Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson
The test run had very little to do with setting a non stop best time, the 1984 2 hours 7 minutes record still stands, there was a need to baseline point to point times following some upgrades
The upgrade program started as the final act of Steve Murphy the former General Manager of Heuston side services, that was 5 years ago and it is slowly starting to deliver.
We will have to wait until the major works are complete as they more or less absorb the time benefit from the finished sections. It should be 100mph all the way to Limerick Junction with only limits at Curragh (85mph) and Portarlington (80mph) which are geometry limited
Expect 2:35 or better for most services
|
I am glad to see the penny may have finally dropped. Mind you if IR want to stay in the game they really need to get Dublin/Cork/Dublin business services trains down to 2hr-15 minutes or less.
If the railway is to remain relevant it needs to produce radically faster journey times and improved frequencies across the board. This will be a mighty challenge in the current climate but it is not insurmountable should Irish Rail choose to leverage the massive investment in infrastructure and rolling stock that has taken place over the last two decades. The best foundation for further investment is effective use of that which has already taken place.