Never Getting There!!

I would have expected nothing less really. The present Government have shown themsleves to be as completely small minded and devoid of ideas as so many of recent decades. Whether in times of unprecedented prosperity or tight belts our parish pump deputies just cant seem to grasp the bigger picture.

DOUBLEY ANGRY

And the whole point of the spacial strategy, to pinpoint growth areas and encourage them naturally involves an increase in population, esp in the western/midland towns mentioned. Why is’nt the rail infrastructure being invested in as a result? ie the Western Corridor! Plan rail over cars now, in the lull before the storm!

(Not that I think the spatial strategy will be implemented anyway)

The Department of Finance logic is simple. Close down/make public transport unattractive and they win every way. Lower subsidies to CIE, increased tax revenue from petrol/diesel/VRT.

Actually the Department of Finance logic is even more simple than that – the books must be in surplus at the end of the year and I will never borrow. That’s what you get when you stick a narrow minded accountant in as head man at the dept – no long term thinking/planning. Typically conservative Irish. But we’re worse for taking it

I thought the logic is to get value for money. Nobody disputes the need for spending, just how we pay for it and at what price.

Radical decisions, need to be made, no more reports are needed and money has to be accounted for. I would have thought the first priorities would be high speed links to the cities and an interconnecter in Dublin, as well as new rolling stock.

Start again. What would you do, if you had to start again?

Hmm, Im not so sure about that Niall. The point has already been made that roads offer no value for money and yet in general govnerments are happy to pump millions into them (although this might seem spurious when you look at the state of our roads). A Dublin-centric rail network just encourages the growth of Dublin at the expense of other centres. If we want to encourage growth in the provences then we have to make it more desirable for people and businesses to be based there and public transport is vital.

High speed rail is a great goal but this is a small country and journey times between major centres are not that bad. I think the plan should be to focus on more ‘local’ network around key growth centres (the much vaulted ‘gateways’) and upgrade the mainline to a good standard. High Speed is for the future.

Lobby Group Opposes New Interconnector Tunnel

Platform 11, a recently formed lobby group, is questioning plans to spend Euro 1 billion on an ‘interconnector’ rail tunnel from Heuston to Pearse and Connolly Station when there is an existing rail route.

The Phoenix Park tunnel is an operational double track line is not currently used for passenger services . It was described as ‘the best kept secret in the history of rail transport’ by the lobby group.

What is the issue with the Pheonix Park Line? Why is no-one willing to consider it? I wonder what the journey times would be if the line was repaired and put back in use. And could any other stations be added on?

CIE says it is too narow, which is laughable, it is double-track! If it is too narrow, then why not widen it, so it can be used? If they don’t want to use it, like their freight business, give it to somebody else.

I have a sneaky suspicion that the mandarins want the interconnector built as it will tie in with the Metro, whenever that gets built, also I beleive it will run south of the liffey before curving up to Connolly and Docklands, as Luas runs north of the Liffey, wirh stations like Guiness Christchurch and College Green tagged on. I think it is worth doing but not at the prices suggested!!

However I still think the Phoenix Park tunnel would compliment it and also help the poor travelling public.

An excellent website at http://www.platform11.org

and also check out Irish railway news, it comes up on Google.

“as unbelievable as it may sound, Ireland had a rail system the envy of the Western World…. It was possible to travel to the remotest parts of Ireland by train, and you could do so from Cork to Donegal, Dungarvan to Westport, with no stop in Dublin”

And they did, mostly going to Cobh (Queenstown) or Dun Laoire (Kingstown) on one way tickets and never coming back.

Sadly many Irish routes were already unviable before WWI and the revolution in motor transport encouraged by that war took much freight first to lorries, passengers to cars (and also motor buses), often giving more direct and cheaper journeys than the railways, which were built with regard to topography and local pressures rather than service considerations.

I think the only promises that are being made now are the maintenance of what we have and the slight possiblility of reopening the Middleton line down south (to be used a commuter line). Is Seamus Brennan full of hot air, or is there something we all don’t know about how bad rail travel is (well pretty bad right now!). I used to go to Cork from Heuston quite alot – you always had to be there at least an hour before the train left (and then buy your €58 ticket) to get a seat. I was never on a service that wasn’t full and cramped. I doubt things have changed now. Is the minister/whoever trying to tell us that’s there’s no need for national improvements?!?