DART Closure post Christmas
 

Nice of Irish Rail to tell us about this (I presume it means no Rosslare services either), this is from the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Web site:

http://www.dlharbour.ie/content/ms/d...ews&locid= 62

Notice re DART services post Christmas

Notice re DART services post Christmas

Civil engineering track works will take place in the vicinity of Dun Laoghaire DART Station from midnight on St. Stephens Day until approximately 04:00 hours on Tuesday 04 January. The purpose of these works is to replace a stretch of rail ‘slab-track’ between Dun Laoghaire Station and Sandycove / Glasthule Station. This will involve
around the clock working for these seven days. DART services will continue between Dun Laoghaire and the City Centre, BUT WILL BE SUSPENDED BETWEEN DUN LAOGHAIRE AND BRAY
Irish Rail will be issuing an Information Brochure and a contact number
Web page:
Category: News
Published: December 27, 2010

Ciara

I certainly agree with the work being done - I've been over that section a few times last couple of months and it's a shambles. You're right though, the website of the Dun Laogharie harbour company is not the place to find out about the ensuing disruption.

No notice on irishrail.ie

The slab track is being dug out and replaced.

It is the best time of year to do this no question. That said the lack of notice is unacceptable for something so serious and disruptive

Rosslare services likely to terminate at Bray or Greystones and guess what they will have to shift a train between Waterford and Rosslare to keep it going

Surely providing a shuttle for Dun Laoghaire-Glenargeary would be much better than Dun Laoghaire-Sandycove/Gleanageary/Dalkey/Killiney/Shankill/Bray and all the permutations between intermediate stations. That is unless they are scheduling work for that section also. I realise that there might be crowding issues at Glenageary, but its a matter of planning things properly (add some temporary stairs).

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,+glenag eary

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...,0.287704&z=11

Do we take it that the DART will run from Bray-Greystones?

Maybe a shuttle from Bray/Greystones to Dalkey would be doable as there are crossovers at Dalkey. But going to Glenageary would involve some very awkward single-line and wrong-linne running (and maybe electrical issues as well given that power would be off between Dunlaoire and Sandycove?).

Also, would there be a problem having rolling stock away from Fairview depot for such a period?

Dalkey is out due to the fact the electrical isolation prevents use of the points at Dalkey. But you could operate a limited diesel powered service

The signaling arrangements favour always city bound trains in these cases.

Dragging the shuttle buses through Dalkey would be a bit crazy.

Whatever about the occasional number 8 bus years ago, you'd have to have a small fleet of (bigger) buses ready for each DART arrival.

This reads like there are no shuttle buses and passengers are expected to use existing bus services.

http://irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=977

Does this mean they are replacing it with another slab section, or reverting to sleepers? If another slab section, won't the problem just reoccur? Slab might be alright for trams, but is it hardy enough for weightier trains?

In either case, will trains be able to go more than the current 10mph limit?

Going back to wooden sleepers

Slab track is fine but this was installed on the cheap in a hurry. The lack of any damping between the rail and the foundation meant it cracked easily. Channel Tunnel, German High Speed lines and others have damping in place and it works perfectly

Yes, presumably with normal spec. track they will be able to run trains at DART speeds.

Probably belongs in the infrastructure section, but why does this part of the line (currently between the end of the slab section and the southern end of Dalkey station) use wooden sleepers?

i wouldn't be suprised if the weather becomes a factor if these works do or don't go ahead over the christmas period

While, sure if its a blizzard or a hurricane there may be problems, but that could happen almost anytime. I imagine there is very little wet work (concrete) involved and that if it is very cold, they can manage the rails (handling freezing metal can take the skin off you and getting the tension just right may be an issue for continuous rail).

but i mean if there are problems with buses, surely they'll pull the rail works?

Ah, sorry. Yes, that would need to be kept under review.

Will this mean that that the Dublin Area south of Dun Laoghaire will actually get some Rapid Transport in the New Year rather than the usual trundle through the cutting? If so it might just be worth it.

Not immediately - they will need things to bed in properly and be monitored, but hopefully after a few weeks.

As there are tight curves and a narrow cutting, there will still be some speed limit, but hopefully not as low as the current one.

The 1984 limit was 30 mph so hopefully we are going back to that

It was 20 mph for the last 10 years or so and has been 10 mph for 3 months

Why do Irish Rail continue to refer to their speed limits in miles instead of kilometers? Is it that they just couldn't be bothered to replace the signage?