Maynooth Electrification / Interconnector Questions

FlameoftheWest

Of the two possible routes to Maynooth from Dockland underground station, which one is going to be electrified? The low level line through Glasnevin or the high level line through Drumcondra?

Both?

Seems to me that Irish Rail have to be very careful here? Drumcondra is a busy station, but the lower level line is more direct to Maynooth?

Carawaystick

Neither. The line will be electrified from Connolly, probably along the Hill16 line through Drumcondra.
THe plan is for Darts to run Maynooth - Connolly - Pearse - Bray
on one line and
Balbriggan - Malahide - HJ - Clontarf road - DocklandsUnderground - Pearse Underground - ssg - HeustonUnderground - Adamstown on the other, with interchange happening at Pearse to the other dart line, SSG to the greenLuas and Metro North; Drumcondra to Metro North and Docklands to redLuas.

L1011

The Maynooth electrification is going to be the high level line, as its becoming one "line" with the existing DART to Greystones via Connolly and the Loop Line.

L1011

Carawaystick wrote: »

Neither. The line will be electrified from Connolly, probably along the Hill16 line through Drumcondra.

Thats the "low level line" he mentioned, the Midland line. Either way, as far as I'm aware the plan is to use the "high level line" as the DART -> Metro interchange is going to be at the existing Drumcondra station.

Cool Mo D

FlameoftheWest wrote: »

Of the two possible routes to Maynooth from Dockland underground station, which one is going to be electrified? The low level line through Glasnevin or the high level line through Drumcondra?

Both?

Seems to me that Irish Rail have to be very careful here? Drumcondra is a busy station, but the lower level line is more direct to Maynooth?

I believe the plan is electrification through Drumcondra station - this route is the one that trains from Maynooth, Mullingar, and Sligo all use - it has a better junction into Connolly too.

The route along the canal is lightly used at the moment - it has a few trains from Clonsilla a day that terminate in Docklands station, and none that go to Connolly. I don't know if IE have plans to make better use of it in future, apart from trains from Pace on the reopened section of the Navan line that will go to Docklands.

Carawaystick

MYOB wrote: »

Thats the "low level line" he mentioned, the Midland line. Either way, as far as I'm aware the plan is to use the "high level line" as the DART -> Metro interchange is going to be at the existing Drumcondra station.

Mixing the canal end up with the Hill16? the Hill line serves Drumcondra, the canal end line doesn't.
Of course Mícheál Ó Muiricheartaigh always mentions the railway end, despite there being two of 'em

L1011

Carawaystick wrote: »

Mixing the canal end up with the Hill16? the Hill line serves Drumcondra, the canal end line doesn't.
Of course Mícheál Ó Muiricheartaigh always mentions the railway end, despite there being two of 'em

Erm, yes, yes I am. I'm in to the football you play with your feet, see

Zebra3

Has there been any movement towards starting the electrification of the Maynooth line?

loyatemu

I would hope that they will electrify all the lines around Connolly when they are doing it - it'd be crazy not to.

Cool Mo D

I think that this is all the progress made so far.

Zebra3

Decision: Withdrawn

So they've withdrawn the application?

bg07

Zebra3 wrote: »

So they've withdrawn the application?

That wasnt an application. It was a pre-application consultation. Maybe they decided to prepare the actual application instead or maybe it on the back burner for a few years. Perhaps an insider could fill us in.

KevR

Not that it's going to happen, but does anyone else wish that they would use a third rail for electrification rather than overhead lines?

Overhead lines are really unsightly, both in urban areas and in the countryside, in my opinion.

Hungerford

KevR wrote: »

Not that it's going to happen, but does anyone else wish that they would use a third rail for electrification rather than overhead lines?

Third rail is far more dangerous and what do you propose to do about the level crossings?

paulm17781

Hungerford wrote: »

Third rail is far more dangerous and what do you propose to do about the level crossings?

They're meant to be closing them as part of the upgrade.

Cookie_Monster

paulm17781 wrote: »

They're meant to be closing them as part of the upgrade.

Like they did with the DART :pac:

paulm17781

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Like they did with the DART :pac:

I'd say you're correct with that.

dowlingm

Third rail is a nonstarter IMHO.

• It would be intrusive to lay particularly beside platforms so more disruption to passengers during construction, plus there's the whole flooding around Booterstown/Seapoint problem.
• As Hungerford noted there is also a liability problem - Chicago Transit Authority had to pay up in 1992 when a guy electrocuted himself when entering the line while drunk.
• Third rail can't go much above 750V DC - DART overhead is 1500V so there are fewer resistive losses
• If we want the future (say 2025) of the Intercity service to be partially or fully electric (with something like an SNCF B 82500 diesel/electric) third rail doesn't do well - 100mph is very much the top end of the scale and you still have grade crossings to deal with.

Victor

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/HD0017.htm

Sponge Bob

MYOB wrote: »

Erm, yes, yes I am. I'm in to the football you play with your feet, see

Mícheál Ó Muiricheartaigh is a hurling commentator not a football commentator, you probably mean Ted Lowe

Zebra3

Victor wrote: »

http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/HD0017.htm

Is that the for the crossing at Ashtown?

Victor

Well, its the one on Ratoath Road. There is another one further west.

bg07

Zebra3 wrote: »

Is that the for the crossing at Ashtown?

Here's a drawing for that planning application showing where it is exactly.

Map of Proposal

KevR

Hungerford wrote: »

Third rail is far more dangerous and what do you propose to do about the level crossings?

It's really only dangerous for people trespassing on the railway...

I would have thought that the level crossings would be removed but maybe not.

The points made by dowlingm about the flooding and speed are probably the best arguements against a third rail. Safety for people trespassing is a non-issue for me.

KC61

The electrification of the Maynooth line is tied in with the DART Interconnector project.
Significant planning has been done and is continuing. As posted above it will be the line through Drumcondra Station that will be electrified, linking with the current line at North Strand Junction and continuing to Bray.

There is however a little rumour that there may well be an electrified connection from that line to the northern portal of the interconnector using the existing line that deviates just short of North Strand Junction and connects with the line that will come from the Northern line into the docks. This would be a pragmatic move and would offer significant operational flexibility as it would facilitate DART stock transfers to/from the proposed depot in the Maynooth area.

The removal or automation of the Maynooth line level crossings is tied in with the resignalling of the route and the city centre resignalling projects, due for completion by 2012. There were local objections to the proposed bridge at Ratoath Road, which is the subject of the appeal above.

Victor

KevR wrote: »

Safety for people trespassing is a non-issue for me.

And someone who is there who doesn't want to be there because of an accident or violence?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0129/quinnr.html

KevR

Fair point indeed.