate insider job.

This report led to the Western Rail Corridor being incorporated into the FF (and indeed FG) manifesto's of elections back in the early 2000's, then written into The Transport 21 policy and the Dempsey National Development plan. The crowning glory was the re-opening of Ennis-Athenry which has been an abject failure.

Since then it has been all downhill for the Western Rail Corridor as a concept. Successive Transport Ministers have refused to sign off on any extensions, senior politicians have turned their back on it, the general public are no longer interested and have turned their attention to the greenway campaign.

European TEN-T policy supported by the Department of Transport effectively ened any hope of funding for the WRC, a real body blow in 2013.

The greenway campaign has gone from strenght to strength with significant local activist groups in Sligo, Mayo and Galway, and despite what happened in the NDP has significant political support, but a government that is now black mailed by the likes of Sean Canney, has suppressed that underlying political support there is for a greenway, including I believe the support of both Varadkar and Donohoe who are strangled by Canney and the IA.

The West on Track campaign has gone from cast iron guarentees the rail corridor will happen written into government strategy to a point they are grateful there is going to be a report to look at it and if that is positive it might make it into the NDP and would still have to be adopted by any government going forward. Their position is hugely weakened, they have gone backwards not forwards, they are relying on an independent report, not a McCann report to finally rescue their sinking ship. They won't be commissioning the report, even the Western Development Commission when getting a report written on the future of freight could not get a report to fully endorse the Western Rail Corridor, so they may be treading on thin ice.

The greenway campaign has come a long way in ten years from being a minor nuisance to West on Track with keyboard warriors (hands up to that one) on the internet, to being a movement of real people challenging the accepted view which West on Track had normalised. Their views have been challenged beyond their wildest imaginations, for which I modestly claim some of the credit.

West on Track clearly won't go away. Neither will the Sligo Greenway Co-op, The Kilitmagh Greenway Group, The Athenry Tuam Milltown greenway group. Real people asking real questions of their politicians.

The Greenway campaign can take great pleasure in yesterdays NDP, West on Track has been reduced to being grateful for a report that may actually kill their campaign off forever. They won't get away with a McCann report slipping under the radar, there are too many of us watching this space now; it is a completely different ball game.