Upgrading the Kerry line

[rigel kent]

I have read about double tracking 30% of the Kerry line does any body know where it will be upgraded ?

[Jamie2k9]

Never will, any double tracking will be to Athlone in the medium term.

Do you have a link?

[James Howard]

I guess we all feel that the line we use needs upgrading. Personally, I feel that it would make my life a lot easier if they restored double-tracking between Mullingar and Killucan to help with crossing delays but I can't see it happening any time soon.

Would it not make a bit more sense to double sections in the middle of long single runs rather than at one end? All highly theoretical and never going to happen.

[ACustomer]

I would bet that this the raving of some local councillor.

It's local election year, so why not promise to double the WRC and upgrade it to 200 kph?

[Mark Gleeson]

As others have pointed out the candidates for doubling are

Maynooth - Mulingar (was two tracks till 1917)
Portarlington - Athlone (always been single)

There are in fact some plans to do something around Greystones also (was in the DART plan of 1996 but the passing loop and station at Redford was never built)


Kerry doesn't need 2 tracks, only investment should be a second platform at Milstreet as that would ease timetabling difficulties

[comcor]

Slightly off topic, but does Limerick-Limerick Junction not take a lot more traffic that the two sections you mention? I know it is already double-track between Limerick and where the Nenagh branch diverges, but there still must be some kind of case for it.

Agreed on the Kerry line though.

With only 8 services each way a day, having a passing loop every 10 minutes would be completely adequate.

[rigel kent]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

As others have pointed out the candidates for doubling are

Maynooth - Mulingar (was two tracks till 1917)
Portarlington - Athlone (always been single)

There are in fact some plans to do something around Greystones also (was in the DART plan of 1996 but the passing loop and station at Redford was never built)


Kerry doesn't need 2 tracks, only investment should be a second platform at Milstreet as that would ease timetabling difficulties

Kerry needs an airport terminal with a train station in it a proper commuter service to cork, a better carpark in Killarney and a cut in the price to Dublin.Double tracking would be nice but costly a reinstatement of the north Kerry line would be far more cost efficient and add stations to the web.

[shweeney]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There are in fact some plans to do something around Greystones also (was in the DART plan of 1996 but the passing loop and station at Redford was never built)

I assume this would be a passing loop south of the tunnel (there isn't space to double the track all the way into the station)? Would only really help slightly when trains are running late, as I can't see them increasing the frequency to Greystones.