Rail Users Ireland Forum - [July 2012]-Limerick J-Limerick Bus Transfers on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday's

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[July 2012]-Limerick J-Limerick Bus Transfers on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday's

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4630&p=116&n=237

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Bus Substitutions in place between Limerick and Limerick Junction on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays in July
18 June 2012

Due to Bridge replacement works at Oola, Limerick, Bus Substitutions will be in place between Limerick and Limerick Junction on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays in July.

Bus services from Limerick will depart 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled train departure time to ensure timely connection with the trains at Limerick Junction. Bus services from Limerick Junction to Limerick will depart as per the train schedule.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for any inconvenience this essential work may cause.

The bridge works will contuine into August:

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/lo...ment-1-3952350

Quote:

BUS TRANSFERS will transport rail passengers from Limerick city to Limerick Junction three days a week throughout July as Irish Rail commences work on replacing Oola bridge.

As confirmed in the Limerick Leader in May, the bridge on the N24 will be replaced during the week commencing midnight Sunday, August 19.

There will be diversions in place for vehicles and no trains will run from Limerick to Limerick Junction, and vice versa, during that week.

Speaking at a Castleconnell electoral area meeting, Garry Keegan, of Irish Rail, said engineering works would commence on June 25.

For the four weeks in July, he said there will be a temporary timetable for bus transfers from the city to Limerick Junction on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday beginning on July 3.

“Temporary” traffic lights, that only allow one lane of traffic to cross at a time, have been in place at Oola bridge since March 2011.

Oola and Brooks bridge - located between Pallasgreen and Oola - were due to be replaced last October. It was put back to February and then August.

When asked by councillors about the delay Mr Keegan said he didn’t know as he has only been involved for the last month.

However, he said a lot of preparatory work has gone in to getting the project to this stage including ground investigations, design, traffic plans, contracting piling works, the pre-cast concrete bridge units and more

Cathaoirleach Mary Harty welcomed the news that it was going ahead but was “disappointed that Brooks bridge isn’t”.

“The NRA even granted money for realignment. It is very dangerous. We are going to lose NRA funding,” said Cllr Harty.

Mr Keegan said “funding restrictions made it impossible” but Irish Rail are committed to carrying out works there.

A spokesperson for Irish Rail said the cost of replacing Oola bridge figure is in the region of “€2 million”.

Cllr Harty said businesses in Oola have been “fiercely discommoded” due to the delays.

“They have suffered a loss of earnings. People won’t stop twice,” said Cllr Harty, who called on Irish Rail to liaise with landowners so that “fencing” issues which arose in the past doesn’t happen again.

Mr Keegan said they have been in talks with landowners.

A major information campaign by Irish Rail will feature advertisements in local newspapers and radio stations; leaflet drops; consulting stakeholders and an information evening in Ballykisteen Hotel.

Once Oola bridge is replaced it will remain single lane until September 17 as works will continue until then.

http://maps.google.ie/maps?q=oola&hl...8. 22,,1,5.73

http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,582697,641568,6,3

It looks like an original wrought iron bridge that has had (structural) stiffeners, crash barriers and a heightened balustrade added.

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4630&p=116&n=237

Quote:

Limerick / Limerick Junction: bus substitutions midweek during July
18 June 2012

Due to Bridge replacement works at Oola, Limerick, Bus Substitutions will be in place between Limerick and Limerick Junction on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays in July.

Bus services from Limerick will depart 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled train departure time to ensure timely connection with the trains at Limerick Junction. Bus services from Limerick Junction to Limerick will depart as per the train schedule.

Please view our Temporary Timetable for July 3rd - July 26th below

Dublin - Limerick - Ennis Temporary Timetable

Further works affecting Limerick to Limerick Junction services scheduled for August will be confirmed in advance.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for any inconvenience this essential work may cause.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie2k9 (Post 68250)

Cathaoirleach Mary Harty welcomed the news that it was going ahead but was “disappointed that Brooks bridge isn’t”.

“The NRA even granted money for realignment. It is very dangerous. We are going to lose NRA funding,” said Cllr Harty.

Mr Keegan said “funding restrictions made it impossible” but Irish Rail are committed to carrying out works there.

This confuses me a bit. The NRA has money available to realign a road but IE doesn't have money to get involved and do their part of the work? Shouldn't whoever allocated the funds at national level got a bit more involved and tied things together properly?

Just another reason why NRA should take over IE Infrastructure, in my view. No more excuses about left and right hands not knowing what the other... etc.

EDIT: on a standard weekday a Dublin-Roscrea route is offered by the res system off the Dublin 1340 dep via Limerick :rolleyes: but on TuWTh in July it is marked as "sold out"

Latest Update:

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4630&p=116&n=237

Quote:

Limerick / Limerick Junction: bus substitutions midweek up to Thurs 9th August-Updated 16th July
18 June 2012

Due to Bridge replacement works at Oola, Limerick, Bus Substitutions will be in place between Limerick and Limerick Junction on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays up to Thursday 9th August.

Bus services from Limerick will depart 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled train departure time to ensure timely connection with the trains at Limerick Junction. Bus services from Limerick Junction to Limerick will depart as per the train schedule.

Please view our Temporary Timetable up to Thursday 9th August below

Dublin - Limerick - Ennis Temporary Timetable

In addition, on Monday 16th July, the 22.53 Limerick Junction to Limerick service will be substituted by buses.

Further works affecting Limerick to Limerick Junction services scheduled for August will be confirmed in advance.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for any inconvenience this essential work may cause.

**extended until 16th august**

9th August according to IE twitter and website: http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp...=6&p=116&n=131

Iarnrod Eirrean were told yesterday that it is now extended up to the 16th , mabye website not updated yet .,.

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4630&p=116&n=237

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Phase 2 Works - Monday 20th - Thursday 23rd August

The final phase of these works will take place from 09.30 Monday 20th August to midnight Thursday 23rd August 2012.

During this phase, bus transfers will be in operation between Limerick and Thurles in each direction.

A temporary timeable will be posted here shortly and will be in operation with earlier departures via Thurles from Limerick to Dublin, Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for any inconvenience this essential work may cause.

There is something very unsatisfactory about IE's reason for having connections via Thurles, because of work going on at Oola. Something else going on maybe.

In any event, this particular bridge operation seems to have been very badly organised with disruption to rail services on a totally unaccpetable scale.

I assume that they can reduce delays by starting at Thurles- with the diversions in place there's no telling the delays that might befall Limk Junction buses. That said, Limerick-Thurles is an awful drive by road!

Might be better (certainly quicker) running the buses to Portlaoise !

A possible explanation for the Thurles connection has occurred to me. The bridge at Oola may be closed to road traffic for a few days (looking at the nature of the work going on that's quite plausable). In that case diversions on the N24 may lead to long delays on the road to the Junction, and hence Thurles might be a better choice.