[article] Western rail corridor passengers fall short of anticipated numbers

[sean]

Gee ... what a surprise

[Inniskeen]

Problems are not confined to the WRC - Dunboyne, Docklands, Adamstown, Clondalkin and Parkwest are hardly booming. I am afraid the WRC is to a great extent a micrcosm of the problems facing the railway as a whole.

How are these figures calculated - is a journey from Limerick to Galway counted as part of the Limerick/Ennis figures, the Ennis/Athenry figure or the Athenry/Galway figure or all three ?

[Mark Gleeson]

53,187 is the total number of journeys which in any way travelled on the WRC

So Limerick Ennis is not in the 53,187 number, but Sixmilebridge - Gort is as is Limerick Galway

There is no double counting so a Limerick Galway journey is not counted in Limerick Ennis

For the record the Limerick - Ennis numbers remained stable 2009 v 2010 showing a fall of only 1000

Dunboyne is suffering due the lack of Hansfield but the new timetable will serve Connolly/Pearse and stop enroute at all stations so it will see significant use. The fact that numbers overall are up 3% 2009 v 2010 shows that rail is holding on. Dublin Bus/Bus Eireann are seeing quarterly falls of 3-5%

The reality is Dublin Suburban is running at less than 1 euro a passenger subsidy as is Cork, WRC is 45 euro a head based on these numbers.

[Inniskeen]

You say that Limerick/Galway and Sixmilebridge/Gort trips are counted as WRC (by this do you mean Ennis/Athenry ?). If this is so then the figures are biased in favour of Ennis/Athenry thus underestimating usage of the other two segments.

What you appear to be saying is that any trip that originates or terminates between Ennis and Athenry or that transits Ennis/Athenry is counted as WRC and as there is no double counting these trips are excluded from Athenry/Galway and/or Limerick/Ennis. Am I interpreting this correctly ?

[comcor]

I wonder how many passengers a day would have used Rosslare-Waterford if 4 trains a day were provided... And all for no capital investment.

More seriously, the sooner Irish Rail realise that what is required is a speedy service from Galway to Limerick Junction (with either connections to or possibly travelling on to Cork and Waterford) that doesn't stop at all stations on the way, the sooner it might start attracting passengers.

[Mark Gleeson]

The 53,187 is the number of passengers who travelled in any way over the Ennis Athenry section. 100k was the business case requirement.

Galway - Limerick - Limerick Junction has been discussed with Irish Rail several times, no progress

The load factor on the Waterford Rosslare was between 30-50 depending on time of year. A cost neutral option of 3 trains a day was rejected which would have driven total numbers up and balanced its extra costs with extra revenue. Bear in mind the Waterford Rosslare had a 20-30 minute time advantage to all stations served.

[shweeney]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The 53,187 is the number of passengers who travelled in any way over the Ennis Athenry section. 100k was the business case requirement.

I think 100K was the estimate rather than the "business case requirement" - there was no business case no matter how they skewed the figures. If its costing €45 per head, doubling the numbers is not going to suddenly make it good value.