Foynes Line

Couldn't they let boards people drive trains on it?

Well…. another well known unkept secret was the Zinc mine that they intended using it for.

That vein of zinc that starts in germany and pops up in Navan and then in Limerick….. Well known that that was another use for the line but with Tara closed now…. what is to become of it? The tender for the 40 ore wagons backed up the leak.

Does anyone actually know what they intend on using the line for if not for passengers. We know its "freight" but what type? Are the oil sidings to be used again? for the Aluminium plant?

Does anyone actually know what they intend on using the line for if not for passengers.

@Board Walker

The answer to your question is a straightforward no. No customers identified, no specific freight traffic identified, no loading/unloading facilities planned. It's pie in the sky and has all the hallmarks of a budding white elephant.

"

Does anyone actually know what they intend on using the line for if not for passengers.

"

isnt it just to get TEN-T funding ?

actually no we couldn't have avoided ticking the box because there would be no legitimate reason, or specific/unique issues or restrictions, for us not to do it hence no exemption.

as is it is we already get plenty of exemptions in terms of rail and other things, some of which we actually could comply with but don't cause reasons.

if, say, foynes never had a rail line then that would be a restriction/specific/unique issue by where we would be able to avoid ticking the box of having it connected to the rail network dispite it being a 10 t/core port.

there is nothing dodgy going on here, everything has been explained and the government agreed with all of the evidence provided.

those who have a problem with the reopening had plenty of time to put forward arguments against and either didn't, or they weren't convincing.

it's over, it's being rebuilt and will be open for traffic, people now need to come to terms with it.

projects already effectively do compete for funding, so we have more or less what you are looking for.

that is why dart+ and metrolink are at the top followed by cork suburban.

whatever way things would be done, foynes would have proved it's case.

You will have some wait for that link. However you will get a reply full of waffle

with the Limerick city rail infrastructure the way it is you wont see scheduled passenger rail in Foynes. ( Much as I'd like to see it happen)

It's more than the infrastructure in Limerick. The line has a total catchment of about 10-15k people. Along with that the Rathkeale station is in the middle of nowhere and the Askeaton one is about 500m from the center of the town.

You would not have 200 people a day using the service. Those numbers would never justify a rail service.

The asset as you call it will cost the bones of 200 million to get it to freight level haulage and another 50++million to establish a passenger service.

The cheapest solution would be to close it down now but that is not going to happen

Passenger grade signalling, new stations and so on will add another 8 figure sum; new rolling stock would be required (there is nothing available) and there would be operational subsidies

Sunk costs are not an argument for further expense - it needs to stand up on other grounds.

To answer your three questions in turn; None, No and None.

The contractors would be happy to move off site if there profit margin was given and costs already incurred paid. Al that would be needed is to secure the line( which for a train track has to be completed anyway and lift any tracks laid. IE could use these elsewhere. Get the contractor to turn it I to a Greenway. There will probably never more than 20-30 trains use that track every year at the very most.

IIt will go down as one of the largest white elephants this state undertook.

No a report fro. 20+ years ago was waved about not sure if anyone looked at it. Eamon was able to give the go ahead because supposedly it was a sub 100 million project (Cabinet approval not required) and tge government turned a blind eye tokeep the Greens in government

Planning was not required as it was an existing railway. However that was not correct either they are caught with a bridge in Adare which requires planning. On top of that they only partially tendered the contract to keep it under the 100 million. It's expected to cost double the actual tendered cost.

Even the tendering process was quite fast considering the way Eamon has dragged out every road project which come under his department