[article] Mayo freight train service starts
 

[article] Mayo freight train service starts
Irish Times, 07.04.2006

A new container freight train service started yesterday between Ballina, Co Mayo, and Waterford.

Norfolkline, a Waterford- based company with headquarters in Amsterdam, will initially carry 18 45-ft containers between Ballina and Waterford once a week, but the service is expected to increase in frequency.

There had been growing concerns for the future of Ballina freight services, since the freight trains between Dublin and Ballina ceased last year.

Nothing new here the train is running again

Just goes to prove the WRC isn't needed

I wish them luck with it. I think I would be wasting my time lobbying for freight but if it reduces road usage it would be great. Hopefully this will be a success and more freight will be moved by rail.

One has got to feel optimistic about this

Norfolk Line are owned by Maersk Group who are one of the largest freight operators globally; this type of niche service is exactly what the future of rail freight will be going forward.

How does it work re: booking a container on the line? It is individual hauliers or is Norfolk bringing everything over on one of their ships to Waterford, anything to the Mayo imediate area goes by train and then picked up by local hauliers? If that is the case will they do a similar load to Galway and ones from Dublin and Cork as well?

Norfolkline are the transport company used by Coca Cola in Ballina and possibly one or two others

The deal is simple thay pay for a train, its there problem fill it

Problem behind the train is the economics are very tight thats why it stopped running the first time around