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Unread 16-05-2007, 01:15   #7
dermo88
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 136
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Both Arklow to Rosslare and Waterford to Rosslare have a lousy farebox operational cost ratio. The motorway is much faster. Upgrading cost benefit analysis gave a negative rate of return.

This mitigates against putting high class rolling stock such as the 22000's on either route, and it would be a waste to put a 100mph capable unit on a line limited to 70mph.

Resources have to be allocated wisely, as there is only so much to go around.

They've got to go where they perform best.

The strategic rail review recommended a "do nothing" option with Waterford to Rosslare. But there are some minor improvements.

1. Terminate the Dublin to Rosslare service at Wexford, and have that running 5 times daily.
2. Run the 2 car "bubbles" from Wexford to Waterford, with a split at Rosslare strand, but allocating a driver to cover a 5km branch is highly inefficient.
3. Run two seperate shuttles, Wexford-Rosslare Harbour, Wexford-Waterford

The foot passenger option is dying off, and the boat train is an archaic concept. When Wexford is a town of 8,931 people (2006 census), with 9.359 in its environs, and you compare it to Rosslare, which in fairness is only going to attract a bunch of tourists and interrailers, its easy to see that the best option is to service the travellers who are likely to use it more frequently.

Someone has to lose in order that the majority gain.
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