Luas for Galway Bid

[Navan Junction]

Byway of complete coincidence..

I'm sure you would find our local representives in Meath too open to discussion on rail - look Navan Drogheda...

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Lorna Siggins, Western Correspondent, Irish Times, 22/05/2006

Future transportation needs for Galway must be planned for on a regional rather than local basis, said Labour Party president Michael D Higgins.


The Galway West TD was commenting on the publication of an independent plan for a light rail system for the western capital, which was endorsed by him as "imaginative" at a public meeting hosted by the Labour Party in Oranmore last week.

The proposal to address Galway's increasing traffic congestion involves introducing a two-line light rail network, with the first line running from Knocknacarra and Rahoon in the west of the city to Oranmore in the east. The route would take in Terryland, Mervue/Wellpark, and Ballybane/Ballybrit.

The second line would run from Eyre Square to Moycullen via Newcastle, where there would be an interchange between the two routes at NUI Galway. Total network length would be 28kms (17 miles), and there would be minimal disruption as less than 10 per cent of the track-length would be "on street".

The investment could be recouped in 15 years, said independent transport researcher Brian Guckian, who drew up the proposal as one of a series of lines for a number of urban areas which he has submitted to the Department of Transport and local authorities.

Mr Guckian said the concept is not based on the existing Luas in Dublin, but on a much lower cost and flexible model which has been developed on the Continent and in Britain. Light rail technologies can be built for as little as €1.5 million a kilometre, whereas new road schemes can cost up to €10 million a kilometre and more, he said.

Light rail will become an essential part of urban transport as commuting becomes uneconomic, due to the energy crisis, he said.

Mr Guckian agreed that the Corrib light rail proposal should be viewed as "part of a wider sustainable and innovative transportation strategy" for Galway given the area's rapid development.

A "partnership of community and public representatives" could come up with a final proposal which would be submitted to a feasibility study, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Higgins has criticised CIÉ for giving an "absurdly short" timescale for public submissions on the €750 million redevelopment of its 14-acre site at Ceannt station in Galway city.

The company agreed to accept public submissions up until last Friday t but emphasised that the proposal was still at the pre-planning stage.

The redevelopment will include bus/rail facilities, and may also include a retail, office and residential space.

© The Irish Times

[Navan Junction]

Originally Posted by Mark

Rather than talking about 'trams' per say the type that would suit that situation best is light weight DMUs. Ill post more info at a later date, cant find it at the mo.

In fairness, that is what Brian was talking about..

[Mark]

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...s-1398547.html

Gluas - whatever that means!

GALWAY could have its own light rail system called Gluas up and running within three years and at a cost of just €200m.

It will be cheaper than the capital's Luas system, which began in 2001 and ended up costing €775m.

Ambitious plans to build a 21km network of three lines with 64 stations serving the east and west of the city will be unveiled next Monday.

Proposers claim the system will need just 12,000 passengers a day to break even. And unlike the Dublin system, all three lines would actually link up.

The first line would have a park-and-ride site at the western end of the Western Distributor Road in Knocknacarra, running to Bishop O'Donnell Road and Westside, before crossing the River Corrib at the Quincentennial Bridge.

It would continue to Bohermore and past the G Hotel onto the Dublin Road, with a depot at Merlin Park.

The second line would have a park-and-ride site at Dangan/Bushypark -- linking with the first line at the Quincentennial Bridge -- then down the Newcastle Road to serve NUI Galway and UCH Galway.

The tram would travel down University Road and across the Salmon Weir Bridge before going up Eglington Street to Eyre Square.

It would continue to Prospect Hill and out the Tuam Road before making its way to another park-and-ride site at Briarhill to serve Ballbrit Industrial Estate and Galway Racecourse. The third line would run from Westside -- linking with the first line -- and then into the city centre.

http://gluas.com/technical-details/

[Mark Hennessy]

Who's paying for this?

[Mark Gleeson]

So there are 64 stops in 21km, thats like one every 330m, when standard practice would be one every 1 to 1.5km

[Mark]

This is not an RPA nor DoT sanctioned study. Amusing none the less.

If Luas means speed in Irish what does Gluas mean? G-speed?

The bodies involved are:

An Taisce
Galway Chamber of Commerce
Galway City Business Association
Galway City Community Forum
Galway Green Party/Comhaontas Glas na Gaillimhe
Galway Healthy Cities Project
Kenny Group
NUIG (representatives from Engineering, Geography and Political Science and Sociology)
Student Union (NUIG)
Tram Power Ltd.

Seems to be it is cutting costs on the quantity of infrastucture needed.

I take it Gluas is a watered down Luas in the same guise that Metro-West is a watered down Metro North and Metro North is a watered down actual metro system? God, when do we ever do anything straight up in this country?

[Colm R]

The only official talk about this is coming out of the West. I think what the powers that be are doing is "talk about it enough and they will have to build it".

But (as Cork man, you will be suprised to here me say this) our cities outside Dublin are too small to support rail projects of this size. I can't speak for Galway as I don't know the city too well. But I think a luas, at this point in time is over kill.

Where the "regiional" cities (I hate the word regional) really need improvement is in the bus infrastructure. I live on a road in Dublin that is serviced by 5 bus routes. FIVE. Do you think you would get this level of service around the country.

The powers that be in Galway should stop looking for photo ops, and work on something that is deliverable and beneficial. Like strong commuter rail projects from towns around Co. Galway which are INTEGRATED with an easy to use, convient local and city bus routes.

Gluas, it really isn't worth it.

[chris]

This verges on laughable. 64 stops is particularly amusing. With a stop every 11 tram lengths (station every 330m, tram length 30m), it would be pathetically slow. On the plus side, the investment needed would be minimal since max line speeds would only need to be about 20kph... Stopping writing spoof business plans Glue sniffers of Galway

[MidlandDeltic]

Originally Posted by Mark

This is not an RPA nor DoT sanctioned study. Amusing none the less.

If Luas means speed in Irish what does Gluas mean? G-speed?

The bodies involved are:

An Taisce
Galway Chamber of Commerce
Galway City Business Association
Galway City Community Forum
Galway Green Party/Comhaontas Glas na Gaillimhe
Galway Healthy Cities Project
Kenny Group
NUIG (representatives from Engineering, Geography and Political Science and Sociology)
Student Union (NUIG)
Tram Power Ltd.

Seems to be it is cutting costs on the quantity of infrastucture needed.

I take it Gluas is a watered down Luas in the same guise that Metro-West is a watered down Metro North and Metro North is a watered down actual metro system? God, when do we ever do anything straight up in this country?

Hmm, Tram Power. Their prototype incinerated itself on the Blackpool system last year. http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources..._Blackpool.pdf