Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (Draft)

[comcor]

I post this here as there are as there are significant rail components

New commuter stations on the lines to Mallow, Midleton and Cobh
Double-tracking from Glounethaune to Midleton
Frequency increases
Electrification of Commuter services
A Luas-type light rail within the city


https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Cork_Met_Area_Transport_Stategy__May19_SCREEN.pdf

The cynic will say that the stations and frequency increases were in the previous plan and never happened.

I can't personally see the point in double-tracking Midleton. The current arrangement can support up to 4 trains per hour and with two extra stations between Glounethaune and Midleton, it would be easy to create extra passing loops. Double-tracking would be exceedingly disruptive to existing services.

[comcor]

If there were double-tracking and 6tph on the Midleton and Cobh lines, could the junction in Glounethaune accommodate it?

It would mean Midleton-Cork trains crossing Cork-Cobh trains.

What is the maximum number of services that can feasibly cross each other on a level junction?

[James Shields]

With good signalling, 6tph on each branch, int each direction, should be no problem. The London Underground sub-surface have lots of level junctions and manage that sort of frequency, albeit with occasional delays and foul ups. The big advantage the line has over the DART is the commuter trains don't have to share with Intercity services.

I think everything in the plan has merit. I don't have a huge amount of hope that it will ever be built, but maybe some day.

[Mark Gleeson]

The junction issue isn't a problem if you schedule trains to pass at the junction so you schedule a non conflicting arrangement

The plan is reasonable, possibly a bit overstating the demand needs, 6 4 coach trains an hour from Cobh? Thats 6 times the current capacity.

Will it happen? It reads very much like a document produced for Dublin in 1973, which we are still waiting on