Foynes Line

Like so many of your posts, this is nothing more than your opinion, devoid of facts, sources and punctuation, and consequently very unconvincing.

the thing is that i don't need to convince you or anyone of anything here.

the line is being rebuilt, it's happening, it's ultimately over for it's opponents.

it obviously did go through some sort of economic apprasal hence it's happening.

if the details aren't published that's on the relevant authorities but there is no way in hell this line just got rebuilt cause reasons or cause ryan something something that was nothing to do with him.

After watching the video above, my first thought was also "where are the necessary facilities at the port?" I assume they would require planning permission so were dropped, much like raising the level of the bridge which had to be replaced. Presumably they'll scramble to add them later should they find a customer.

This project just happened to tick some relevant boxes; it didn't need planning permission, cost was <€100m so didn't need Cabinet sign off (just the civil works though, signaling, Level Crossings, etc. will likely push it over but will be a separate contract), had TEN-T to hide behind, aligns with policies regarding sustainability (in theory at least), IE are semi-state so more autonomy, etc. therefore got through with little scrutiny.

nothing stopping you from putting in a FOI yourself if you want to, let us know how it goes and the details when you get a response.

foynes is being rebuilt.

metro is happening this time believe it or not.

athenry to claremorris will be reopening, but when who knows, however beyond there to sligo won't.

there will be no line that way to donegal, that will come via a line from derry perhapse when the abomination of partition is undone which it will be eventually thankfully.

wonder if there would be any scope to do an occasional “unit train” from Foynes to Limerick of passengers from cruise ships in the summer months. No intermediate stops - just load from a simple platform with no shelter or ticket machine, and go

at present it looks like Foynes will see about 3 ships a month in the summer

Let's put this idea firmly to bed:

1. You would need to build a 100m platform to accommodate a 4-car train; would need a lot of clearance work given the dilapadated state of the terminus.
2. you would need to signal the route for passenger operation: not that cheap.
3. You would need to reverse at Limerick Check (the junction with the main line about half a mile outside Limerick station).
4. You would need to rustle up some spare rolling stock ( a spare 2-car 2800 at Limerick wold hardly be adequate)

All for 3 or 4 days a month in the Summer season. Not a runner.

I am not a signalling engineer, but it is well known that the rules for freight and passenger operations differ in respect of various safety issues such as: points locking, points and signals interlocking. On freight only lines such as Drogheda-Navan, level crossings may be operated by the trrain crew, necessitating 2 stops per crossing, and hardly a practical proposition for passenger trains, quite apart from any safety rules.

I would have thought that with a full rebuild of the line automatic level crossings would be installed.

Barry Kenny mentioned in a recent interview that the line was been done up to passenger standard and it was up to the government whether they want to put paying passengers back on it or not.

in other countries, what constitutes passenger standards is in publicly available legislation or regulation. When you say “passenger standards” is there a document you are basing this off of, even if it’s not publicly online?

For the Papal visit the platforms at Ashtown may have been refurbished and (as far as I can remember) a crossover installed fro turnback. For Eurovision Milstreet has its platform extended to take long trains (9 Mk IIIs).

In both cases the lines were functioning passenger lines so very different cases.

Latest fly past from Dronehawk showing significant progress

It will be a great greenway in 10-15 years time when they redapt it for that after it closed down because of non use