How to improve the Limerick - Nenagh - Ballybrophy line?

[Deedsie]

Has there ever been a study done investigating the feasibility of adding a spur off the line just South of Borris in Ossory to the main line South of Portlaoise? What would it cost? It seems like the best option by far to make the line viable and supporters of making the line viable again should be campaigning for such a study to be done?

I dont expect this to happen in the medium term but if an active and vocal campaign began to advocate for it maybe someday it could happen.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Deedsie

Has there ever been a study done investigating the feasibility of adding a spur off the line just South of Borris in Ossory to the main line South of Portlaoise?

Do you mean like the blue lines on the image? It would cost perhaps €2 million per km and increase maintenance costs, but deliver no appreciable service improvement. It would somewhat parallel / duplicate the existing main line.

Improving the existing infrastructure would be much more useful.

[James Howard]

What is the current setup for this line for signalling and level crossings? Are these still all manual or have they largely been sorted out? If they're still stuck needing a couple of dozen people just to keep the line open, it's hard to see any long-term future for the line.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by James Howard

What is the current setup for this line for signalling and level crossings? Are these still all manual or have they largely been sorted out? If they're still stuck needing a couple of dozen people just to keep the line open, it's hard to see any long-term future for the line.

All signalled manually via three signal boxes at Killonan Junction, Birdhill and Roscrea.

All level crossings bar one are manually operated (and there are a lot!).

[Deedsie]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

All signalled manually via three signal boxes at Killonan Junction, Birdhill and Roscrea.

All level crossings are manually operated (and there are a lot!).

Is there anyway to find out exactly how many level crossings there are? Is there a GIS map viewer or anything?

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Deedsie

Is there anyway to find out exactly how many level crossings there are? Is there a GIS map viewer or anything?

12 in total - 10 between Killonan Jctn and Birdhill, and 2 between Roscrea and Ballybrophy.

There are a reasonable number of accommodation crossings on top of that.

[Deedsie]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

12 in total - 10 between Killonan Jctn and Birdhill, and 2 between Roscrea and Ballybrophy.

There are a reasonable number of accommodation crossings on top of that.

Hi Berney,

Thanks for the reply. Do the accommodation crossing impact on journey times to the same as the level crossings do? Has there ever been an attempt to automate the level crossings or remove them completely?

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Deedsie

Is there anyway to find out exactly how many level crossings there are? Is there a GIS map viewer or anything?

On this map: http://www.irishrail.ie/timetables/live-map-intercity zoom in to Tipperary and click 'Level Crossings'.

This is a work in progress: http://product.itoworld.com/map/258?...ullscreen=true vehicle crossings (automatic, manual or accommodation) in green, pedestrian crossings in blue.

ITO World is based on OpenStreetMap, which is a work in progress. The Irish Rail data is generally more complete, but is variable in quality.

[Deedsie]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

On this map: http://www.irishrail.ie/timetables/live-map-intercity zoom in to Tipperary and click 'Level Crossings'.

This is a work in progress: http://product.itoworld.com/map/258?...ullscreen=true vehicle crossings (automatic, manual or accommodation) in green, pedestrian crossings in blue.

ITO World is based on OpenStreetMap, which is a work in progress. The Irish Rail data is generally more complete, but is variable in quality.

Great links... Thanks so much.

Wow there is so much to it. Limerick to Birdhill has so many level crossings it would need massive investment. As would Nenagh to Ballybrophy.

All very depressing. What would be the best use of money to invest in the line though?

[Deedsie]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

On this map: http://www.irishrail.ie/timetables/live-map-intercity zoom in to Tipperary and click 'Level Crossings'.

This is a work in progress: http://product.itoworld.com/map/258?...ullscreen=true vehicle crossings (automatic, manual or accommodation) in green, pedestrian crossings in blue.

ITO World is based on OpenStreetMap, which is a work in progress. The Irish Rail data is generally more complete, but is variable in quality.

ITO world seems to have ceased operation. Dont think the Kilonan junction to Ballybrophy line was ever done on openstreetmap.

[Deedsie]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

Do you mean like the blue lines on the image? It would cost perhaps €2 million per km and increase maintenance costs, but deliver no appreciable service improvement. It would somewhat parallel / duplicate the existing main line.

Improving the existing infrastructure would be much more useful.

http://railusers.ie/forum/attachment...d=145900452 7

Sorry but your link isn't working for me but I will assume we are referring to the same thing.

My assumption would be that the appreciable service improvement would be the improvement of journey time, which would increase customers which would eventually result in a profit for the line that could be invested in the increased maintenance costs of employing new staff etc or improving other parts of the line such as the level crossings etc

I'm not in anyway advocating this in the short to medium term but if the line is to be made viable people interested need to decide what the most important approach to make the line viable is and speak with a unified voice about it.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Deedsie

Sorry but your link isn't working for me but I will assume we are referring to the same thing.

Image fixed:
http://railusers.ie/forum/attachment...d=145919690 8

[Deedsie]

Originally Posted by Colm Moore

Image fixed:
http://railusers.ie/forum/attachment...d=145919690 8

Something like this is what I was thinking. It would surely increase speeds if the train didnt have to travel to Ballybrophy and switch trains? Am I missing something there?

http://www.railusers.ie/forum/attach...d=145924681 5

Sorry I dont know how to get the attached image to work.