Stations Closing??
 

Anyone know if there is any truth in the rumour of station closures on the Sligo line after Christmas?
I've heard IR plan closing stations
Why?

No plans what so ever

Don't be fooled by a publicity seeking local councillor

Hopefully it is...
I don't want to say here which two stations exactly, as I use either or on a regular basis.

Dromod + Collooney ?


Both have 10-20 times the daily use of Athymon which is on the endangered list

What sort of savings would they get closing Athymon? It's already unmanned and only a handful of trains serve the station which is why there is low numbers and of course a few minutes away there is a major station. Don't see the benefit of closing it for those reasons.

a glance at Google Maps would indicate there could be other reasons

Yes its in the middle of nowhere but what savings would be achieved by closing the station? There is no costs with the current set up. It doesn't even have a TMV so not as if staff have to regularly attend the station.

Just keeping it open 40k a year, must be inspected regularly, cleaned, painted etc

Savings
1. General wear and tear on train, brakes, doors etc
2. Fuel saving
3. Time saving, 1% reduction in journey time means more than 1%extra in fare box
4. Avoids long term costs, station upgrades and so on

So for most stations closure does not make sense, but if you only have 3 passengers a day then you are in trouble, Athymon is not a passing point either

So closure could result in a net positive of 250-300k

Well if its 40k then the sooner its closed the better!

A visit to Attymon
 

Returning from Galway in recent weeks I decided to stop off at the East County Galway station of Attymon to see the situation for myself at what seems to be ranked as the country's least used station.

All the eastbound trains from Galway in the evening serve the station so it is possible to stop off for an hour or so.

I was one of seven people alighting (didn't know them and all appeared to be separate individuals). There were a few cars parked in the car park (free to park). I glanced at the info on display in one of the two shelters on the platform so didn't give anything other than a passing glance as to how other passengers left the station - a rough half-half split between cars and on foot seemed to be the case. The platform was clean and tidy with all markings clear. An operational ticket vending machine (TVM) is located at the entrance to the platform. There was also an info/help point device beside the TVM which I presume was also operational.

Other than the standard platform markings (i.e. keep behind the yellow line etc...) which would tend to last a long time I don't think there are any fixtures at the station requiring painting. The platform fencing was wooden.

After a wander around the immediate locality I returned to the station. There's a shop & bar just down the road and - across the railway bridge - a school plus a building down a lane which was either a community centre or light industry factory. The countryside is pleasant and while there were no footpaths the road was relatively lightly trafficked - the only "bad bit" being at the railway bridge which has a bend on both approaches. I didn't count houses but there must have been around 20/30 that I either passed or were within sight in the course of my walk not venturing more that a couple of hundred metres either side of the railway.

I was the only person boarding the next eastbound train but two alighted.

Overall impression was of a fit for purpose rural halt. Two points of feedback that come to mind are that there ought to be a notice informing passengers of the requirement to buy a ticket before boarding and there could be a panel or two promoting various IE products.

Some of the trains ex Galway cross other trains at both Athenry and Ballinasloe so even if Attymon was omitted the train would be sitting in Ballinasloe station longer awaiting the westbound train.

Usage statistics have a role but need to be considered in a much broader context such as revenue and whether the timetable is optimal (or near optimal) etc...etc...

The timetable for Attymon is designed purely to facilitate commuters into and out of Galway.

Hence only the first two westbound trains serve it, and in the opposite direction, a lunchtime and the four evening eastbound services.

The station's Galway-centric timetable was introduced in the December 2004 timetable change; the Athlone-Galway morning service (& late-evening return) was introduced in January 2005.

Collooney & Ballymote.

I should have took a picture last night in Collooney.