Western Rail Corridor / Rail Trail Discussion

Hmm, I see what you mean, quite a long distance without a passing loop.

Really, every station should have a passing loop, is that a reasonable statement?

So that would mean one for Sixmilebridge.

Maybe this is slightly off-topic, but only to illustrate how much space is wasted on peripheral issues . To-day's Irish Times has a wonderfully eccentric letter on the use of canals for freight.

I wish more energy could be devoted to really strategically important issues like mainline rail capacity enhancement and electrification.

Canals? Why not bring back horse transport? After all horses don't burn diesel, shthought I gather that have some significant tailpipe emissions. 😁

That's positive and consistent from Ryan. Facilitating the greenway while ensuring allowance for both. He has said all along that he could support the greenway providing it doesn't impact the rail line.

The mention of a decision in 2024 will hopefully lead to work on the ground commencing before too long.

I don't get what you mean there. Why would that business person lie about initially wanting it open but then oppose it? If they were lying initially how can you believe anything they say now? Doesn't make sense to me.

Excellent "done a poo" pic.

Perhaps I'm in the wrong thread, but is there any sign of the first train into Galway being made longer?

It's packed, rammed.

It's a 2-car 2800 DMU.

Are all 2800 series used every morning?

Any chance of any of the 41 new ICR being put onto this service?

Can a 2800 and an ICR be coupled?

I don’t know where you are getting that Connolly / Heuston split from, but given there has been no public indication from the railway company of how they will be allocated, I’d take it with a grain of salt until we see what happens when all of the sets are reformed next year and some cascades happen across the network.

Until we see the lie of the land next year (probably during the summer) when the ICR sets are all reformed, and a new timetable announced, it’s impossible to give a clear answer of how they will be distributed in terms of new services and cascades of stock.

I didn’t say 13 months.

The plan is for another new timetable to be introduced when all of the sets are reformed, which will likely be next summer.

The additional 41 intermediate cars will allow the existing five car sets be restored to six-car, some 4 car sets to six-car, and some 3-car sets to 4-car.

That will mean that some services which are currently formed using two trains will be able to use one which will free up a certain number of sets for extra services, but where they will be used remains to be seen.

In the meantime there are no spare trains sitting around, so complaining about isn’t going to change anything. As I said it’ll be next summer before you see changes happening.

You know its more likely to be neither,

I haven't gone through that in depth but am I right in saying that the report is aimed at finding the the easiest and cheapest way of putting in a greenway with a railway of secondary concern?.

"its glaringly obvious what the best option is" You haven't said what you think the best option is but Im guessing its option 1 based on that table and your past contributions. Option 1 will of course be the preferred option if a decision was made not to build the railway. Just as option 1 for a online railway would make most sense if it was a report focusing on building a railway with greater priority than a greenway.

Whats glaringly obvious is that any of the options could be valid depending on what the government wants to do.

1. Govt to set a date for implementation of new rail services on WRC phase 2 (won't be this side of 2040, lets say 2040 for arguments sake)

I agree with the first part of that point, pressure needs to be applied to get a commitment on a date. I can't agree or disagree with the arbitray 2040 number as no one knows at this time how soon it will happen.

2. IE to grant a lease until that date for a greenway.

No problem with that if it was known when the WRC would be built. A greenway first is fine if the WRC is pushed back. Again dates and commitments are needed.

I share your frustration with the lack of action either way. I'm hoping that any announcement delays are due to the government trying to genuinely prioritise resources and budgets in response to recent inflation. But of course this is Ireland and behind the scenes politics, government in-fighting and lack of commitment is sadly more likely the cause of stalement.

I don't get it either. Is the report really saying that for the greenway to operate on or beside the line that the land had to be purchased outright from IE? That makes no sense to me.

The quote in the article that the rail report has 'gazumped' the greenway report is very strange. They had a number of months to incorporate the AIRR draft recommendations.

Wth 75k spent on that report it seems there are questions to be answered.

Without firm opinion? You presented its findings yesterday as being clear on the best option. Subsequent basic analysis has already led to a lot of question marks over it. Or are you referring to the initial AIRR Draft

I dont know who these anoraks are that you refer to. Nobody in favour of either a greenway or rail line or both (Im in that grouping) is suggesting that decades of unused rails is desirable.

I think you jumped the gun citing that report. Its either credible or its not. We didn't need it at all to know a greenway only on the line is the cheapest option so for 75k I'm not sure what the point of it was.

I think when the greenway report commenced (few years ago?) the strong belief was that the AIRR would reject the WRC and that would pave the way to buy the land. Option 1 was the goal. Other options just listed as a box ticking exercise. Once the AIRR came out they probably had the budget and resources exhausted and they then just threw the whole thing up in the air and that reflects the report conclusions. The failure to incorporate the lease option was inexcusable.

"The greenway feasibility study is just part of the game that has to be played..."..."Of course the other options were just box ticking"

Seriously? And there was me thinking a 75k government funded report should assess options correctly before arriving at its conclusion (which was likely to be option 1). And you think people wont think it's a stitch up and wont complain when the report is a fraud? Doesn't seem like they played that "game" very well does it?

"It would then have to get through design and planning and be allocated hundreds of millions € for construction. Even then, the lines on either end are extremely limited so they also need significant investment (therefore more design/planning time and big funds) before a meaningful level of service could be provided."

That's nonsense the line is shovel ready. The Limerick-Athenry didnt take decades. It's political will that will either progress it or not progress it. Roads and rail investment takes 'millions of pounds'. The WRC will be only a small percentage of the overall capital budget as Ive said to you many times. Lets cancel everything that costs money in that case.

What's your issue with "failure to incorporate the lease option"? Surely all that does is further strengthen the case for Option 1 which was already the clear preferred option.

No issue with it if they wanted the aim to get a greenway to fail. The most likely way to progress it was to work with Irish Rail under a lease agreement as DaCor and intellectual dosser have stated above. Trying to buy a railway outright to stop "certain people complaining" (whoever they are) instead of a more realistic leasing solution makes no sense. I don't think many or any cyclists would be travelling along the route grumbling that its only leased, once the facility was there.

If it's true that it was completed over 18 months ago then that backs up what I was saying - that it has the appearance of been done at a time when it looked like the railway may not proceed and option 1 was the only show in town.

You'd have to wonder though how they could be so confident of this and that Irish Rail would sell the land.