Cork Area Commuter Rail (CACR)

Thanks. It wasn't mentioned in the Examiner article I saw earlier.

Appointing pen/mouse pushers announcement. Meh.

I have a question about the dual-tracking to Midleton.

90m for 8km, is that correct?

Is land acquisition involved?

Removal of level crossings?

It seems expensive for 8km?

From the website, the project covers:

• Addition of 2nd track over the full extent of the line;
• Addition of sidings/turn back facilities at Midleton;
• Modification/replacement of bridges and level crossings to facilitate the twin tracking
• Associated signalling upgrades and alterations;
• All associated civil works (retaining walls, boundary treatments, etc.).

All works completed as part of the project will be compatible with future electrification of the Cork Area Commuter Rail network.

(full text here: https://www.irishrail.ie/ga-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/cork-area-commuter-rail/glounthaune-to-midleton-twin-track-project )

"Associated signalling upgrades and alterations" and "will be compatible with future electrification" suggests that at least some of the ETCS install project recently awarded to Alstom is under this budget. (https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2023/8/alstom-chosen-provide-smartlock-interlocking-and-etcs-irish-rails-cork-area-commuter-rail)

Eamon Ryan in a tweet said it will be fully battery electric.

So they have cleared 1,200 cases from their backlog. The article linked shows that the backlog was cleared over a two year period, but even if we're generous and recognise that there was a certain ramping up time associated with the recruitment of new staff and board members and assume that this backlog was cleared over 1 year, that suggests that APB will still take another two years to clear the backlog of existing cases at the current run rate. Do we even know what their approach is for clearing the backlog? are they working on new cases to current SLAs so that anything new going into the system isn't impacted by the delays and quarantining the backlog cases and clearing them down as a separate workflow?

Surely it's reached a breaking point where they should just consider doing an amnesty and approve everything just to get back on track?

Ryan wants to send what I’m guessing is the second DART order to Cork in 2026: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41402068.html

Blarney also apparently going to be a terminal station with a 3rd platform and charging infrastructure.

Cork passenger numbers up 15% this year.

Also seeing €300m mentioned for the current works underway - was this not originally around €185m?

That's some article in fairness………

New battery electric trains could be running on Cork's new €1.6bn high-frequency commuter rail service within two years, the Transport Minister has pledged.

€1.6bn ?????

Some €300m is already being invested in a new through-platform at Kent Station.

That must be some platform

“We are here today to give Cork back what it had once — one of the world’s leading rail systems,” he said.

Get a grip Eamonn

“This is good news for Cork, but also for the whole country because Cork on the rise balances the country and makes for better-balanced regional development.”

Eamonn get a grip. This is a long overdue improvement in the trains to Midleton and Blarney, not some transformative investment with widespread and large scale economic benefit across the region.

It won't make trains any more frequent or faster to be fair.

Haha I've had a very long week in work. Thought it was 2025, or just forgot how to add..

That application can't be taken as a benchmark, there is clearly some sort of complication with it. The far more complex and contentious BusConnects corridors in Dublin have been getting approval without much issue.

The current crossings are manned and are clearly less safe than not having them at all. Any potential interaction between road vehicles and trains is a safety consideration.

The proposal would eliminate 6 of the 7 manned crossings on the line and convert the 7th one to an automated controlled one.