Enfield

[dowlingm]

Did this ever get built? If I read Google Maps correctly it looks like “no”. Maybe IE felt the 6 (undetailed) conditions were unacceptable / outside their budget.

[James Howard]

It hasn't been built. It's quite mad really, when you look at all the development going up in Kilcock - the same should be happening in Enfield with a peak-time extension for the Maynooth commuter service.

[comcor]

Is Enfield a realistic place to terminate any service without creating a third platform, not just a second? (I note that there seems to be the remains of a siding that could accommodate that).

Or once you've got that far, do you just continue to Mullingar, which is as far out of Dublin as Dundalk and Port Laoise, which both have comuter services?

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by comcor

Is Enfield a realistic place to terminate any service without creating a third platform, not just a second? (I note that there seems to be the remains of a siding that could accommodate that).

Or once you've got that far, do you just continue to Mullingar, which is as far out of Dublin as Dundalk and Port Laoise, which both have comuter services?

Perfectly possible to turn trains at Enfield as it is a block post - just depends on the overall schedule so that there aren’t other trains clashing on the single track.

[Jamie2k9]

Slighly suprising Enfeild loop lasted over recent years, 7 years with no scheduled use. IE attatitue is use them or lose them!

It was only braught back into use when the 06.55 resumed.

[comcor]

I suppose my point was more whether it was a good idea. I guess longer distance traffic on the Sligo line is rare enough that it can be scheduled to avoid disrupting that traffic. It’s not a conversation we could have about the Kildare line.

The ideal situation here is to have a stopping train from Dublin arrive and pull into a third platform, just ahead of an InterCity from Dublin and an InterCity from Sligo, with passengers from intermediate stations heading to Longford, Sligo etc. able to change. Then it sets off to Dublin with any connecting passengers from places further down the line to stations en route. The relative lack of complexity on the Sligo line compared to the lines ex-Heuston, which split and split again, means it’s something that can work relatively well on it. It looks like Enfield would at least have the space to build for such a scenario, even if we can only dream of those levels of connectivity.

[ACustomer]

comcor: something like you are advocating already occurs at Maynooth. Most Dublin-Sligo trains arrive at Maynooth a few minutes after a suburban train and picks up passengers from intermediate stations. Its the same with up trains: you can generally get off a train from Sligo at Maynooth and pick up a stopping suburban train about 7 or 8 minutes later.
Is quite a neat arrangement and any issue with Enfield is a largely separate matter