Foynes Line

We are fortunate to have Dronehawk and others bringing projects like this alive.

interesting one for the golfing set re Adare. Maybe the wee ball hitters should have clubbed together to preserve the Belmond set here? :)

https://railroad.net/2024-us-open-service-pinehurst-sc-over-the-acwr-aberdeen-carolina-and-western-railway-t176927.html

Correct on points 2 & 3.

Regarding point 1, the current work is "Phase 1" of the project, which is largely about laying the track and all associated works. In the following press release (May 2024) Iarnrod Eireann said the following "Phase two of the project will include the provision of a signalling system for the route, CCTV level crossings, train communications system and track connections and upgrades at Limerick and at Foynes Port. Subject to funding allocation for phase two it is expected that this work will take 18 months to complete. It is anticipated that the route will be ready for operations in December 2025 with freight services commencing in early 2026."

The big variable here is "Subject to funding" - 2026 is achievable but they would want to getting a move on. There is also the question of the provision of rolling stock.

Press release here:

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/news/track-laying-begins-on-new-foynes-rail-freight-lin

Iarnrod Eireann’s current freight operations and rolling stock are very very limited. These pages will give you a flavour for what remains, much of the freight rolling stock dumped on sidings: https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-fleet/freight-fleet and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_freight_stock_of_Ireland

To answer your questions in turn:

1. I would say given the number of different things that have to fall into place, two years could well be viewed as optimistic.
2. IE invited expressions of interest from suppliers of freight rolling stock in 2022, which mentioned 400 wagons. https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicPurchase/207672/0/0?returnUrl=ctm/Supplier/PublicTenders&b=ETENDERS_SIMPLE This was followed by an invitation to tender last year inviting bids for somebody to advise IE on procuring freight rolling stock (an admission that either they have deskilled to the point where they are no longer capable of managing the procurement of freight flats, or too lazy to bother doing so). I don’t believe that this has advanced much in the interim but I may have missed something. Also important to bear in mind that certain types of bulk freight would require specific rolling stock (e.g. in the past there were specific assets require for handling and transporting bulk cement and also ammonia on its trips through the city centres)
3. $64,000 question. No contracts are in place, and there doesn’t appear to be any specific focus or direction. Without knowing what bulk freight is going to be transported, and for what clients, it’s impossible to say where it will be unloaded or what facilities will be required. It appears to be very much a case of “build it and they will come”. Which of course is complete nonsense and a daft way to approach infrastructure. There is a considerable amount of bulk freight passing through Foynes at present. It’s anybody’s guess as to how much of this will transfer to rail and what will be involved in making this happen. Personally, I find it difficult to see much happening without major policy changes and intervention. This is part of the legacy of waste foisted on us by the soon to be ex-minister for transport.

I would not call myself an expert on freight, but I would have an amateur interest in ports, etc.

Foynes has 400-450 ship arrivals over the last few years, that's say 8-9 per week.

5m to 7m tonnes per year.

That's more than Waterford.

Foynes has zero roll-on / roll-off.

Does Foynes deal with containers? It seems not at the moment, but there are plans?

https://www.sfpc.ie/containers/

Shannon Foynes seems to deal in liquid and dry bulk cargoes, like chemicals, coal, ores, fertilisers, etc.

The implication here is that these bulk cargoes must return to rail, in order for the railway line to be used?

Is that a reasonable statement?

Well then why is the line being re-built?

The Ryan Line

The problem is that Irish rail no longer offers its liner service which was essentially a wagonload network, so marginal flows like the molasses that ran from Foynes to Mullingar and Longford would have to be a full block train to be viable..

There is also next to zero rolling stock available, so adding any new flows will incur a major up front investment..

Grain from Foynes to Gain feeds in Portlaoise and ore from Pallas green to Foynes for export are the two most likely flows IMO.. Timber from north Kerry to Waterford may be another possibility

Is GAIN feeds in Portlaoise directly connected to rail?

Ore from Pallasgreen? Is that the Galmoy mine?

Well at least BAM aren't building it. Otherwise it would be the most expensive railway in the world, not finishing for 27 years and half the sleepers would be missing...

GAIN feeds mill is right beside the former Portlaoise to Kilkenny line.. It received grain by rail from Dublin, Waterford and Foynes in the 90s and early 2000s..

No Galmoy is closed, Pallas green is a new prospect/mine

It has been posted several times in this thread - TEN-T EU requirement that certain tiers of ports must be connected to rail.