Redevelopment of Kent Station in Cork
 

Just after hearing that Irish Rail plan a redevelopment of Kent Station in Cork in the near future. Now the station is in need of it but is it really necessary given the company's financial situation and if its Irish Rail paying? should this not be spend else where in areas that are in serous need of it. Train maintenance would be once that comes to mind, repairing track problems, lifting TSR across the network and so on instead of paying for something that is needed but would get by without it.

The project is at design phase and a planning application in within 3 months.

Does anyone know know further details about the proposed works and cost involved.

Or maybe spend it on Blarney and Kilbarry stations which might increase numbers into Kent.

As I understand it, the redevelopment is pretty minor, but does finally include an entrance on the quayside.

There were all sorts of Celtic era plans for Cork as well as Galway and Waterford.

Hard to see how major re-development could be justified in Cork at this point given that the existing station (while anything but perfect) clearly has more than ample capacity to handle traffic well in excess of current levels.

I don't know exactly what is proposed, but there is the problem that the station is surrounded by one-way streets

Kent Station, Lower Glanmire Road, Cork to St. Patrick's Street, Cork - 2.1km http://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=Low...sz=17&t=m&z=15

St. Patrick's Street, Cork to Kent Station, Lower Glanmire Road, Cork - 1km http://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=Mer...=prev&t=m&z=15

was announced as part of a cork package last week

http://www.transport.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=723

I think it will be just more tinkering around at the periphiries of the station.

A little tinkering could go a long way. If an entrance could be opened on the south or west side of the station, not only would it take time off the walk into town, but bus services could be moved to Railway St. That could take 5 mins off the round trip to the station on the 205 and 226, giving efficiencies there. It would also mean that the 207, 208 and 212 could easily be diverted to go past the station. Suddenly, large parts of the city would be connected to the station.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0219/505...rt-investment/

I love a good re-announcement.

I'm sure the cost of fixing the roof is bundled in here.

It's re-announcement time again

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...on-315409.html

However, we do get a date this time.

In terms of the public transport interchange, it's my understanding that in addition to the 205 and 226, which already serve the station, the city terminus of the 206 will move there, which will mean a direct bus route to Douglas. Also, the 221 service to Glanmire, which already goes past the station outbound will stop there in both directions.

It does make sense to terminate buses from West Cork there, not least because it will relieve pressure on Parnell Place bus station, but I haven't heard of any definite plans.

The reconfiguration of both the station and bus services you mention would establish the type of arrangement which is so standard in more developed European countries - the Hauptbahnhof is the hub for both rail and road. Translink have done this at various locations in NI and are proposing a dramatic expansion of rail and bus facilities at Great Victoria Street in Belfast to create a transport hub for the city.

Yeah but in those countries Inniskeen the publicly owned bus and rail enterprises aren't usually engaged in a way to the death...

The NTA pays for both and indeed contracts for the services provided.

The NTA doesn't pay for Bus Eireann Expressway services - these are operated on a commercial basis and self-funded.

Really dowlingm - if Bus Eireann withdrew all of their expressway services that ran along railway routes, you can be damn sure that another private operator would fill their shoes, so I really think that is a pointless argument. There is a market for both services, which can be seen by observing the loadings on both (which you clearly cannot do as you're not in the country).

None of the services that will potentially operate from Kent Station will be in competition with the rail service - they will complement it.

Ok Bus Eireann Expressway is self funded but the NTA still calls the tune in relation to policy. There is minimal integration of servics even where both rail and bus use the same facility.

For example, in response to a query to Irish Rail as to why the Kilkee bus leaves Ennis ten minutes before the train arrives the stock response was that there was no demand for a through service.

And that is now beginning to change as the NTA reviews the PSO network.

There was also the situation where a taxi had to be used to ferry Waterford-Rosslare railcrew back to Waterford at significant expense because the BE Rosslare-Waterford bus (which the crew could have used for free) would not be deferred about 20 minutes.

Here's an interesting one.

Despite the original communicated time being summer 2016, the Evening Echo are reporting that the redevelopment work will be completed 'on time' this summer.

http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/...edule/2614045/

What do you expect in a post-truth age? Answer: "alternative facts" such as this.

Timeframe is now for the end of the summer

This article contains a few pictures for those interested

http://www.eveningecho.ie/corknews/N...aa3b73d3560-ds

No sign of that entrance that was opening on time this summer being opened...

In the meantime, the issue of development on the larger area of the site has reared its head again

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakin...de-804981.html

It's not clear whether CIE will get 10% of the development value (€16m) or 10% of the future rental income (approx €900K pa based on Cork commerical yields).

There's an interestingly located train in the first image. At the moment, that line is only used for empty workings (back in the day, the really early train to Dublin used to use it by leaving towards Cobh and doubling back). I hope it means that the line will be retained. While there's absolutely no need for additional platforms towards Dublin/Mallow/Killarney at the moment, the land should be held back in case it is ever needed in the future.

No mention of tram
 

Simply building at Kent station without designing a descent tram system in Cork means that the city will be allowed clog up like Dublin without a forward thinking solution to maintain Cork as a top city in Ireland. Now is the opportunity to ensure that the train network is linked to a Luas type system in the city. The developers won't want to hear this becaus they might lose some space but that's why we have public representatives to insist at this point before the huge opportunity is lost.

Getting money for big spend capital projects is exceedingly difficult and a tram system in Cork is certainly not a top 5 priority. However, land should be set aside for an alignment. If nothing else, it can be put in place for bus access with trams added later.

Fantasy really

Given the size of Cork a bus option is likely to best, sadly large chunk of the West Cork railway has been built on which would have been ideal for a tram based system

Apparently this will open next week.

I wouldn't be surprised if they went for November 14th when the network is on strike.

Irish Examiner saying it opens tomorrow.

Amazingly for what is a significant improvement for customers there was no announcement on the website, Twitter, Facebook etc.

I haven't used it yet, but it seems to have already helped with the timekeeping of the Airport/Kinsale bus, which no longer has to loop round the back of the station and get caught in traffic on Horgan's Quay

It seems to have been announced (Dept of Transport website - but link no longer available) in February 2013. Given how long it took to deliver such a relatively small project maybe they were too embarrassed to publicise it

The entire railway from Dublin to Cork (at least as far as the tunnel at Blackpool) was build in around the same amount of time.

Relocation of bus stop
 

As mentioned upthread here is the official Bus Éireann release:

Source: http://buseireann.ie/news_timetable....2504&month=Nov

http://www.irishrail.ie/news/railwaystreetcarpark

It is very poorly integrated into the existing concourse and if exiting from other than platform 5 it is a bit of a battle to access. A re-arrangement of the barriers, barrickades, turnstiles and signage is clearly required.

I've added most details here: http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=18/51.90119/-8.45952 Let me know if there should be any corrections.

The stop number for the new Bus Éireann stop facing Horgan Quay is 212631, which can be used for real-time information. It serves routes 205; 226; 226a; 237.

Note that the station car parks are only accessible from Lower Glanmire Road, Railway Street or Horgan's Quay. **No** car park access from Alfred Street. The car parks do not connect with each other, but do provide pedestrian access.