Dark Days at CIÉ

[Garfield]

In today's Irish Independent:

 

* Tough decisions must be made to get back on track

* Bus and rail users face years of fare increases

 

In many respects, the chickens have finally come home to roost. CIÉ are in a precarious financial situation and could actually be on the verge of receivership. Looks like they'll be seeking to lay-off staff, cut services, and restructure bank loans. The second article also says "only basic maintenance will be carried out", which also has the potential to wreck havoc. If this policy is enforced, expect an increasing amount of train failures, and a growing line of decommissioned 071s in Inchicore.

Edited November 14, 2012 by Garfield

[RedRich]

Looks very ominous Pat. Dark days ahead.

 

Rich,

[heirflick]

we all knew it was only a matter of time.

[enniscorthyman]

I think it's dark days for us all in regards wages,keeping

a job-but sure look if we have good health and model

railways to keep us going,twill be grand.

[RedRich]

I think it's dark days for us all in regards wages,keeping

a job-but sure look if we have good health and model

railways to keep us going,twill be grand.

 

Eamonn our generation is certainly unlucky when you think that we were through this before in the 80's. Things got good for a while and now we're back there again. The positive outlook is the right attitude, fair play to you.

 

Rich,

[Glenderg]

There's a bright side to this. Chances of IR/IE/CIE knocking any more industrial heritage or building disgusting disability friendly bridges may be greatly reduced. Unlike our friends across the pond who got over enthusiastic with the blowtorch and wrecking bowl at 00:01 28th March 1963, and pretty much destroyed any potential railway romanticism in a stroke of a pen, Paddy didn't have a shillin' to knock them in the 60's nor 80's. Nor the 010's. So the infrastructure that surrounds our railway, and plays such a huge part in our attraction for it, will be here for generations to come. I have a suspicion that the IMF etc. will tell the Transport moguls [irony] to make efficient public transport a priority in years to come. All's not lost. [They still have cement bubbles in Limerick Station] Richie.

[Garfield]

There's a bright side to this. Chances of IR/IE/CIE knocking any more industrial heritage or building disgusting disability friendly bridges may be greatly reduced. Unlike our friends across the pond who got over enthusiastic with the blowtorch and wrecking bowl at 00:01 28th March 1963, and pretty much destroyed any potential railway romanticism in a stroke of a pen, Paddy didn't have a shillin' to knock them in the 60's nor 80's. Nor the 010's. So the infrastructure that surrounds our railway, and plays such a huge part in our attraction for it, will be here for generations to come. I have a suspicion that the IMF etc. will tell the Transport moguls [irony] to make efficient public transport a priority in years to come. All's not lost. [They still have cement bubbles in Limerick Station] Richie.

 

Good point, Richie... time will tell!

 

Only one cement bubble left, I'm afraid!

[Glenderg]

Only one cement bubble left

Why did you have to say that, you could have let me dream

But I did take a heap of photos of it last time I was down.

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

But I did take a heap of photos of it last time I was down.

 

Post them up for all to see please

[Glenderg]

Uploading as I type. It turns out there's only two snaps of the bubbles - I was looking at the spoil containers. Links shortly.

 

Edit - I've uploaded them here - http://www.brassjacket.com/Cement_Bubbles/

Edited November 15, 2012 by Glenderg

[Weshty]

There's a bright side to this. Chances of IR/IE/CIE knocking any more industrial heritage or building disgusting disability friendly bridges may be greatly reduced. Unlike our friends across the pond who got over enthusiastic with the blowtorch and wrecking bowl at 00:01 28th March 1963, and pretty much destroyed any potential railway romanticism in a stroke of a pen, Paddy didn't have a shillin' to knock them in the 60's nor 80's. Nor the 010's. So the infrastructure that surrounds our railway, and plays such a huge part in our attraction for it, will be here for generations to come. I have a suspicion that the IMF etc. will tell the Transport moguls [irony] to make efficient public transport a priority in years to come. All's not lost. [They still have cement bubbles in Limerick Station] Richie.

 

Glenderg, no truer words spoken. 60's brutalism made a very small impact in Ireland. It's actually something we should be making a genuine attraction of. There is a large share of pre-modernist architecture still intact around a lot of the country and specifically on the railways. The double whammy is that now there's an obligation to keep it intact (apart from teh odd bit of chintzy pastiche of course...)

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

 

Edit - I've uploaded them here - http://www.brassjacket.com/Cement_Bubbles/

 

 

Thanks for that mate some great photos there:Happy1:

[heirflick]

i wonder how all this proposed cutbacks will effect freight workings? will this see the end of talks of the freight depot at foynes?

[Garfield]

i wonder how all this proposed cutbacks will effect freight workings? will this see the end of talks of the freight depot at foynes?

 

I think the proposal for Foynes is to use it as a transshipment point for ore, similar to the setup with Tara Mines. I'd imagine the customer would be responsible for constructing suitable facilities there. The viaduct would still need attention, though, which would cost a bit. I'd imagine as a freight-only branch that track renewals would only be carried out where absolutely necessary.

 

Of course, the mine providing the traffic has yet to be built...

[BosKonay]

Maybe they wont be able to maintain the railcars, and 201's and mkIII's will return :) (wishful)

[Garfield]

Maybe they wont be able to maintain the railcars, and 201's and mkIII's will return :) (wishful)

 

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

i wonder how all this proposed cutbacks will effect freight workings? will this see the end of talks of the freight depot at foynes?

 

 

If they had their heads screwed on they would go looking freight contracts as a source of income

[heirflick]

If they had their heads screwed on they would go looking freight contracts as a source of income

 

my thinking exactly!

[heirflick]

Maybe they wont be able to maintain the railcars, and 201's and mkIII's will return :) (wishful)

 

let us hope and pray..