Ambitious plans for Carlow outlined

[kevin]

http://www.carlow-nationalist.ie/news/story.asp?j=30410&cat=news

Ambitious plans for Carlow outlined
By Majella O'Sullivan
CARLOW commuters might soon be able to avail of an hourly train service to Dublin.

County manager Joe Crockett revealed that the local authority is already in talks with Iarnród Éireann with a view to updating the service between Dublin and Carlow.

Mr Crockett was speaking at a business lunch in the Seven Oaks Hotel organised by Carlow County Enterprise Board. He said that the county council was looking at expanding the railway station and extending the platform to accommodate the proposed increase in traffic.

“We’re looking at an hourly service between Carlow and Dublin and we expect the Carlow and Kilkenny service to be upgraded. This is being investigated at the moment,” Mr Crockett said.


Personally, I think that even with the new railcars in 2008 this is unlikely to happen in the next 2-3 years. I don't see the demand for hourly services between carlow and dublin.

The mornings are pretty well catered for with trains arriving at 7:40, 8:40 and 9:50 though as one of those that do carlow-dublin daily I'd like to see something added in between the 16:25 and the 18:25 in the eveneings.

There's been a bit of to-ing and fro-ing in the nationalist over the last few weeks regarding the inability of the waterford-heuston train to arrive at carlow at 07:18 consistently.

It is so often late (in carlow) that it's ontime departure on a monday in december left quite a few people behind ;-)

However, due to the padding in the timetable, it usually arrives in heuston within 5 mins of the timetabled time thereby allowing Irish Rail to say that it's not late (something like 98% on time).

regards

kevin

[Colm Donoghue]

Ah yes planning in Carlow town.

The same town with a newly built bypass and an even newer housing estate opening directly onto the said bypass.

Or a bypass that goes almost around the town, for the sake of 2.5 km it could have been relatively bypassed on the N9 instead of just the N80 secondary road.

Oh the joys of having half the town in a different county.

[AZ1]

Could also add a mid-morning service (there's nothing at all between 8:30 and midday!) maybe by extending a Kildare Arrow - that might temporarily deprive Kildare/Newbridge of a return Arrow, but that Arrow could just turnaound in Carlow and serve them on the way back. Kildare doesn't need a bunch a mid-morning services to the city: one, just one, could be shared with Carlow, a far, far bigger town, and help cut that empty block of almost 4 hours.

Also, I think the Waterford line is ripe for its own dedicated 2-3 car DMU service, shuttling back and forth all day between IC times on the Kildare to Kilkenny section.
From Cherryville, the Aaterford line is a standalone operation.
I wonder what improvements Athy/Carlow/Waterford will see in the new timetable.
Just my 2 cents' worth!

[Mark Gleeson]

Newbridge is equal if not bigger than Carlow and more people commute from Newbridge than Carlow, the current hourly service is poor, no reduction in service can be tolerated

Dublin Waterford every second hour is pencilled for mid to late 2008, post Kildare route project to at least hourly to Carlow at peak times. There will be 8 services per hour beyond Hazelhatch per hour at least one is Waterford line bound. This reeks of another political gig, I want hourly services yap yap (knowing of course IE have promised this ages ago for 2009),Baz Kenny repeats what was said 2 years ago and local politico gets his votes from nothing

I had a interesting talk with a transport planning professional a while back about the long distance commute, basically tough luck you have a train in and out. Long distance is not sustainable and is extremely expensive to provide and results in a poor efficiency of resource use

Put simply if you live 50 miles out you cannot expect more than a train an hour and thats pushing it since it diverts resources away from the heavy commuting patterns closer to the city. Long distance you can move 500 tops short distance 1300 and make more trips

Fact is it is irresponsible of Carlow CC to promote development which they well know be targeted at people working in Dublin. Won't see them putting up the cash to improve the rail line will you ?

[Navan Junction]

CARLOW commuters might soon be able to avail of an hourly train service to Dublin.

County manager Joe Crockett revealed that the local authority is already in talks with Iarnród Éireann with a view to updating the service between Dublin and Carlow.

Ah, Mr Joe Crockett, remembered fondly in Meath.

Is there an election coming?

http://blog.meathontrack.com/2006/06/19/1998-article--revival-of-rail-line-now-likely.aspx

[Thomas J Stamp]

Remember my Athy posts?

this will happen in Templemore as well.

The reason is bad plannign in Dublin, where there is plenty of space for hosing at the right density. Will it happen? Goway!!

[Derek Wheeler]

Mr Crockett was speaking at a business lunch in the Seven Oaks Hotel organised by Carlow County Enterprise Board.

Wine, beer, succulent roast beef, nonsense, etc. Ive been at Kildare versions. More sewage works material spoken, than you could fit in an outflow pipe.

The business breakfasts are even better. Its as if the speakers have overdosed on Weetabix.

Apologies to Carlow rail commuters for my negativity.

[dowlingm]

If Mr Crockett's got some money to spend on this expansion it would at least be better than the WRC councils who want Dublin and Cork taxpayers to pay.

[Navan Junction]

Point is that Mr Crockett has a track record of playing the political game coming up to elections - I would be very sceptical there is any serious intent behind this..

[kevin]

Like in the Election 2007 threads, it's politicians promising that they're working on stuff that Iaranrod Éireann have already said they plan on doing.
:D

This weeks paper talks about all the commuters travelling from carlow, then says there could be 150 people waiting on the 08:50 to dublin.

Hint: 90% of the comuters are already in dublin by 08:50 :)

kevin