Port of Cork opens €89m cargo terminal at Ringaskiddy

[K801]

I couldn't tell from the photos if the new port has a rail connection?

https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2022/0923/1325053-ringaskiddy-terminal/

 

 

[skinner75]

Doesn't look like it, going by this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqs5hCjS8sQ

[murphaph]

Nope, Ringaskiddy is never likely to be rail connected either. It's the wrong side of Cork city for that. Madness building ports that can't even be theoretically rail served at some point in the future really.

[Georgeconna]

I was under the impression that any new stuff had to be but sure in Ireland we do the If only very well.

Traffic is shite down there at the best of times.

[scahalane]

I guess in reality its only a bridge away from the Cobh line.

[Barl]

The proposed new port and container terminal at Ringsend has no plans for a rail connection either - seems to go against any 'green' initiative! 

[MOGUL]

50 minutes ago, Barl said:

The proposed new port and container terminal at Ringsend has no plans for a rail connection either - seems to go against any 'green' initiative! 

And is a perfect example of DPC's disfunctional planning the past few years.. The want to move more container ops on the southside, right beside the Glass Bottle site which is an SDZ.. Queue a bucket full of noise complaints from the residents of the nice new €600k plus appartments in D4s new quarter, as container ops are a lot noisier than Ro/Ro.. Meanwhile, they used space in Alex Basin to build a new Ro/Ro terminal for Seatruck, instead of expanding Ocean Pier Lo/Lo terminal(which is rail served, just about).. 

Add in the lack of land excuse(still boils my blood) while dedicating an acre to landscaping(at a cost of €1.8m) cause HQ needs a nice garden, and the old Oddlums building becoming an Art gallery, in the middle of an active port!

Hope the new CEO has a clue!

 

[Bob229]

No rail connection and the road has to be upgraded so the new container port can only operate at 50% capacity until the road upgrade is complete.  The port of Cork also bought the old IFI plant in Marino point so maybe there might be some rail freight there when it's redeveloped 

[Westcorkrailway]

I hate to say it lads, but in my lifetime the only rails laid south of the river lee will be a European Standard gauge Cluas line. 
 

and when that does go in. It will get rid of the Blackrock cutting which is one of the only ways of connecting kent station to ringaskiddy 

[MOGUL]

11 hours ago, Bob229 said:

No rail connection and the road has to be upgraded so the new container port can only operate at 50% capacity until the road upgrade is complete.  The port of Cork also bought the old IFI plant in Marino point so maybe there might be some rail freight there when it's redeveloped 

Marino point is going to be redeveloped as a JV with Gouldings fertilisers, and the plans include a rail link for distribution of fertilisers.. But whether the rail part actually happens or if it is just to secure planning remains to be seen

[Bob229]

4 hours ago, MOGUL said:

Marino point is going to be redeveloped as a JV with Gouldings fertilisers, and the plans include a rail link for distribution of fertilisers.. But whether the rail part actually happens or if it is just to secure planning remains to be seen

Hopefully the rail freight will happen as the Cork to Cobh line passes next to the site

[Mayner]

23 hours ago, MOGUL said:

Marino point is going to be redeveloped as a JV with Gouldings fertilisers, and the plans include a rail link for distribution of fertilisers.. But whether the rail part actually happens or if it is just to secure planning remains to be seen

Internationally rail freight terminal facilities (& sometimes rolling stock) are usually provided and funded  by the shipper (customer) rather than the railway operator or funded by Government. 

Locally Hamilton (similar population to Cork) has two operational and two planned (one under construction) railfreight terminals.

One terminal opened in 2005 basically operates as a warehousing facility and distribution hub for the Upper North Island dairy industry together with handling general freight traffic handles in excess of 800,000 tonnes of freight annually https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/assets/PageFiles/19549/EWDOCS_n2044488_v1_Fuel_Efficiency_Impacts_of_Fonterra_s_Crawford_St_Dairy_Freight_Hub.pdf.

The second operational terminal serves a Mainfreight distribution depot with siding capacity for 16 bogie wagons.

The third terminal under construction will serve a new Inland Port the Ruakura Superhub a development by Tainui Group Holdings the commercial arm of the Waikato Tainui Iwi (Nation) https://www.ruakura.co.nz/

The fourth terminal proposed terminal with siding agreement to serve the Northgate Business Park The Open Country Dairy plant and Port of Auckland Hub. https://www.northgatepark.co.nz/location/

Its difficult to see similar developments occurring in Ireland mainly as a result of the nature of Ireland's industrial development and shorter distance between industrial centers and the ports.

Its difficult to imagine Kerry Group or Glanbia establishing a rail based distributions system to export cheese or milk power by the trainload from its processing plants to Dublin, Cork or Waterford Ports, despite Brexit its likely to be more cost effective to serve UK customers by road and Ro Ro ferries than by rail.

[Newtoncork]

What's even worse, is that most of the annual 330,000 TEU's need to go through the Jack Lynch Tunnel. They've kept that one quiet.

[Westcorkrailway]

3 hours ago, Newtoncork said:

What's even worse, is that most of the annual 330,000 TEU's need to go through the Jack Lynch Tunnel. They've kept that one quiet.

With the dunkettle interchange already to cause delays.

 

how on earth am I supposed to get out of cork in a car

[Bob229]

37 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

With the dunkettle interchange already to cause delays.

 

how on earth am I supposed to get out of cork in a car

Take the train

[Westcorkrailway]

42 minutes ago, Bob229 said:

Take the train

It’s about to get very busy! 

[MOGUL]

4 hours ago, Newtoncork said:

What's even worse, is that most of the annual 330,000 TEU's need to go through the Jack Lynch Tunnel. They've kept that one quiet.

330K TEU is capacity, the terminal will be well under capacity for a good few years.. For reference, Cork handled 155633 containers in 2021, total was 280,000 TEU in what was a big year for shipping and likely this year will be down on that figure.. Still a lot of trucks through the tunnel that weren't there before, but not as bad as it could be!

 

[MOGUL]

On 25/9/2022 at 10:39 AM, Mayner said:

Internationally rail freight terminal facilities (& sometimes rolling stock) are usually provided and funded  by the shipper (customer) rather than the railway operator or funded by Government. 

Locally Hamilton (similar population to Cork) has two operational and two planned (one under construction) railfreight terminals.

One terminal opened in 2005 basically operates as a warehousing facility and distribution hub for the Upper North Island dairy industry together with handling general freight traffic handles in excess of 800,000 tonnes of freight annually https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/assets/PageFiles/19549/EWDOCS_n2044488_v1_Fuel_Efficiency_Impacts_of_Fonterra_s_Crawford_St_Dairy_Freight_Hub.pdf.

The second operational terminal serves a Mainfreight distribution depot with siding capacity for 16 bogie wagons.

The third terminal under construction will serve a new Inland Port the Ruakura Superhub a development by Tainui Group Holdings the commercial arm of the Waikato Tainui Iwi (Nation) https://www.ruakura.co.nz/

The fourth terminal proposed terminal with siding agreement to serve the Northgate Business Park The Open Country Dairy plant and Port of Auckland Hub. https://www.northgatepark.co.nz/location/

Its difficult to see similar developments occurring in Ireland mainly as a result of the nature of Ireland's industrial development and shorter distance between industrial centers and the ports.

Its difficult to imagine Kerry Group or Glanbia establishing a rail based distributions system to export cheese or milk power by the trainload from its processing plants to Dublin, Cork or Waterford Ports, despite Brexit its likely to be more cost effective to serve UK customers by road and Ro Ro ferries than by rail.

Unfortunately, a lot of business are unwilling to follow through on the PR about CS&R/Climate change and actually make something happen rather than window dressing.. 

Glanbia didn't even support the deep sea shipping service into Port of Waterford on their door step, so it inevitably ended.. They probably saved €50/container on their contract from 2021 by shipping from Dublin or Cork instead, but have obviously lost out with the price of fuel in 2022.. Only problem is the operator of the feeder vessels has been stung now and probably won't be back..

A good example in the UK of what can be done(although not perfect as it took a decade to actually happen), was Blackford for Highland spring.. Opened last month with help from the Scottish Government 

https://www.railfreight.com/railfreight/2022/09/07/freight-flows-for-highland-spring-water/