Ballyglunin railway station

[minister_for_hardship]

Is there any remote possibility that part of the 'western rail corridor' might reopen in the next 10 years (i.e. if traffic levels viable post recession)? I think it was part of the original WRC 'dream' but I've no idea if that section of the WRC was wishful thinking or viable.

 

The by-now obligatory greenway group is already eyeing it up.

[Noel]

It seems a shame we don't have the population density nor heritage funding culture in ROI to preserve a section of a closed railway line that is still largely intact such as this one. The Limerick-Nenagh-Ballybrophy line seems at risk of becoming another closed line in the not too distant future. Ballyglunin is only about 10 miles from Athenry with mostly bridges at line crossings. Pipe dreaming.

[minister_for_hardship]

Greenways are easy.

A preserved line involves hard, sustained work that people here haven't the interest or inclination to do.

[Mayner]

In general, across Ireland, a museum devoted to anything at all will not be financially self supporting if it is an out-of-the-way place.

 

In order to visit Kiltimagh museum, you have to ring a mobile phone number and someone from the town appears. The day I went, I noticed spiders. They outnumbered the people there by a considerable amount....

 

Ballyglunin wouldn't be much different.

 

Its good to see that the Ballyglunin group have reasonably realistic objective of restoring the station building for community and tourist use and long term plan to re-build the goods shed as a theatre/exhibition venue/community hall? has a greater chance of community buy in and success than a railway museum largely dependent on outside support.

 

Many rural museums in New Zealand and the United States are 100% volunteer operated and only open on occasional weekends during the year or by appointment like Kiltimagh. Our local preserved railway the 7km Glen Afton Line has 7 regular operating days every year plus the occasional charter (coach tour) and is 100% volunteer owned and operated with some sponsorship from industry, charitable trusts and government agencies. The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway operates a daily service for roughly 5 months of the year and is pretty much dependent on legacies, donations from its members to fund the restoration and maintenance of its locos stock, building and plant.

 

Shop and ticket sales pay the shop assistants wages rates & taxes, and the running cost of the train

Edited June 27, 2017 by Mayner

[Colin R]

Well done to them for raising the money they needed, I just hope they can keep the momentum going. the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Trust has been going in one form or another for well over 35 years, but we have only been running for the last ten and that was with an industrial diesel loco and a couple of tourist coaches and very few active members on the ground. Ten years later and we have a huge Planning application in that will extend the line to just under 5 miles and we have one replica steam loco almost finished, which should be in use later this year we hope. 5 rebuilt original coaches and at least enough bits to build two more, and we also have plans to build four more replica steam locos as well.

 

So giving the time, money and effort to do something, anything is possible, its just about getting the right people in the right place at the right time.

 

 

Colin

[WaYSidE]

On 6/14/2017 at 12:30 PM, WRENNEIRE said:

We at the MRSI attended a fund raising day last year in Ballyglunin

It was a wet and miserable day and the numbers attending were not great but those that did attend were very passionate about the restoration project

To that effect we took a lot of pics and measurements and hope to build a model of this historical station to be presented to the committee when finished

Scale it yet to be decided but it will most likely be a static display in 00 or N

Ballyglunin Update 2019, Dave, somethings happening, they have start buying stuff for Ballyglunin, we got an order today for products for the landscape of the train station, could be tidy town group, when i told them you were building model of same, they didnt know. but someones up to something..  ..to misquote, 'Get of your train and drink your milk'

[Magpie1951]

Greenway groups seem to be on the extreme edges of Irish society  at the moment making a lot of noise for a minority group but Irish Rails numbers on the Limerick Galway route make for interesting  reading in this article, https://www.limerickpost.ie/2019/04/13/limerick-to-galway-railway-journeys-continue-to-grow/. 

It is on course to carry 420,000 passengers  this year making it Irish Rails fastest  growing route!!! Remember the constant  doom and gloom about what a failure this line would be , a white elephant  etc... With the rising need to reduce our carbon footprint and Galway's  chronic traffic problems despite the new motorway to Limerick,I would be confident  enough of Athenry to Claremorris being reopened!! 

I often hear the population  density argument (it has been disproved for Limerick to Galway route) but with Tuam and connections to Wesport and Ballina there is plenty people for a viable railway!! The greenway lads & ladies would be much better putting their efforts into a full Galway to Clifden cycleway or Killorgin to Caherciveen or Tralee to Fenit than Athnery to Tuam!!