Burma Road = World's Biggest Roller Coaster?

[PaulM]

Originally Posted by Jister

Oh, and there is an operational line in Navan at the moment. It could probably be opened to passenger services for less than scratching along the WRC with a track machine.

We've tried. IE said no.

[Nigel Fitzgricer]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

I'm saying that the Westmen are obvously just that much better at it and perhaps, just perhaps, we're missing the point there.

The West of Ireland lobbies are simply brilliant at getting what they want and I would agree that 90% of what they demand they do indeed deserve.

But 3 trains a day from Sligo to Limerick for a billion Euro or so would be an obscene waste of public money. Just because somebody wants something, does not mean they always need, or deserve it.

There is a rusting relic of a bridge on the Sligo line which could fall into the Shannon if trains went over it any faster than 10mph - I think that is a bit more of a priority for rail transport development in the West of Ireland than being enchanted by the glorious sight of 100 year old ballast being exposed to daylight again for the first time in 30 years. How much of the Burma Road fencing and clean-up could of paid to have the Shannon Bridge replaced?

Let's be honest, the Western Rail Corridor is mainly a religion for some trainspotters who would gladly see the rest of the Irish Rail network turn to dust just so they could have the chance of one photo of a 071 hauling Cravens on a rail tour over Swinford Viaduct. If the Shannon Bridge on the Sligo line was declared 'unsafe' (which I have no doubt will happen in the future if the bridge is not replaced) and Sligo services curtailed at Dromod or Longford matters not, once we can see the ballast on the Burma Road again then that's what matters to these people...

The McCann Report should of kept everybody happy as it was fair, balanced and pragmatic all things considered. But just like the Independent Reviews into the Corrib Gas Field, there is a certain elements who do not want any result except the one THEY want.

The McCann Report is fine, let's stick to it and ignore the tiny hardcore elements who want the WRC at any cost including reopening the roller coaster between Tuam and Coolooney.

[Derek Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

WoT have done a superlative job there when these so-called projects that Paul was listing above have gotten nowhere.

You mean every mickey mouse branch of FF in the west did a good job.

I be interested in hearing how you quantify the opinion expressed in your posts Thomas. Its contradictory to your previous opinions. (wow! committee row in public)

Oh and by the way, the McCann report was nobbled. Who did that? FF or WOT or should that be FF/WOT coalition. Anyone who can support this crackpot idea needs their head examined. The bus is already threatening the Dublin - Belfast Enterprise service. The WRC is dead already. Another waste of money from the muppets of Kildare street.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

Maybe, all things being equal, the WRC is a more deserving cause, makes better economic and envioromental sense and will deliver a more lasting and tangible benifit than those other ideas.

Have you been on something Thomas? Am I misreading or have you actually said the WRC makes better economic sense and will deliver more tangible benefits than Navan and the interconnector?

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

totally deserved preferential tratment IMHO, the west has had to suffer and as has been pointed out many times, continues to suffer thankis the the negative effect of the Dublin sprawl. The west need goods, counterbalancing and intutitive infrastructural initiatives such as this and I for one think its really really nice.

A couple of snippets from lookwest.ie:

75% of people in the West spend 30 minutes or less getting to work
Only 1 in 20 spend more than an hour
Average commute time is about 20 minutes
1 in 7 people in the Dublin area have to travel for over an hour to get to work each day

Parents in the West have always known the importance of education for their children.

A higher share of young people go to college than anywhere else in the country
Sligo and Galway have the highest admission rates to third level education in the country — 70% and 67% respectively compared to a national average of just 55%.
Children also start out on the right foot as primary schools in the West generally have smaller class sizes.

Average pupil-teacher ratios in primary schools are considerably lower than in Dublin and surrounding counties e.g. an average of about 17 pupils per teacher in Mayo compared with 22 pupils in Kildare.

And when the children get a bit older, secondary schools in the West have an excellent record in terms of results and college entry.

It's not the west that suffers from the Dublin sprawl - It's Dublin.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Er, Derek, Nigel, Dave................................

You did read the posts properly?

You do know what satire is, dont you?

Chrstsakes................

to quote "Its really really nice"

[Dave]

Apologies Thomas

[Nigel Fitzgricer]

Sligo Co Co have announced that the population of Sligo town is to be doubled with all new residential and commercial development on the north side of the town, miles from the main railway station and the alingment of the Dublin-Sligo railway line which is the natural transport corridor for the town.

However, they are claming the proposal is sustainable from a public transport aspect and will boost the case for "future commuter services on the Western Rail Corridor"...[?!???!]

Where the hell is Cullen and Roche in all this? Their departments are supposed to making sure this kind of thing does not happen anymore. One of the conditions Cullen put on the later stages of the WRC happening was CoCos must plan their population growth along the course of the rail line.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Nigel Fitzgricer

Sligo Co Co have announced that the population of Sligo town is to be doubled with all new residential and commercial development on the north side of the town, miles from the main railway station and the alingment of the Dublin-Sligo railway line which is the natural transport corridor for the town.

However, they are claming the proposal is sustainable from a public transport aspect and will boost the case for "future commuter services on the Western Rail Corridor"...[?!???!]

Where the hell is Cullen and Roche in all this? Their departments are supposed to making sure this kind of thing does not happen anymore. One of the conditions Cullen put on the later stages of the WRC happening was CoCos must plan their population growth along the course of the rail line.

Ah yes, the Athy Syndrome. Any town within 50 miles of the WRC will see some nice house price inflation, which is why on another thread I've been banging on about Craughwell all the time. This is not the same as the investment that WoT think it is.

Of course, we shouldnt have Estate Agents as County Councillers either, but what the heck.

[Nigel Fitzgricer]

The WRC beyond Tuam has been binned.

[ACustomer]

Nigel FitzG: If the WRC north of Tuam has been binned, then the taxpayers' money spent on clearing the Burma Road by O'Cuiv is an even more scandalous waste. The benefits are absolutely zero.

I wish I could share your optimism: I can only say "They haven't gone away, you know".

[dowlingm]

As a matter of interest - has the track clearance uncovered any of the WRC encroachments photographed by P11 members previously? What has the reaction been?

ACustomer

I disagree - clearing the WRC is not a waste of money. However, reopening it as a heavy rail line would be. I'm pretty comfortable with reopening all the way to Claremorris in time if the right case was made to be honest - I like the potential to run services south from Westport/Ballina. I remember interviewing for a job in Asahi way back when there was an Asahi and kinda worried that I might get it given the transport options ex Cork!

However, the Claremorris-Collooney alignment is not fit. The West's own McCann couldn't stomach it. That's not an argument to hand it over to any farmers who have encroached, but to develop it as a hiking/cycle trail or some other amenity. Maybe even run a bit of a heritage railway over some of it as in Waterford.

Clearing the alignment reinforces the State's ownership of the land and prepares it for productive use, just not a use that comes out of Irish Rail's subvention.

[Derek Wheeler]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

As a matter of interest - has the track clearance uncovered any of the WRC encroachments photographed by P11 members previously? What has the reaction been?

To put it simply and witnessed by me personally over the last 9 months......NO. If you visit IRN you will see "selected" photos that are not representative of whats actually happening out there. Driveways, car showrooms, national roads, by roads, gate houses, cabbage patches. Christ you name it and its "across" the burma road. It continues to be the joke that it always was.

The virgin mary will get back to Knock before any railway ever operates near it.

[sean]

someone should post photos of all these obstructions on IRN - would be a riot!

[Thomas J Stamp]

We have access to them Sean, we'll put out a request to the various copyright holders.

Or else take a trip and do it ourselves.

[Nigel Fitzgricer]

The latest obstructions are new fences which farmers are putting across some parts of the line for the first time in 20 years because the recent clean-up has made this more easy to do. "Ironic" does not even cover it

I wouldn't bother with IRN either way, Sean - I had a looked there this morning and there is a bout of Gricer-cide going around. It's like a Locosexuals Waco or something.

This is the golden age of rail transport in Ireland and these poor fellows think it's the end simply because no locos to spot and a fence has been erected along a yard in Dublin and they can't see the trains. Forget the DART, Luas, Metro stuff, they are not even interested in Ennis-Athenry, Midleton or even Athlone-Mullingar as there'll be no locos and freight to take photos of. Since the locos and cravens were taken off the Ballina branch they are openly expressing their lack of interest in Irish railways enmasse. One of them even posted a photo of the Ballina loco farewell with "I WILL NEVER GO TO THE WEST OF IRELAND EVER AGAIN". In bold caps.

So much for the WRC being about "Regional Development" and their compassion for the welfare of the people of Connacht...

[Nigel Fitzgricer]

Originally Posted by ACustomer

I wish I could share your optimism: I can only say "They haven't gone away, you know".

Oh they have. Very much so.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Nigel Fitzgricer

The latest obstructions are new fences which farmers are putting across some parts of the line for the first time in 20 years because the recent clean-up has made this more easy to do. "Ironic" does not even cover it

I wouldn't bother with IRN either way, Sean - I had a looked there this morning and there is a bout of Gricer-cide going around. It's like a Locosexuals Waco or something.

This is the golden age of rail transport in Ireland and these poor fellows think it's the end simply because no locos to spot and a fence has been erected along a yard in Dublin and they can't see the trains. Forget the DART, Luas, Metro stuff, they are not even interested in Ennis-Athenry, Midleton or even Athlone-Mullingar as there'll be no locos and freight to take photos of. Since the locos and cravens were taken off the Ballina branch they are openly expressing their lack of interest in Irish railways enmasse. One of them even posted a photo of the Ballina loco farewell with "I WILL NEVER GO TO THE WEST OF IRELAND EVER AGAIN". In bold caps.

So much for the WRC being about "Regional Development" and their compassion for the welfare of the people of Connacht...

Look, Nigel, people know where IRN is, if they want to know about it they can go there. If you want top put up a big post being critical of IRN do it there, not here, or on Boards.ie.

[Nigel Fitzgricer]

I know it's monday morning but there are some crabby vibes going on here lately. I never slagged IRN in that post - just Genus Locosexualsist and their inability to see the woods from the trees with all the good stuff happening with rail in Ireland at the moment. I can't understand their negativity. I always felt sorry for the normal ones on IRN who have the same outlook as the rest of us and have been let down by oppertunistic tourists looking for hobby money and it being counterproductive to their railfreight lobbying and so on. If IRN keeps unloading the gricers, they have a great chance of being meaningful again. I see it as a good thing for them.

Jesus relax, spring is almost here and we won't have to tolerate Pat Kenny for much longer. Look at me, I do yoga and hurl abuse at the Postman every morning and am a better human being for it.



Back to the topic at hand, the WRC is never going to be opened north of Tuam. The recent clean-up was used as a means of have a closer look by senior Civil Servants in the DoT and it was a deciding factor in the WRC file being put in the bottom drawer again.

Tomorrow it will be announced that BE are to massively expand their bus services in the Northwest and Connacht with all north-south buses now serving Knock Airport the way they currently do with Shannon. I have already seen the new buses on the 64 and 65 routes on the N17 with a huge new decal on the side with Derry-Sligo-Knock Airport-Galway-Shannon-Limerick-Cork and they are even marketing it as the "Western Bus Corridor" running on the "Atlantic Road Corridor".

[Thomas J Stamp]

I never slagged IRN in that post - just Genus Locosexualsist and their inability to see the woods from the trees with all the good stuff happening with rail in Ireland at the moment.

I wouldn't bother with IRN either way, Sean - I had a looked there this morning and there is a bout of Gricer-cide going around. It's like a Locosexuals Waco or something.

That's where you did it.

that thread is interesting though, I'll give you that, and if you feel good about it, well, that's understandable.

[Nigel Fitzgricer]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

That's where you did it.

Fair cop, but I wasn't the only one. But point taken nevertheless.

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

that thread is interesting though, I'll give you that, and if you feel good about it, well, that's understandable.

Not so much feel good, as surprised to see the truth come out in such a blantant and spectacular manner. Pity IRN did not have the good sense to ban the gricers from their boards years ago as anyone who would be interested in their railfright lobbying would have not taken them seriously upon reading that stuff.

Too late now.