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Unread 14-09-2018, 15:01   #61
comcor
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The problem there is that the Athenry-Tuam motorway has completely blown Tuam's score to pieces. Where it had 100 for lack of road competition, that is now a 0. It's score is now a rather mid-table 41.

I was always perplexed by using scores from Gateways and Hubs from the National Spatial Strategy in this as well, seeing that the designation was rather arbitrary and more suited to help local politicians in 2002 than actually develop a strategy (I mean, why was Tuam, then population 7,200 and 34km from the nearest Gateway a hub, while Navan then population 19,400 and 48km from the nearest Gateway not a hub). The assessment criteria should simply have been town population.

Bus competition was perceived as a negative, when in fact it demonstrated the demand for public transport on a route. This actually worked against the Athenry-Tuam section of the WRC though, although it made the figures look way better further north.
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Unread 15-09-2018, 12:00   #62
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http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32491-co...dor-campaigner
The case for reopening is solid its about taking the initiative - like Knock airport long ago
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Unread 24-10-2018, 11:18   #63
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Default Reopen WRC line to Claremorris

http://www.mayonews.ie/news/32491-co...dor-campaigner

The absence of any real political backing for the reopening of the rail line to Claremorris in the west usually implies that local vested interests have knobbled the voice of the politician. The rail corridor is a national asset regardless if it competes against local transport interests. IE has signed up to 2030 UN Global cimate change goals that it cannot meet if we remain wedded to the car. Projects like WRC can contribute to the change including removing cars from commuting to Galway. Now is the time to mobilise not the day before an election.
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Unread 01-12-2018, 05:52   #64
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Default Review report due on reopening of line to Tuam/Claremorris

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/ro...o-claremorris/

Much talk about climate change initiatives and regenerating towns in the west there are few more concrete examples of how to create connectivity and business that to reopen this artery through the country that links to about 5 other main lines including to Sligo, Castlebar, Ballina, Galway and Limerick
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Unread 13-01-2019, 11:32   #65
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Default WESTERN RAIL CORRIDOR FROM LIMERICK TO SLIGO

https://sligonewsfile.com/news-item/...r-bowen-walsh/


A FULLY REINSTATED WESTERN RAIL CORRIDOR FROM LIMERICK TO SLIGO WOULD OPEN UP THE FAR TOO LONG NEGLECTED WEST

"Great credit is due to the people behind West=on=Track who have tirelessly fought to have the disused Collooney Claremorris track brought back into service as a fully functioning railway, people such as sociologist Fr. Micheal MacGreil, Colman O’Raghallaigh and, in Collooney, Peter Bowen Walsh. Detractors have pointed to costs, they have pointed to the community rebuilding role the revived service could play in linking the North West to the South and the dividend it would return both as passenger service and freight transportation operation linking towns and villages dying for want of essential transport infrastructure". No political vision on this critical transport issue.
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Unread 26-02-2019, 15:25   #66
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https://connachttribune.ie/rail-corr...ther-year-110/

Sacrificing the western rail corridor permanent way for a greenway is an example of IE short term thinking. This is a piece of critical national transport infrastructure that has been kept in tact since the 1970s and vested interests want to kill off the reopening option by converting the rail bed to a greenway. This is the type of rail infrastructure that could breathe life into the west and regenerate communities like Castlerea and Tuam and even Sligo. The anti rail lobby is alive and well on this topic for own gain. Pushing the decision to a consultants report is another political opt out in doing the right think by the country.
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Unread 26-02-2019, 22:59   #67
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Surprisingly, for once I agree with you.

Once Greenways have been built, rail will never run again, even if there are significant demographic changes (imagine if a successful multi-national saw Sligo’s population swell).

The same applies to other proposed Greenway projects like Midleton-Youghal and Rosslare-Waterford.

If the line is in a state where reopening is possible (and let’s face it Rosslare-Waterford could be reopened tomorrow), a Greenway shouldn’t be considered.

I also wonder if the tourism benefits are overstated. Authorities look at the Greenways in Westport and Dungarvan with envious eyes, but the unsuccessful one from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale goes unnoticed. The first two are in very scenic areas; the latter covers unremarkable farmland.

Anyway, most cyclists I know would prefer to see the money go into urban cycling infrastructure.
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Unread 06-03-2019, 10:52   #68
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Yes it’s good to agree once in awhile.
Waterford ROSSLARE closing is baffling at a time when the ferry port is being upgraded. A direct connection to a city likeWaterford opens up many options for connecting passengers. Maybe the downgrade has something to do with little container traffic.
Agree that once a greenway replaces the track that’s the end of the future rail option despite the CIE promises.
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Unread 28-04-2019, 21:51   #69
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Default Review begins

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/ro...is-to-athenry/

EY-DKM consultants appointment to review western rail corridor Athenry-Claremorris and about time to extend the railway northwards after the outright success of the Limerick- Athenry section
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Unread 12-05-2019, 11:25   #70
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Default game changer for western rail corridor

https://www.seancanney.com/freight-i...rail-corridor/
The case for reopening Western rail corridor is linked to the carbon emissions problem that is coming down the tracks in Ireland we are going to face international fines. Rail is a concrete solution to remove traffic from roads including freight.
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Unread 05-06-2019, 19:29   #71
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Irish Rail website to-day (June 5th, 2019) has notice of a consultation process on possible extension of the WRC to (i) Athenty-Tuam and (ii) Tuam-Claremorris. It appears to be done in conjunction with the Department of Transport. No mention of the NTA. Strange why an operating company should have a role in this and not the National Transport Authority.
See: http://www.irishrail.ie/news/wrc-consultation

This bears out all the suspicions I have about the chaotic governance structures for public transport in Ireland.
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Unread 05-06-2019, 22:28   #72
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http://www.irishrail.ie/news/wrc-con...RI4ZzPQT5BDBOM

Public consultation on western rail corridor
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Unread 06-06-2019, 14:43   #73
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Maybe the reason why the consultation does not seem to involve the NTA is that it has been done to placate WRC lobbyists; hence the "political" (DoT) origin of the exercise.

I would hope that the NTA has a well-researched list of projects which would meet really urgent needs, starting with easing bottlenecks which limit system capacity.
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Unread 06-06-2019, 19:41   #74
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I agree there are many priorities and bottle necks though there were many naysayers when phase 1 of WRC was reopened and data has shown that passenger numbers have surpassed what Irish rail had estimated before the line reopened.
The WRC is a piece of national rail infrastructure which would provide a fantastic rail option in the west and link south and north via WRC.
Rail projects should not be limited to Dublin only though I accept that it’s time to link Navan by rail to Dublin.
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Unread 09-06-2019, 09:36   #75
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Default Fastest growing numbers on rail network

https://fleet.ie/western-rail-corrid...e-to-increase/
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Unread 09-06-2019, 11:34   #76
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Ennis to Athenry was one of slowest growing routes in 2018. Ennis-Limerick numbers is not part of the WRC.

Limerick-Ballybrophy grew almost four times faster in % terms during 2018.
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Unread 10-06-2019, 08:29   #77
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https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-...018_V8_Web.pdf
I think the data on the Limerick - Galway route speaks for itself in terms of usage.
If you take a section of any route such as Mallow to Thurles or Banteer to Killarney the figures will be low the numbers using the service is the key and thousands are using the WRC phase 1 who would otherwise be traveling by road so the service is necessary. People is the west should have train services that are useful also. It’s about connectivity and using rail options for the future such as hydrogen and electric.
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Unread 17-07-2019, 16:34   #78
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No surprise that the population down the country are a second thought in terms of transport which is probably why western Rail Corridor has so little central political support.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breaki...ds-937586.html
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Unread 21-07-2019, 14:30   #79
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The balancing of Dublin's growth can come from strengthening western and southern urban centres, but Athenry-Claremorris is the middle or end of that process, not the beginning.

Athlone-Mullingar got greenwayed despite being materially more significant infrastructure than Tuam-Claremorris.
M3-Navan can't get done,
Youghal-Midleton can't,
Tivoli/Blarney/Blackpool can't, (Blackpool plan won a planning award ELEVEN YEARS AGO)
no passing loop at Sixmilebridge,
Killonan-Limerick Junction, Portarlington-Athlone, Athlone-Galway and Maynooth-Mullingar still mostly single track,
Waterford-Limerick Junction with loops lifted and an awkward terminus at both ends, plus ancient signalling and manual crossings (see also Nenagh branch)

I would do something about all of those *before* I would touch the Tuam route. Why not fill B&B beds with leisure trippers in the meantime?

Meanwhile Ireland is staring down the barrel of no-deal Brexit and the possibility of having to create from very little resources and less time a railfreight capability from Dublin Port to Belfast as some kind of help to the catastrophe a road border regime would create.

The fact, Goods, that you can link to article after article (and growth rates of trains operating in low double digit loads) does not indicate the likely success of such a venture. It only demonstrates the truth of the old saying "(local) paper never refused ink"
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Unread 21-07-2019, 16:03   #80
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I agree that there are many rail priorities that have gathered dust over time probably the most inexplicable one is failing to extend the railway to Navan from M3 as was the intention.
Railways are more than just about the star performing lines they are also about transport infrastructure in the society that lead to future development and economic options. Knock Airport was rubbished often in the initial phase yet today it relieves traffic from the west going to a clogged Dublin everyday.
Galway is looking for solutions to deal with traffic gridlock, the railway link to Tuam is an option - the link to Limerick is a success already.
You rightly mention Brexit , the WRC is a north South option that could relieve the overused mainline south from Dublin and give access to Rosslare and Waterford ports for the future.
Railway is a transport solution that will become more important why not use infrastructure that is already in place and owned by the state. I take your point on different priorities whoever sets them
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