226 Abhann na Suire

Didn’t think about that actually Stephen, that’s my bad. Yeah no you’re dead right like a huge upgrade is way more likely and by far the better option, but it was an interesting proposal put forward by the AIRR

Knowing the state of the relationship between politics and brown coloured envelopes in this country, I’d say there’s every chance that there’s skulduggery at play, and definitely more than we might think, but that’s a very interesting theory for the otherwise awfully and uselessly places O’Connell stop…

Not trying to be controversial at all guys but I’m just throwing out a few potential points. I don’t know all the facts at all and I am not myself a Wexfordian, and I really don’t want to annoy people by saying this, but I don’t think it’s outright the worst idea, on paper anyway… Wexford to Dublin is by far the worst intercity line in Ireland, numbers wise, infrastructure wise, and timetabling/line speed wise so a solution is needed quickly and it may need to be a drastic one. While the Rosslare to Greystones section is poor, the Greystones to Connolly section is obviously where the problem is capacity wise. The option as proposed in the AIRR is to have intercity services from Wexford run via a heavily upgraded South Wexford and Waterford-Dublin line, which according to them, would be significantly faster than the current journey and the car, and simultaneously have an hourly Rosslare to Greystones commuter service where a morning and evening train from this would be extended directly to Connolly for commuters from Wicklow etc. I don’t think that this would be bad at all as commuters from everywhere along the line would have a direct and competitive service to Dublin in the morning and evening with Wexford maintaining that throughout the day and all other stations only requiring one change from a DART at Bray/Greystones. Now this is a pretty drastic, and I personally think that a way better idea would be a serious upgrade of the entire line south of the Bray Head tunnels, with higher speeds, much more loops, station upgrades etc, so that the inevitable slowing down for the last 30km from Bray Head to Connolly will be offset by an otherwise much quicker route Finally, I think stopping services (if that’s what they do) at Greystones and Wicklow makes not a lot of sense compared with Bray, which already has a terminating south-facing platform which could be used and space to add a second. This way DART services could all run as far as Bray where a cross-platform interchange to hourly Rosslare trains could be made much easier. I do think that just upgrading the line is the way better option though, for everyone on the line and maybe an eventual three/four tracking south of Connolly could improve things further.

And while this is true, the top of O’Connell street is nobody’s first stop when they arrive in Dublin, and to only connect with the northbound branch of the Green Line here (and a 500m walk with suitcases to the Red Line) was a big mistake, as opposed to a connection with both Luas lines, only 300 metres further along the route, and a mainline connection at Tara and a DART Underground connection at Stephen’s Green. That would be a pretty fantastic Metro System

I agree, I do think building the metro to the same gauge as the Luas makes the most sense as really, with the planned driverless and platform-edge-door infrastructure, mainline trains were never going to use the tunnel anyway. In an ideal world we’d have both Metrolink AND a DART spur. And while Metrolink will be serving the airport, its main aim did start out as connecting Swords - Ireland’s fastest growing town - to the city centre. As you say the airport is just a bonus, but as the islands main international airport I think it does warrant and deserve a heavy rail connection at some point too. I think it should only be built though, in conjunction with a four-tracked Northern Line and DART Underground. And yes transfers are commonplace everywhere you go, but an airport should be a facility that’s accessible with the least amount of them and Metrolink does not provide that at all, instead with some of the worst mainline connections imaginable and no direct connection with the Luas Red Line??? (I still don’t understand why they didn’t relocate the O’Connell Station to be underneath where Sackville Place is, with 3 exits out (like the London Underground) to Abbey Street, Marlborough and O’ Connell GPO Luas Stops but maybe that’s a conversation for another day…) Don’t get me wrong I’m very pro-Metrolink but I think it could’ve been planned a bit better and with more connectivity in mind, and before anyone starts, yes I fully understand that Metrolink was not intended to connect the main train stations and the airport (still think that no Red Line Connection was beyond stupid though) but my point is, is that argument alone not grounds for a seperqte, dedicated mainline connection…?

I know not the topic of this thread, but my god wasn’t Heuston looking well!! Gorgeous natural light through the roof and hanging baskets and everything!! And I was always fierce fond of checked station platforms! Such a shame that there’s been a bit of a decrease in station pride and well-kemptedness with some of these aspects - certainly the station is still well-kept with the new platform surfaces and signage and boards, but the roof windows could certainly use a shine these days and a few flowers wouldn’t go astray!!

Just a few musings for a bored Monday morning... I realise there is already another similar-sounding thread on here about a direct link off the Northern Line to the airport, but unfortunately, with the Metro already serving the airport, and the enviornmental impact air travel has, I see it very unlikely that a rail link, albeit only comprising 5km of elevated track (which could even be single track) would be both publically and financially backed, despite making the most sense and also being in line with the EU's TEN-T regulations. In terms of the Metro though, obviously as things stand, commuters from Sligo, South Dublin, and the Northern Line as far as Drogheda will have only a single change connection to make to be able to board a Metro to the airport. However, the rest of the country, ie. the Heuston-centric lines, will (as things stand) have a three-change connection to get the airport, requiring instead to travel into Heuston, back out to Parkwest and up to Glasnevin before even seeing a Metro train. I'm just wondering if the more knowlegeable people on here would be able to tell me how realistic it would be (with a view to an hourly/near-hourly timetable on all intercity trunk routes by the time the Metro is up and running) to stop every or every second Intercity train at the likes of Hazelhatch or Parkwest or one of the four-track stations, to allow a direct connection with DART+ services through the PPT and up to Glasnevin...? (And also in effect, back the opposite direction towards Kildare). Intercity services could stop serving Newbridge (which would still be served by Portlaoise services and eventually DART+) to allow for this without adding to journey times, but is it possible? Would another one or two Intercity platforms need to be built at this station? And would it be better to alternate the DART+ stations at which the intercity services stop at? It would also be ideal for the Metro to be extended north to either Donabate or Rush and Lusk, the benefits being twofold: all the space and land north of Swords which could be used to build many of those 'transit-orientated-developments' that the big wigs seem so fond of talking of but doing nothing about lately, which would be perfect commuter towns for Dublin, and you would then have a link to the airport with the Northern Line for Belfast and DART+ North trains too, instead of having to change at Connolly to go to Tara, but that's possibly another argument... I do realise that there were problems and constraints with where the Metro could be routed but I find it an awful shame that it could not have been routed it into a more centralised mainline station to get the most connectivity. I do feel that this would be a pretty good comprimise however, and with proper advertising and signage and wayfinding, could take a lot of people out of cars, and could really benefit Irish Rail, the Metro and the enviornment...

Excellent shots George, 131 looking resplendent!! Always been a big fan of the exposed valve gear!

I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s earmarked for huge redevelopment as part of the new Weaver’s Cross area of Belfast, so new living and commercial buildings I think, but again I’m open to correction as I’m not 100% sure

I thought the full final draft was supposed to be published at the end of last year… any word on when that’s coming out..?

I think it was a bit of a visibility issue for drivers apparently… would’ve been a similar story driving steam engines not too long before that though so I’m not exactly sure myself either

Looks unbelievable Denis, as does the countryside of its old stamping ground!! A really intriguing project, I always look forward to updates!!

More sockets would be nice for the 29k’s, similar to what they’re doing on the MkIV’s, I think they’re only at the carriage ends at the moment, but I suppose we can only hope for so much. Plus the journey times are far less than that of their current stamping grounds so if they didn’t already have them, the case for their addition is even smaller. Seats aren’t too bad in fairness, a bit better than the current Cork commuter offering! Still I think the 2600’s have 10 times the character of the 29k’s, I’ll be sad to see them go, despite how rattly and noisy they are! On a side note, does anyone know a) the timeframe for this work, and b) what will befall the displaced 2600’s… more branch line services around Limerick, Galway and Waterford? Hardly scrapped at the ripe young age of 30…???

Ahh ok, it’s a slight. shame, but I suppose the MkIV’s are definitely still very comfortable and they’re probably right not to, money could be spent elsewhere like refurbishing the 29k’s And I think the lines other than the Belfast and Cork lines aren’t going to be getting a first class service any time soon, whether or not there’s a market for it, and while some 22k sets have a declassified ‘Premier’ coach with a bit of extra legroom and a table lamp, the requirements for a service with the likes of catering (the dreaded word we don’t say in this country) and the like, just won’t - in my uneducated opinion - be realistically produceable on every route, at the moment anyway unfortunately.

Irish Rail announced today that they’re refurbishing the CityGold carriages on their MkIV sets. Looking very well I have to say but I presume that a similar upgrade - better lighting, wireless charging, more sockets and leather seat covers - is going to befall the standard class coaches too…? Anyone heard anything?

I see what you mean about the bikes, and I’m not quite sure myself where they go… The problem with standing though is that there are already plenty of people standing on Irish Rail services, beside the toilets, between the carriages, at the doors, regularly the Waterford to Dublin service is standing from Carlow, for the remaining uncomfortable hour and a bit of the journey, so surely adding another 2/3rds of a carriage worth of seating and a dedicated standing area is definitely worth it. The extra carriages will also free up more driving cars by allowing the increase of railcar set lengths which will hopefully mean getting closer towards hourly intercity services and a big increase on the frequency of services on branchline routes so while I understand why some of you are sceptical as to their use or worth, but I do think that any investment in this railway network, after a period of so long without it, is good investment

The W&T were certainly big fans of ex-MGWR stock!!

€12 Million Investment confirmed from the auld Rialtas from this new ‘Shared Island’ initiative for increasing the peak time Enterprises to hourly services, and I presume for services arriving in before 9am… Progress definitely, but about time for the island’s so-called ‘Premier Rail Service’…!

Looking amazing lads!! Can’t wait to see what’s in store for 2024 and hopefully lend a hand over the summer if ye’re looking for it!

All very interesting and very melancholy points mentioned above about what could have been of Ireland’s preserved railways scene. It’s such a shame about the lack of funding and interest for the existing projects across the country and that this leaves little to no room for new projects. However I notice nobody has mentioned Maam Cross yet… is there a reason for that? Seems like a very sensible, ambitious, but not overly so, and level-headed-run project, and I wish it only the very very best in the future, I only just hope that it gains the traction and support it deserves and continues to grow!

Very fair point actually I hadn’t properly thought of that. I just always thought that not connecting DART Underground with Connolly was a bit of a mistake. You’re dead right though, linking it up with the southside would be fantastic but I do think that a heavy rail Heuston to Connolly rail corridor would be beneficial. I suppose it’s a case of maybe with the Luas it just wouldn’t be worth it. Maybe I hadn’t thought about the specificities of it, but either way I think an airport DART link should be done in conjunction with DART Underground

The way I would envisage it happening would be that services would run as part of the whole ‘DART Underground’ thing that the auld ‘Rialtas’ keep avoiding… A Train would leave Hazelhatch, towards Inchicore, and enter the DART Underground tunnels, but instead of the current (and in my opinion, stupid) plan for DART Underground, the tunnels would head directly under the city following the Luas Red Line, with an Underground station at Connolly, and then following the alignment of the line north, it would emerge back overground at Fairview, where there is the perfect amount of space to bring the tracks above ground. It would then join a 4-tracked northern line non-stop (for congestion and speed sakes) to Clongriffin - which would be made an Enterprise stop, on some trains at least - for connection with all other suburban and Belfast services and then branch left either in another tunnel or elevated to the airport. Ambitious maybe, but it’s the only way that I can see a Heavy Rail Airport Connection being able to have the highest possible effect and the greatest reach for the most amount of people, while also making the airport accessible from all trunk routes in Ireland with only 1 change necessary. If the big wigs are indeed listening in on our phones as some suspect, I hope they consider this…!

Looks unbelievable @warb!! Just wondering , is your layout an end to end, or is there a loop behind all that hyper realistic scenery so that trains can keep running?

Not at all, I’m very sure it’s listed so it’ll be protected. It’s already been out of use for the past over-half a decade though - with CTC controlling the Dublin line, it’s Waterford West Cabin that handles the Limerick Jnct line if I’m correct so the new station doesn’t necessarily mean the end of semaphores for Waterford as I haven’t heard of a plan to CTC-ify the Limerick Jnct branch. I guess that just depends then on whether Sallypark is integrated, does anyone know if it is, or is it Waterford West-managed still?

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/waterford/news/waterford-passengers-to-start-using-north-quays-train-station-in-2026/a1100926042.html New Station at Waterford looking on track for a 2026 opening… not too shabby all things considered… https://m.independent.ie/regionals/wexford/news/reopening-of-waterford-to-rosslare-railway-line-boosted-by-planned-barrow-bridge-works/a1437133228.html And by the looks of it with a bit of luck, the Rosslare Line won’t be too far behind..! According to the article, insurance money could apparently see the Barrow Bridge reopened AND automated to the NTCC - seems track relaying and new platforms at Wellingtonbridge, Campile and Bridgetown then are all that stands in the way after that!