Western rail corridor (WRC) - Capital Plan

[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

[comcor]

Unfortunately, the container terminal in Cork is moving from Tivoli to Ringaskiddy and will not be rail connected (of course the plan is to build a new motorway there right through the middle of a suburban area, but road funding is how things work in this country). There's no great prospect of a rail connection either as the options would be very expensive, with either a new rail line right through the suburbs of Cork (major CPOs so expensive) or an underwater tunnel from the Cobh line so incredibly expensive from an engineering perspective).

For me, Belview is the obvious connection point if there is to be a rail/port connection on the south coast. It can handle containers already (unlike Rosslare) and is properly rail connected (unlike Cork).

I doubt freight makes the case for the WRC though. There's no great benefit in shipping rail freight fast as we don't move time-sensitive goods over the rail network (and this is the case in countries with much more elaborate rail freight). While there is a case for freight trains avoiding the Dublin area because of disruption to existing services, there's no major issue with going Ballina-Athlone-Athenry-Limerick-Belview on the current network, with no capital investment required. If the WRC is reopened, it will need to stand on projected passenger numbers.

[Goods]

Very fair points and I agree that eliminating rail freight link to Cork under the new plan is not good planning at a time when IE is trying to reduce its carbon footprint.
I hadn’t realised that Ballina Athlone Limerick was an option that works.
There seems to be an intentional strategy over a number of years in breaking the rail link to our ports. This is happening in Cork, Belview recently, Rosslare seems to have been cut to the quayside and Foynes. Having an alternative north south route that avoids the congested mainly Dub - Cork line is a future good plan.

[ACustomer]

Ballina-Cork via Athlone, Athenry and Linerick "works", but there are 2 reversals/runarounds necessary (Athlone and Limerick). Via Athlone and Portarlington there is only one reversal (at Port). Both routes involve single lines which are congested in daytime (Limerick to L Junction and Athlone to Portarlington).

The route via Limerick may also have a problem with some short passing loops, as freight trains would have at least 18 40-foot container flats. The main Dublin-Cork route is not congested south of Portlaoise: again one might need somewhat longer loops for freight trains being overtaken at Portlaoise, Ballybrophy, Thurles and Charleville. These would not be really major works: problably not much more than the cost of a printer in Leinster House for each loop.

[Goods]

Very informative I had thought that Dub -Cork was congested the whole way. The real success for freight would be like in Europe where many movements would take place during off peak times and at night. It seems expensive maintaining railways if they are not used as often as possible.
I have seen very long freight trains moving quite slowly at night in Italy and Switzerland where the train takes an age to pass the gate crossing.
Having so much container traffic heading into Dublin port in the centre of the city seems a waste when there are other ports that are not as congested and are rail connected like Belview and Cork and maybe in the future Foynes.
Western rail corridor is a future option not just for passenger traffic but could be a game changer in terms of contributing to carbon reduction

[Goods]

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-..._FA_ONLINE.pdf

[Goods]

https://connachttribune.ie/western-r...ujeQfluUPxlkMs
Naysayers and economists resisted the reopening of the Limerick-Athenry railway line yet the public persisted and demanded a service that was obviously necessary. The growth has been real. The same will apply to reopening the remainder of the line to Sligo, reconnecting hidden parts of the west and running a railway adjacent to the Atlantic corridor. Connect cities in the west and create a north south route to reinforce the Cork Dublin route and link the west to Waterford and Rosslare port by rail.