Now that the new timetable, with its good and bad points, is finalised it may be interesting to discuss realistic and attainable further steps that may be a possibility for 2014.
From previous discussions a few issues, in my view, need to be looked at. Among them:
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Speed limit increases on sections of other lines: the scope (or lack thereof) for the speed limit on some sections on other lines to be raised (e.g. the Rosslare line).
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Additional station potential ? If there are one or two provincial locations where there
may be scope to provide a low cost station and tap new business. A better way to look at this may be if there was to be a list of five locations that might see a station within the next two decades where they might be.
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Feeder buses: The scope for feeder buses in certain provincial locations to provide a seamless and integrated service (e.g. there was a plan for a rail feeder bus from Fermoy/Mitchelstown to Mallow -
http://www.buseireann.ie/news.php?id=538&month=May. Similarly Drogheda station is a long walk from West Street yet there is no bus.