Western Rail Corridor (all disused sections)

eastwest

dowlingm wrote: »

The line from Athlone-Portarlington is pretty busy, I believe. Dublin freight, Waterford freight, Galway passenger, Westport passenger all going through that section.

Most of it runs at night, it's lightly used by international standards.

end of the road

eastwest wrote: »

Most of it runs at night

actually it runs in the day rather then at night.

eastwest wrote: »

it's lightly used by international standards.

not really. it's a single track line and single track lines can only take so many services.

Doltanian

With regards to Portarlington I think it is also another shambles by Irish Rail that it is not utilised fully for connecting trains. I remember around 15 years ago taking trains from Killarney to Roscommon station and being able to change in Portarlington, nowadays the Cork or Kerry trains never seem to stop at Portarlington which would allow faster journey times instead of having to go to Heuston and then backtrack to Galway, Westport etc.

Our Rail network is far too Dublin centric, Irish Rail it seems don't want to run a service or even attempt half the time. I'd see nothing wrong with diverting money to subsidize some private operators to come in, the closing of the Wexford line was a disgrace when there should be a Galway-Limerick (split the train at Limerick Junction) and onto Cork and Waterford and Rosslare service.

Invest money to bring the tracks and network up to spec and launch cheap affordable transport, rail tickets are far too expensive. Ennis and Limerick City should also have more services to Dublin and they could operate via Nenagh - Ballybrophy if modifications and some money was invested. Hub Cities of Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway should be provided with adequate commutable morning and evening services and large free parking made available. People would drive to the station and park and take the train the rest of the way. The Macroom line in Cork would be an excellent example of where an old line could serve excellently today for commuters compared to the misery of driving or using buses.

westtip

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm a Greenway advocate for the closed section of the wrc but am also a regular rail user..... What label does that attract?

All for one and one for all. count me in this category too. The label is sensible but not according to the bastion of truth in the West of Ireland who said this in its editorial last friday

Western People Editorial February 12th 2018: That's why it is so disappointing to see the ongoing campaign in Connacht for a greenway on the route of the Western Rail Corridor. The promoters of this project are undoubtedly well motivated but they are wholly misguided in their view that a greenway through the heart of our province can spark a new period of western regeneration. It will, at best, create a small number of jobs in the tourism sector, but the damage it will do - both directly and indirectly - would be immense.

I laughed so much I nearly cried. I saved you the bit about priests - I kid you not if you want to read it all go to the WOT FB page, hilarious stuff here in the wesht

ohographite

westtip wrote: »

...If Irish Rail would allow the bike on the train, mind you there would be enough room with only about 10 people per train at the moment.

Is 10 people per train actually the current usage of Ennis to Athenry?

Harcourt Street

ohographite wrote: »

Is 10 people per train actually the current usage of Ennis to Athenry?

It isn’t. But don’t let that awkward fact stop anyone tell you otherwise. They are actually lying to you.

marno21

Harcourt Street wrote: »

It isn’t. But don’t let that awkward fact stop anyone tell you otherwise. They are actually lying to you.

Prove it wrong in that case

Harcourt Street

westtip wrote: »

All for one and one for all. count me in this category too. The label is sensible but not according to the bastion of truth in the West of Ireland who said this in its editorial last friday



I laughed so much I nearly cried. I saved you the bit about priests - I kid you not if you want to read it all go to the WOT FB page, hilarious stuff here in the wesht

They called you out good and proper and all you can say it’s hilarious? Remind me never to borrow a comedy dvd from you, I might end up with either Driller Killer or Leave it to Mrs O’Brien.

Harcourt Street

westtip wrote: »

All for one and one for all. count me in this category too. The label is sensible but not according to the bastion of truth in the West of Ireland who said this in its editorial last friday



I laughed so much I nearly cried. I saved you the bit about priests - I kid you not if you want to read it all go to the WOT FB page, hilarious stuff here in the wesht

Here is the best bit of the editorial -

Are we – the current inhabitants of a region with a proud history – so utterly broken that the best we can offer the next generation is a cycle path through the heart of our province? Is that going to be our monument, our epitaph? Seriously? If it is, then we should hang our heads in shame because we will have failed ourselves, future generations and, worst of all, those who came before us and fought so hard to reverse rural decline.

If the Western Rail Corridor is not featured in the National Planning Framework and the Government’s capital investment plan then we must stand up and fight. And if we don’t then we deserve our fate – and what a fate it will be. Indeed, to use a cycling analogy, we’ll be back on the Penny Farthing in jig time.

Harcourt Street

marno21 wrote: »

Prove it wrong in that case

Been proven over and over again. IE’s own massaged (downwards) figures are far greater. Why arent the greenway supporters ever asked for “proof”. I wonder.

Topgear on Dave

Harcourt Street wrote: »

It isn’t. But don’t let that awkward fact stop anyone tell you otherwise. They are actually lying to you.

Out of interest, what are the numbers on it?

Peak and off peak?

marno21

Harcourt Street wrote: »

Here is the best bit of the editorial -

Are we – the current inhabitants of a region with a proud history – so utterly broken that the best we can offer the next generation is a cycle path through the heart of our province? Is that going to be our monument, our epitaph? Seriously? If it is, then we should hang our heads in shame because we will have failed ourselves, future generations and, worst of all, those who came before us and fought so hard to reverse rural decline.

If the Western Rail Corridor is not featured in the National Planning Framework and the Government’s capital investment plan then we must stand up and fight. And if we don’t then we deserve our fate – and what a fate it will be. Indeed, to use a cycling analogy, we’ll be back on the Penny Farthing in jig time.

It's this type of grade A drivel by people in the region that is the reason that the next generation won't care about a cyclepath - cos they want to get the **** out of there.

Do the next generation in Casteconnell or Ardrahan embrace the railway running through the town? No as soon as they turn 17 they start learning to drive. The thought of taking the train would never enter their head.

A greenway would be much more useful along this route rather than vast capex with negative return because it would provide entry level jobs for younger people in the cafes and restaurants and accomodation that the greenway attracts.

Harcourt Street

marno21 wrote: »

It's this type of grade A drivel by people in the region that is the reason that the next generation won't care about a cyclepath - cos they want to get the **** out of there.

Do the next generation in Casteconnell or Ardrahan embrace the railway running through the town? No as soon as they turn 17 they start learning to drive. The thought of taking the train would never enter their head.

A greenway would be much more useful along this route rather than vast capex with negative return because it would provide entry level jobs for younger people in the cafes and restaurants and accomodation that the greenway attracts.

How in the name of God does a railway have anything to do with 17 year olds learning to drive. I must admit that’s a new on me.

As to Greenways and job aspirations, your comment on entry level jobs pretty much sums up the sheer lack of ambition that the Western People editoral attacks. Those young people will want to get into their cars and get the hell out of the West to better themselves using your model.

Muckyboots

Western People Editorial - "If the Western Rail Corridor is not featured in the National Planning Framework and the Government’s capital investment plan then we must stand up and fight."

Looking forward to see the masses of rail enthusiasts hitting the streets of Tuam and Athenry, as called out by the Western People, when this happens.

Harcourt Street

Muckyboots wrote: »

Western People Editorial - "If the Western Rail Corridor is not featured in the National Planning Framework and the Government’s capital investment plan then we must stand up and fight."

Looking forward to see the masses of rail enthusiasts hitting the streets of Tuam and Athenry, as called out by the Western People, when this happens.

It won't be rail enthusiasts. This campaign was never about rail enthusiasts, that label is just a smokescreen used by some to belittle the campaign. It's all about jobs, prosperity and a truly sustainable future.

Muckyboots

Harcourt Street wrote: »

Muckyboots wrote: »

Western People Editorial - "If the Western Rail Corridor is not featured in the National Planning Framework and the Government’s capital investment plan then we must stand up and fight."

Looking forward to see the masses of rail enthusiasts hitting the streets of Tuam and Athenry, as called out by the Western People, when this happens.

It's all about jobs, prosperity and a truly sustainable future.

Greenway campaigners can make the very same claims. It's just that they have better statistics plus more recent and relevant successes to back up theirs.

Cosmo K

marno21 wrote: »

Do the next generation in Casteconnell or Ardrahan embrace the railway running through the town? No as soon as they turn 17 they start learning to drive. The thought of taking the train would never enter their head.

Ardrahan station is a feckin joke! I don't know how much money they spent on the car park, but I can guarantee that it will take hundreds of years before they make any money from the car park. Nobody uses the long-term car park, there's simply no demand for it.

The trains on the line are empty! And they'll be empty for years to come! Ardrahan to Tuam takes about 25 minutes on the motorway, it would probably take over an hour by train.

westtip

called me out good and proper!!!@. The western people. so out of touch with reality it is only laughable what there stance on this issue is. Mind you at least they acknowledged the greenway wld create jobs. so that is step forward so is the fact they ackknowledge the public mood and actually talk about the massive support their is for the greenway. BTW you are right though numbers may have gone up to 12 passengers per train on the Ennis athenry section.

westtip

called me out good and proper!!!@. The western people. so out of touch with reality it is only laughable what there stance on this issue is. Mind you at least they acknowledged the greenway wld create jobs. so that is step forward so is the fact they ackknowledge the public mood and actually talk about the massive support their is for the greenway. BTW you are right though numbers may have gone up to 12 passengers per train on the Ennis athenry section.

westtip

called me out good and proper!!!@. The western people. so out of touch with reality it is only laughable what there stance on this issue is. Mind you at least they acknowledged the greenway wld create jobs. so that is step forward so is the fact they ackknowledge the public mood and actually talk about the massive support their is for the greenway. BTW you are right though numbers may have gone up to 12 passengers per train on the Ennis athenry section.

Harcourt Street

Harcourt Street wrote: »

It won't be rail enthusiasts. This campaign was never about rail enthusiasts, that label is just a smokescreen used by some to belittle the campaign. It's all about jobs, prosperity and a truly sustainable future.

There you go talking about jobs again, so, again, I'm going to ask you to provide some information to show that Ennis to Athenry section has resulted in jobs.

You can't say "it's about jobs" if there's no evidence of the first section creating any

Muckyboots

Harcourt Street wrote: »

It won't be rail enthusiasts. This campaign was never about rail enthusiasts, that label is just a smokescreen used by some to belittle the campaign. It's all about jobs, prosperity and a truly sustainable future.

The campaign for rail has been led by WOT, the inter-county rail committee and the WDC. All of these organisations are driven by self-confessed railway enthusiasts. Nothing wrong with that. People along the west and politicians who saw their campaign as an easy sell at the door accepted the economic arguments without challenging them. Without an obvious alternative for use on the line they were the "no brainer" of their day.
That was then- this is now The rail economic arguments don't stack up when challenged. The communities who live along the alignment have watched two generations move up and on without any sign of rail reinstated. Dozens of retail and hospitality businesses have struggled and failed, while Westport and Waterford have had economic re-surges based on Greenways. With respect, the WOT campaign was always about rail enthusiasm, nothing wrong with that, but enthusiasm ebbs and flows. In this case the tide is definitely out for rail.

Isambard

if it's about Enthusiasts, then why did Westrail in Tuam not thrive? Rhetorical question

Grandeeod

Isambard wrote: »

if it's about Enthusiasts, then why did Westrail in Tuam not thrive? Rhetorical question

Ah it's a different thing these days. We have "internet" rail enthusiasts that like to comment and dictate from the comfort of an armchair.:D

Losty Dublin

Grandeeod wrote: »

Ah it's a different thing these days. We have "internet" rail enthusiasts that like to comment and dictate from the comfort of an armchair.:D

That armchair is the wrong shade of leather.

Grandeeod

Losty Dublin wrote: »

That armchair is the wrong shade of leather.

If you say so.

A great write up in the New York Times no less, on the Great Western Greenway

Paid for itself in the first year, has led to 200 local jobs and more benefits besides

https://nyti.ms/2F5zzFU

Meanwhile in Galway, rusty rail lines rust.

westtip

Deleted User wrote: »

A great write up in the New York Times no less, on the Great Western Greenway

Paid for itself in the first year, has led to 200 local jobs and more benefits besides

https://nyti.ms/2F5zzFU

Meanwhile in Galway, rusty rail lines rust.

In the meantime the Western People said this in an editorial last week (extract below)

Western People Editorial 12 February 2108

That's why it is so disappointing to see the ongoing campaign in Connacht for a greenway on the route of the Western Rail Corridor. The promoters of this project are undoubtedly well motivated but they are wholly misguided in their view that a greenway through the heart of our province can spark a new period of western regeneration. It will, at best, create a small number of jobs in the tourism sector, but the damage it will do - both directly and indirectly - would be immense.

I love his phrase "at best create a small number of jobs" but he hasn't told us about how many jobs have come flowing from Ennis Athenry!...errr none is the answer BTW.

also apologies to everyone for reposting the same post three times in a row a few posts back, an error whilst posting from the mobile....which I am not very good at!

eastwest

Deleted User wrote: »

A great write up in the New York Times no less, on the Great Western Greenway

Paid for itself in the first year, has led to 200 local jobs and more benefits besides

https://nyti.ms/2F5zzFU

Meanwhile in Galway, rusty rail lines rust.

Rusty rails have a useful purpose though, as the basis of a lot of election promises. And the follow on from that is that local politicians with nothing else to offer can't be seen to support the removal of rusty rails, even though they would have to be removed anyway if a railway was to be built in the future.
When we get to more enlightened times in the future and we try to play catch-up with the rest of the world and build this greenway, we will look back in puzzlement at this worship of rusty rails.
The key asset here from a national standpoint isn't this linear pile of scrap metal, it's the alignment, the land that we own but persist in not using for the common good.

eastwest

I see that the fecal matter is starting to hit the revolving blades in Mayo.
Minister Ring's rush to throw money at the west on track dream is starting to come back to haunt him.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/ring-freewheels-into-problematic-mayo-funding-row-hpv65nbl3