Review of Ireland's Rail Network

[Barl]

Some interesting outcomes from the report (draft) of Ireland's rail review. Be interesting to see if anything comes of it.

Link to article here; 

https://www.thejournal.ie/rail-review-network-5991337-Feb2023/

[connollystn]

Hi Barl, thanks for posting that as it made for very interesting reading, however, as with a lot of reports it will end up gathering dust on a shelf at TFI headquarters. We can only dream of 'What could have been'.

[Darrman]

I'd like to take a look at the full report, but who knows when that will be released. Out of what that Journal article highlighted, I wonder how they'd go about building the Derry-Letterkenny line. As a thought exercise, I'll take a bit of a look at things.

Using RailMapOnline as a reference, in terms of getting to Letterkenny the Lough Swilly route was a bit roundabout, and Graving Dock and the route out of Derry from there is long gone. There doesn't seem to be too much blocking the way out of Foyle Road, but building from Waterside and through Victoria Road might be better for through trains, though the Foyle would need to be crossed somehow. I've also heard rumours about the Derry Road, and the GNR route to Strabane is less obstructed. The approach into Letterkenny is now the N13 and the station itself is now a Penneys. The nearby Donegal approach is less built on, but it still gets blocked nearing the town.

I drew two routes on the map, coloured green: one via Newtowncunningham (population 1,000) and a more direct route. There may be factors I may be missing (i wouldn't know how the Google altitude highlights translate to gradients, for example.)

As for the rest of the things mentioned, seeing Athenry-Claremorris and Waterford-Rosslare come up is good, and the Midelton-Youghal line shouldn't have been turned into a greenway (I'd add Mullingar-Athlone to that too, though I appreciate that Tullamore is a larger town than Moate.) Dublin Airport really should have a proper link to the national railway network, and anything after that would basically devolve into pipe dreams. I dedicated too much space in my own submission to the review to pipe dreams.

[jhb171achill]

The likelihood of any new link to Letterkenny-hey being built on either the old Lough Swilly route (via the boonies) or the CDR route (via Tripoli and Cork, as shown) is nil. Absolutely nil. The only way to do it is a new route, like suggested above via Newbuildings, new bridge across to carrigans, and via your green line. Dunno if that passes anywhere with more then seven inhabitants, but none of the others serve anywhere of much size either; thus Letterkenny itself, as a single destination, would have to be deemed to be viable in itself. I wonder if the proposers of such schemes have surveyed the number of bus passengers between the two points? That will give the best possible guess with regard to viability.

As far as the Derry Road is concerned, massive disruption, diversions or both would be necessary now to get it out of Portadown, let alone through Dungannon and Omagh.

Experience in other countries of reopenings after decades closed often produce results like this. Expect some new stations to be nowhere near the originals!

[airfixfan]

Knowing Derry and the North West well here is my suggestion. Reopen Derry to Strabane and have a branch from about St Johnston to Letterkenny?

Edited February 11, 2023 by airfixfan

[jhb171achill]

27 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

Knowing Derry and the North West well hee is my suggestion. Reopen Derry to Strabane and have a branch from about St Johnston to Letterkenny?

That's more like it.

[StevieB]

The first stage in re-opening the Derry Road perchance. However, one of the biggest obstacles in linking Londonderry and Letterkenny is bridging the Foyle, a wide river for some considerable length. Following the old CDJRC route would be my favourite.

Stephen

Edited February 10, 2023 by StevieB

[airfixfan]

The old NCC Derry branch to Strabane trackbed has been breached especially between Derry to Newbuildings unlike the former GNR line which is clear nearly the whole way to Strabane. Check out Disused Stations website

[seagoebox]

Full page feature in todays Irish Times.

[jhb171achill]

10 hours ago, airfixfan said:

The old NCC Derry branch to Strabane trackbed has been breached especially between Derry to Newbuildings unlike the former GNR line which is clear nearly the whole way to Strabane. Check out Disused Stations website

It's also riddled with vicious curves, as is the Strabane - Letterkenny line.

[Barl]

From what I hear it could be a long time before the final report is published, as it relies on ministerial approval north and south of the border - not likely to happen any time soon with no sitting government in Stormont. 

Maybe it will be published sooner with a 'TBC' section for the north! 

[jhb171achill]

15 hours ago, Barl said:

From what I hear it could be a long time before the final report is published, as it relies on ministerial approval north and south of the border - not likely to happen any time soon with no sitting government in Stormont. 

Maybe it will be published sooner with a 'TBC' section for the north! 

You’d think that was a reasonable idea, indeed.

By the time that Jeffrey & The Abominable No Men have grown up and decided to do their job, any info in this report will either be out of date, or deemed to be out of date by those within governmental circles whose apathy (or hostility) to railways is well entrenched; both sides of the border.

[connollystn]

It's good to see that this report has made the mainstream media but, like many of you, I have doubts that anything in the document will come to fruition.

[Westcorkrailway]

On 12/2/2023 at 1:23 PM, jhb171achill said:

You’d think that was a reasonable idea, indeed.

By the time that Jeffrey & The Abominable No Men have grown up and decided to do their job, any info in this report will either be out of date, or deemed to be out of date by those within governmental circles whose apathy (or hostility) to railways is well entrenched; both sides of the border.

I’d like to think the report is published with a map and description of the Letterkenny to derry line that just stops at the border 

[airfixfan]

The Derry Road closed on this date in 1965

[Noel]

On 10/2/2023 at 9:23 AM, Barl said:

Some interesting outcomes from the report (draft) of Ireland's rail review. Be interesting to see if anything comes of it.

Link to article here; 

https://www.thejournal.ie/rail-review-network-5991337-Feb2023/

Thanks for posting. Sense prevailing at last.

[Branchline121]

Hopefully the Youghal branch, next section of WRC, closed section of MGWR main line, Navan line, Derry Road, Lisburn & Antrim line, the Waterford & Wexford line, and (my personal favourite but perhaps unrealistic) a line between Navan and Portadown with stops at Kingscourt and Armagh. None of these may ever open though, but with how rail transport is on the rise, maybe we should be hopeful!

[Galteemore]

50 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

The Derry Road closed on this date in 1965

 

[leslie10646]

Thanks, Mr Gm for that dose of nostalgia.

I actually did a runabout ticket up to Christmas 1964 to get some extra Derry Road steam mileage - I seem to have ignored the fact that the line survived until February - must look up my 1965 diary!

Has anyone got a good photo of those white CIE containers seen being shunted at Strabane?