Rosslare line threat

Goods · 30-11-2017, 15:07

https://www.independent.ie/irish-new...-36366154.html

Surely a line that has operated for decades and managed to survive in all weathers can be protected in the 21st century. Rail to ports are a national asset in terms of strategic infrastructure and should be maintained as a priority. Instead we get such a warning without any plan to prevent the problem and preserve the line. CIE are masters at undermining the network firstly they claim a line is hard to maintain, then they reduce the service to a point where it is not adequate and then due to falling passenger numbers they propose closure. Rosslare is a critical port and more so now as a Brexit option for freight export avoiding UK. We should be opening lines to Rosslare not warning of closures. To think there was a Cork to Rosslare line in the 1960s that was a jewel running alongside the Blackwater river one can imagine what CIE is capable of deciding.

comcor · 30-11-2017, 17:21

Where is the threat supposed to be?

Bray to Wicklow seems the biggest risk, but there hasn't been any talk of closing that line.

If it's the line through Wexford town, there are much bigger problems than a threatened railway line.

The only other place it gets very close to the coast is a short section between Rosslare Strand and Rosslare Harbour.

ACustomer · 30-11-2017, 19:56

It's the section between the Strand and the harbour. There has been a lot of erosion long-term around that stretch. Suits some of the negative closure mentality of the powers that be.

Goods · 27-07-2018, 07:55

Recently arrived in Rosslare on ferry and noticed no train to meet the boat despite many foot passengers and bikers with signs looking for lifts to places like Limerick, Cork,Waterford, Dublin etc. To think that not so long ago the rail service provided connections to all these places but we dismantled the rail connections. The rail station is almost anonymous at Rosslare barely a sign showing it , a clear indication that IE are running down the service so that soon they can indicate low usage data despite no trains to meet the ferry and no real service offered. Europort in name only as far as Irish Rail concerned.

Mark Gleeson · 27-07-2018, 09:50

Plenty of trains meet the ferry

Weekdays

Departures for Fishguard from Rosslare are
08:00 (no connection)
18:10 (13:36 from Connolly arrives 16:20)

Departures for Pembroke from Rosslare are
08:45 (no connection)
20:45 (16:37 from Connolly arrives 19:21)

Arrivals from Fishguard at Rosslare
04:00 (05:41 to Dundalk)
16:25 (18:06 to Connolly)

Arrivals from Pembroke at Rosslare
06:46 (07:26 to Connolly)
18:46 (no connection)

Rail/Sail is only offered via Fishguard which 3 of the 4 daily arrivals/departures has a connection

Inniskeen · 29-07-2018, 08:22

Think your times at Rosslare are a bit off. Anyway the point being made is that there are now no rail connections to the southwest which was always the principal orogin/destination on the Irish side for the Fishguard route.

I suppose the stand-out point is that Irish Rail have no ambitions for rail development of any sort at Rosslare, BREXIT or no BREXIT.

Goods · 30-07-2018, 06:25

Exactly, unique infrastructure has been uprooted towarDs Rosslare including from Waterford and the fact that no train meets the French ferries means that it is an incomplete service so passengers have no potion but to find another way. In Cherbourg on the other side it’s the opposite case rail option working and available. Rosslare railway is going the way of many lines being gradually run down and can be justified by passenger numbers that simply reflect a poor service.

berneyarms · 30-07-2018, 18:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goods

Exactly, unique infrastructure has been uprooted towarDs Rosslare including from Waterford and the fact that no train meets the French ferries means that it is an incomplete service so passengers have no potion but to find another way. In Cherbourg on the other side it’s the opposite case rail option working and available. Rosslare railway is going the way of many lines being gradually run down and can be justified by passenger numbers that simply reflect a poor service.

Erm there is a rail connection off the Irish Ferries sailing into Rosslare.

The ferries arrive from France at either 11:00 or 11:30. The train leaves at 12:55.

That allows for wriggle room if the ferry is late.

In the last year the Stena sailings between Rosslare and Fishguard have changed times and now 3 sailings out of 4 are rail connected at Rosslare.

Arrival Ex Fishguard at 04:00 (Rail connection at 05:35 Mon-Fri)
Arrival ex-Fishguard at 16:25 (Rail connection at 18:00 Mon-Sat; 17:40 Sun)

Departure ex-Fishguard at 18:10 (Rail connection arrives at 16:28 Mon-Sat; 16:35 Sun)

I'm not quite sure your doomsday statements about the Rosslare line have any basis in fact given that the number of rail connections have actually increased in the last year, not dropped.

berneyarms · 30-07-2018, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inniskeen

Think your times at Rosslare are a bit off. Anyway the point being made is that there are now no rail connections to the southwest which was always the principal orogin/destination on the Irish side for the Fishguard route.

I suppose the stand-out point is that Irish Rail have no ambitions for rail development of any sort at Rosslare, BREXIT or no BREXIT.

Would that not be a decision for the NTA given that they now specify service levels for all PSO services, be they bus or rail?

Goods · 31-07-2018, 12:34

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/plan...hness-1.623959
My point originated from seeing that no train met the incoming Stena ferry from France despite a host of people with signs looking for lifts to various parts of the country. If the service is not convenient why would anyone use it. Some of the departure times in the example look strage to me - Is some person going to stand around for one and a half hours waiting for a train to go?

The fact is that the running down of the connections to Rosslare did not begin today or yesterday its a continuous pattern over years. Previously Rosslare was connected to both Cork and Limerick through Waterford so the trend is clear.

Such recklessness is not the case either on the UK or the French side where rail to the ports is maintained including for freight but in IE the truck lobby is politically better connected.

30-11-2017, 15:07	#1
Goods Regular Poster Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 117	Rosslare line threat https://www.independent.ie/irish-new...-36366154.html Surely a line that has operated for decades and managed to survive in all weathers can be protected in the 21st century. Rail to ports are a national asset in terms of strategic infrastructure and should be maintained as a priority. Instead we get such a warning without any plan to prevent the problem and preserve the line. CIE are masters at undermining the network firstly they claim a line is hard to maintain, then they reduce the service to a point where it is not adequate and then due to falling passenger numbers they propose closure. Rosslare is a critical port and more so now as a Brexit option for freight export avoiding UK. We should be opening lines to Rosslare not warning of closures. To think there was a Cork to Rosslare line in the 1960s that was a jewel running alongside the Blackwater river one can imagine what CIE is capable of deciding.

27-07-2018, 07:55	#4
Goods Regular Poster Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 117	Rosslare line threat Recently arrived in Rosslare on ferry and noticed no train to meet the boat despite many foot passengers and bikers with signs looking for lifts to places like Limerick, Cork,Waterford, Dublin etc. To think that not so long ago the rail service provided connections to all these places but we dismantled the rail connections. The rail station is almost anonymous at Rosslare barely a sign showing it , a clear indication that IE are running down the service so that soon they can indicate low usage data despite no trains to meet the ferry and no real service offered. Europort in name only as far as Irish Rail concerned.

27-07-2018, 09:50	#5
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	Plenty of trains meet the ferry Weekdays Departures for Fishguard from Rosslare are 08:00 (no connection) 18:10 (13:36 from Connolly arrives 16:20) Departures for Pembroke from Rosslare are 08:45 (no connection) 20:45 (16:37 from Connolly arrives 19:21) Arrivals from Fishguard at Rosslare 04:00 (05:41 to Dundalk) 16:25 (18:06 to Connolly) Arrivals from Pembroke at Rosslare 06:46 (07:26 to Connolly) 18:46 (no connection) Rail/Sail is only offered via Fishguard which 3 of the 4 daily arrivals/departures has a connection __________________ Unhappy with new timetable - let us know

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30-11-2017, 17:21	#2
comcor Really Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cork-Dublin, Cork Commuter and occasionally DART and Dublin-Wexford Posts: 855	Where is the threat supposed to be? Bray to Wicklow seems the biggest risk, but there hasn't been any talk of closing that line. If it's the line through Wexford town, there are much bigger problems than a threatened railway line. The only other place it gets very close to the coast is a short section between Rosslare Strand and Rosslare Harbour.

30-11-2017, 19:56	#3
ACustomer Really Regular Poster Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 767	It's the section between the Strand and the harbour. There has been a lot of erosion long-term around that stretch. Suits some of the negative closure mentality of the powers that be.

29-07-2018, 08:22	#6
Inniskeen Really Regular Poster Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 951	Think your times at Rosslare are a bit off. Anyway the point being made is that there are now no rail connections to the southwest which was always the principal orogin/destination on the Irish side for the Fishguard route. I suppose the stand-out point is that Irish Rail have no ambitions for rail development of any sort at Rosslare, BREXIT or no BREXIT.

30-07-2018, 06:25	#7
Goods Regular Poster Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 117	Exactly, unique infrastructure has been uprooted towarDs Rosslare including from Waterford and the fact that no train meets the French ferries means that it is an incomplete service so passengers have no potion but to find another way. In Cherbourg on the other side it’s the opposite case rail option working and available. Rosslare railway is going the way of many lines being gradually run down and can be justified by passenger numbers that simply reflect a poor service.

31-07-2018, 12:34	#10
Goods Regular Poster Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 117	https://www.irishtimes.com/news/plan...hness-1.623959 My point originated from seeing that no train met the incoming Stena ferry from France despite a host of people with signs looking for lifts to various parts of the country. If the service is not convenient why would anyone use it. Some of the departure times in the example look strage to me - Is some person going to stand around for one and a half hours waiting for a train to go? The fact is that the running down of the connections to Rosslare did not begin today or yesterday its a continuous pattern over years. Previously Rosslare was connected to both Cork and Limerick through Waterford so the trend is clear. Such recklessness is not the case either on the UK or the French side where rail to the ports is maintained including for freight but in IE the truck lobby is politically better connected.