WEST CORK RAIL

Teddy455

http://www.invectis.co.uk/cork/Local%20Lines%20WEST%20CORK%20RAIL.pdf

proposed railway line from Cork City to towns in west cork With stations at Ballinhassig, Innishannon, Bandon, Clonakilty Dunmanway, Drimoleague, Skibbereen, Bantry

Unlikley to happen in the next few years.

thebishop

It would be nice to see it up and running again.Traveled from Bantry to Dublin and back by train once.Seems like a hundred years ago.

dh0661

thebishop wrote: »

Seems like a hundred years ago.

No just half a century ago :rolleyes:, or there abouts.

I agree with you - it would be great so see, along with parts of south Kerry of course.

Sad to say I can't see it happening any time this century.

RoyMcC

Sadly I'm old enough to remember the West Cork line in operation - my uncle operated a level crossing just outside Dunmanway. It would be good to see it back.

So many decisions would have been different with the benefit of hindsight. Here in Jersey we ripped up our train lines in the 30s, the Germans kindly put them back during the Occupation...and we ripped them up again in 1945.

dh0661

RoyMcC wrote: »

Sadly I'm old enough to remember the West Cork line in operation

Luckily (IMO)for you - you had the experience.

SouthernBelle

They should never have gotten rid of the West Cork Railway. Ditto for the line to Youghal. Hindsight is a great thing.

chipsdave

bordering on a scandal pulling up this Railway line in the first place in 1961, Irish Rail deemed it unprofitable by all accounts ,story goes the delegation that travelled to Dublin to lobby for the keeping of the railway when asked how did they travel up ? replied " oh We drove up " ! which naturally negated against their efforts !!

ianobrien

They'll have fun opening the Cork - Bandon line and beyond.....

The original West Cork Line station is now the Elisian Tower (ya, I know I've spelled that wrong). The original line is now part of the South Link from Kinsale Rd roundabout to Anglesea Street. Some of the old line to the Viaduct is now under the South Link and houses around Togher/Bishopstown.

From the Viaduct to Waterfall and beyond had been sold and mostly owned by the owners of the adjoining land and in some cases, had been incorporated into fields. Try to follow the line on Google Earth and you'll see.

The old station and some of the line in Ballinhassig has been sold in is now in private hands. The old station in Bandon was a Garden Center and is now abandoned. Some of the line from Bandon to Clonakilty Junction has been incorporated into the N71.

Beyond that I don't know how much of the line is left, but I know that the old station in Skibbereen is now the Fire Station, and that the West Cork Hotel is very very near an old railway bridge as in the side door is facing the bridge.....

-Corkie-

Teddy455 wrote: »

http://www.invectis.co.uk/cork/Local%20Lines%20WEST%20CORK%20RAIL.pdf

proposed railway line from Cork City to towns in west cork With stations at Ballinhassig, Innishannon, Bandon, Clonakilty Dunmanway, Drimoleague, Skibbereen, Bantry

Unlikley to happen in the next few years.

Eh thats 5 years old and it wasnt proposed. It was only a dream by that Guckian dude.

RoyMcC

-Corkie- wrote: »

Eh thats 5 years old and it wasnt proposed. It was only a dream by that Guckian dude.

Well spotted Looking a bit more closely it was hardly feasible even in those heady days of 2005 where investment monies were available. The payback seems to have been calculated entirely as 'Indirect Benefits' which, even then, was stretching credibility a bit.

stevielenihan

Teddy455 wrote: »

http://www.invectis.co.uk/cork/Local%20Lines%20WEST%20CORK%20RAIL.pdf

proposed railway line from Cork City to towns in west cork With stations at Ballinhassig, Innishannon, Bandon, Clonakilty Dunmanway, Drimoleague, Skibbereen, Bantry

Unlikley to happen in the next few years.

Will The West Cork railway ever reopen again?

RoyMcC

stevielenihan wrote: »

Will The West Cork railway ever reopen again?

Nope, but enjoy the nice spots that have been left behind it.

Rhys Essien

This railway would be possible again only if you got the Chinese or the Japanese to do the whole job.
As an example,I remember a few years back with the Luas costing around €750 million and a similar size tram project in Japan cost around €180 million.

stevielenihan

Rhys Essien wrote: »

This railway would be possible again only if you got the Chinese or the Japanese to do the whole job.
As an example,I remember a few years back with the Luas costing around €750 million and a similar size tram project in Japan cost around €180 million.[/QUO

they say never say never. Dont give up hope straigh away cause you never know what the future holds. I sure would love to tralevel to west cork by train again

eth0

There's a lot of "Ah sure, lets close every railway in the country, sure everyone has a car now!" detractors around the place. Just look in the Train & Rail systems forum - most of the guys in there seem to hate trains with a passion.

stevielenihan

Efforts should be made to reopen it again for rail travel. A railway is needed from the city to west cork.

chipsdave

stevielenihan wrote: »

Efforts should be made to reopen it again for rail travel. A railway is needed from the city to west cork.

Hear ,Hear !

Pitcairn

ANother thing working against the return of a west Cork railway line is the fact the Council plans to turns them all the old railway line into cycle and pedestrian walkways.

http://www.corkcoco.ie/co/web/Cork%20County%20Council/Departments/Divisional%20Services/Coastal%20%26%20Recreation/Recreation%20and%20Amenities/Greenways?did=343238042

gobnaitolunacy

Pitcairn wrote: »

ANother thing working against the return of a west Cork railway line is the fact the Council plans to turns them all the old railway line into cycle and pedestrian walkways.

http://www.corkcoco.ie/co/web/Cork%20County%20Council/Departments/Divisional%20Services/Coastal%20%26%20Recreation/Recreation%20and%20Amenities/Greenways?did=343238042[/QUOTE]

It'll NEVER return as a working railway. Ever.
People should get over it.

A walk/cycle way is the best way to preserve the route now. How accomodating farmers/landowners are to the idea is anyones guess.
Judging by attitudes across the border, i.e. Kerry and namely Listowel, I wouldn't be too optimistic.

Balmed Out

And that it would need high fares and massive subsidies.

shamrock55

Great idea will never happen though we will just have to stick with roads that you wouldnt get on the surface of the moon

thelikelylad

stevielenihan wrote: »

Efforts should be made to reopen it again for rail travel. A railway is needed from the city to west cork.

Needed? Not at all. The bus service functions just fine.

I'd be all for it and It'd be nice to have but it's completely unrealistic. Improving/maintaining the road network would be a good start.

ofcork

Would have loved to see it in action.

KCAccidental

a nice idea, but complete fantasy. The amount outlayed to build it would cripple it from day one.

Citycap

RoyMcC wrote: »

Well spotted Looking a bit more closely it was hardly feasible even in those heady days of 2005 where investment monies were available. The payback seems to have been calculated entirely as 'Indirect Benefits' which, even then, was stretching credibility a bit.

They reopened a line in the west of Ireland during the boom. They may as well have flushed the millions down the toilet. Losing money hand over fist

RoyMcC

Citycap wrote: »

They reopened a line in the west of Ireland during the boom. They may as well have flushed the millions down the toilet. Losing money hand over fist

To be honest, if you look at the Irish Rail financial accounts the whole network runs at a huge loss and is only kept going by States grants. The concept of a West Cork line is (sadly) a romantic one only.

RoyMcC

...but parts may be re-opened as Greenways

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/abandoned-railways-to-be-reopened-for-walking-and-cycling-239184.html

goldie fish

They should never have pulled up the old one in the first place.

RoyMcC

goldie fish wrote: »

They should never have pulled up the old one in the first place.

It was losing money GF, not enough people wanted to use it. Buses/cars more convenient. Same in Britain. In Jersey they pulled the two lines up, the Germans relaid them during the war and they were ripped up again afterwards. Now everyone wants them back again

goldie fish

RoyMcC wrote: »

It was losing money GF, not enough people wanted to use it. Buses/cars more convenient. Same in Britain. In Jersey they pulled the two lines up, the Germans relaid them during the war and they were ripped up again afterwards. Now everyone wants them back again

I don't think it was losing money. It was a political decision, one of the most short sighted, in hindsight.

RoyMcC

Interesting article here

Maurice McCarthy clearly cites the switch in traffic from rail to road as the reason the rural lines 'died'. Maybe Cork folk like to think it was a Dublin conspiracy Interesting that he believes that, if the Bantry line had been kept going through to 1965 the oil terminal might have saved it.