Western rail corridor (WRC) - Capital Plan

[dowlingm]

All the carry on about Ennis-Collooney and money spent on tarmacing a swathe of Ardrahan while Athlone-Mullingar went with barely a whimper. I fancy the latter will be regretted more in the long run - and not merely to avoid improving Athlone-Portarlington.

[Goods]

Essentially we are arguing the same point that the railway system could be much better and meet the obvious demand with investment. A set of priorities is required to be decided by policy makers and then a plan implemented. That plan should not exclude services to rural Ireland as we have seen lately the Westport line cannot meet the demand and trains from Longford in the mornings are uncomfortably full by Maynooth when the commuter stops begin.
Doubling of certain track, electrification and added carriages are part of the solution as is looking at other options like a new north south route WRC or using Athlone Mullinagar line option into Dublin for some west trains.

[comcor]

It would be great to know what the usage for point to point on exiting non-radial services are.

Are passengers just connecting from a Dublin service or is there significant traffic on the line itself.

We can’t extract that from the rail census, but I assume Irish Rail have some idea from ticket sales.

[Goods]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breaki...se-938937.html
The data shows the extent that there is demand for rail service in IE yet the system is struggling to respond with the result that trains are crowded and there is little sign of expanding the network in places like Navan, or doubling track on lines such as to Mullingar or Tullamore. Irish Rail work on the basis of limiting the service rather than allowing it grow

[Goods]

https://amp.irishexaminer.com/breaki...mpression=true
Demand for commuter rail has never been as high and instead of investment in double track and higher frequency IR trying to reduce peak time numbers. Has to be a better way!

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Goods

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breaki...se-938937.html
The data shows the extent that there is demand for rail service in IE yet the system is struggling to respond with the result that trains are crowded and there is little sign of expanding the network in places like Navan, or doubling track on lines such as to Mullingar or Tullamore. Irish Rail work on the basis of limiting the service rather than allowing it grow

Originally Posted by Goods

https://amp.irishexaminer.com/breaki...mpression=true
Demand for commuter rail has never been as high and instead of investment in double track and higher frequency IR trying to reduce peak time numbers. Has to be a better way!

You do realise that IE are constrained in what they can and cannot do by what funding they receive from the government via the NTA.

Almost everything you’re blaming them on requires capital funding from government/NTA and they have dithered on that for years, especially on the rolling stock side.

Unless people make enough of a fuss about it to their TDs then things aren’t going to change. Public transport investment is always long term and that doesn’t fit into the political cycle unfortunately.

[Goods]

Agree completely capital funding is a gap though I think IR planning is faulty as we seem to suddenly realise that demand has increased despite the graph going up for years. Irish Rail board is a politically selected group so the Board ensures that there is no bad news for the serving govt and vested interests are not threatened. Look at the way that bus services competes with the train instead of one backing up the gaps in the other. See how Rosslare Harbour is being run down in terms of rail service and look at the way Waterford port has been run down in terms of rail freight links. The railways are idle at night so freight can move without congestion but the road freight business prefers to obstruct rail freight. Using the railways more effectively will reduce the overheads and contribute to capital budget. Doublin of track eg to Mullingar would increase commuter frequency of trains instead of turning customers away at peak time. Not including a rail link to the airport when the M50 was built was good for the car park business at the airport.

[Goods]

https://www.handling-network.com/tra...h-railfreight/
Ballina leading the way in IWT trains. If WRC was in place a link between Ballina and Cork or Rosslare would open many options for rail use