Bord Snip Transport cuts
 

The Bord Snip Nua has identified some cuts in the transport budget. €55m from 'operational efficencies among CIE companies' Report Any thoughts on what this would entail??

They suggest lightly-ued rail lines should be closed and replaced by bus and they also recommend ceasing further development of the WRC.

Any thoughts?

The McCarthy report recommends these and suggests these savings, wait for the slow and quiet backing away from anything too controversial in the next two weeks. You can almost hear the gears of lobbying grinding.....

I see that the rail lines ear marked to be axed are Limerick Junction-Rosslare, Limerick-Ballybrophy & Manulla-Ballina. As you say there'll be alot of people keeping their heads down and distancing themselves from these proposed cuts.

from the report

It's called democracy! If you want to see all the lightly used railways closed why don't you form a lobby group yourself and start lobbying - there are plenty here and on Boards.ie that will support you. :D

Don't bite the hand that feeds you!
 

Hopefully the people who want these lines closed realise that they could in effect be biting the hand that feeds them, maybe not immediately but in decades to come. If too much in this country becomes dictated by pure economics and the social need provision/aspect in transport, education, health etc...starts going totally out the window then the majority of us are going to significantly feel the pain in future years. Savings are indeed needed but they need to be balanced and thought out against a long-term perspective. It's easy to say close this close that - like Garda Stations for instance. But what will the effects be in future years - greatly increased crime will affect us all.

Close garda stations, at a time where crime is more rampant than ever before. Only in Ireland would such things be allowed to happen. :D

How many murders are there in the state every week?

I take it the rest of the country will be forced into hibernation for the next few lines, with rail and bus routes closed.

The government's solution? The Lisbon Treaty. :rolleyes: Apparantly all our ills will be cured, if we bend over for them next October. Despite yesterday's measures that are designed to last at least 5 years.

No - worse still - only in Ireland would such a stupid suggestion be made! What would you expect from a bunch of economists - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing. :mad:

I'd love to see in detail what these "efficiencies" in CIE are?

Pay cuts for all management would be one efficiency I can think of.

Say 25% cuts for management straight away, with the potential to make back 15% in bonuses if they meet targets for carrying passengers.

It's much easier for the top brass just to cut services and justify their positions by "making tough decisions", that is how this country works.

Do we want gardaÃ* manning rural stations where nothing happens or actually out patrolling?

We live in a violent society, the Gardai need all the resources both out on the beat and in the office, to make the country as safe as it can be.

Closing garda stations is an invitation for every criminal in the affected area to run amok. Making savings doesn't compensate social disorder.

Has the Taoiseach-in-waiting taken a position on cuts to North Mayo rail yet? :rolleyes:

Ha,ha,ha - didn't know it April Fools Day? :D

Huh? Wasn't that closed as part of T21? http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7048-7.pdf

Note how phase 2 is now Athenry-Tuam, not Claremorris-Collooney. http://www.transport21.ie/Maps/Trans..._Corridor.html

In the absence of a road bridge, how do they propose to replace the Rosslare-Waterford line with a bus replacement?

It's only one train each way a day with minimal ridership; anyone going from Waterford to Wexford or Rosslare can go via New Ross.

Obviously written by somebody who has not travelled on the line! The train is used in the main by school/college students and workers along the South Wexford line (Wellington Bridge, Campile etc) travelling to and from Waterford and a replacement bus service would not serve their needs adequately. The line must be retained as an important link to Rosslare Harbour and will come back into its own when foot passengers inevitably return to the ferries.

You'd think that with things so much cheaper at the moment Irish Rail might be advertising day returns from Waterford to Fishguard to take advantage.

Then you realise they can't even offer you a timetable providing a day return to Rosslare!


The thing is, I can remember a time when the Cork-Cobh line was written off. It was only kept open because freight to the NET plant at Marino Point was using it anyway, so a few passenger services couldn't be that much harm. 25 years later with a proper timetable (and admittedly some good work from Cork County Council in terms of zoning land along it) and it's a success that happily runs even though NET is long closed.

Has anyone ever looked at the line in South Wexford and tried to see what timetable would suit it? Tried to work with Wexford Co Co to get extra land zoned for housing near the various stations? Without any will, is it any wonder it's up for closure. And the will has to come from irish Rail as much as it has to come from the local authorities and local politicians.

With any of the rail lines slated for closure, they should first be offered to private interests (whether commercial companies, community co-operatives, even the RPSI for use as a heritage line, while maintaining some service to the communities on it) to see if they can make a go of them before just being shut down.

The biggest problem (currently) is that Waterford is suffering a worse jobs crisis than any of the other major urban areas so attracting fresh commuters in the current environment will be tough.

As this line is used regularly by a small but loyal amount and the fact there is a massive times saving whilst using this line over the road route, perhaps IE could trial that hybrid road / rail bus on this line?

Right now fresh ideas are needed, the line with the current passenger numbers in its current guise is not going to last in an environment where teachers are being sacked and social welfare is being cut etc.

That's the political reality in my opinion.

I'm gonna get slated for this but....
 

3 rail lines:-

Connolly Gorey/Enniscorthy/Wexford
Heuston Rosslare (via waterford)
Gorey Rosslare - linking the 2 lines

This enables a link that side for Carlow,waterford and other heuston passengers to get to Bray/Gorey/Wexford/rosslare without the need to travel via Dublin and vice versa