[24-04-2007] Evening herald article on Broadstone station

[TomB]

Disclaimer: I live beside the Broadstone alignment

I really don't know what John Lynch is playing at here. The Broadstone-Liffey Junction alignment is the hidden jewel of transport in Dublin: it's completely segregated from traffic all the way and will be cheap to re-instate.

To use the alignment as a dumping ground for Navan passengers (with no onward connections) is a completely ridiculous idea. The only logical use for the alignment is as part of a north-south corridor. Originally we were supposed to have an underground connection between Ranelagh and Broadstone giving Dublin a high capacity public transport backbone. What T21 gave us was a compromise of two high capacity lines with an on-street bit in the middle. Not ideal, but hey, we'll take it.

Unless CIE plan on running a metro-style DART from Finglas to Tallaght they should keep their grubby hands off Broadstone. Let's not forget that we've four tracks between Glasnevin and Connolly/Docklands, so it's not as if Navan gives a legitimate excuse for taking over another two tracks.

Hopefully though Mr. Lynch will have done us all a favour and encouraged the RPA to stop dallying over line BX (to which there is no acceptable solution, and which inevitably some eggs will have to be broken over) and get on with the serious business of Line D to Liffey Junction. And not just because I'll benefit, because after so many mistakes over the years we have to have realised that dumping passengers outside the city centre with no onward connections is just a rather silly idea.

[CSL]

since RPA bought non-standard gauge trams , is there a possibility of sharing rails - e.g. inner rails for LUAS and outer rails for Heavy Rail ?

[sean]

No, you can't put heavy rail vehicles and trams on the same alignment oon safety grounds. Hint, what would happen if a stuffed Luas tram had a head-on collision with a locomotive, or a 4 car 29k? It doesn't bear thinking about.

I really don't see why this is needed at all - if the line to Navan is ever built it won't be sending that many trains, the ones they will use could easily be handled by Connolly if IE made their trains make the most efficient entries to/exists from Connolly station.

[Mark Gleeson]

This is looking more and more like a stunt of some kind. Remember Dr Lynch who is named in the letter works for CIE not Irish Rail, and IE people have not mentioned Broadstone when asked about a Navan terminus

The date quoted in letter we have seen is 2010 for Broadstone to open. Now this isn't going to happen since you would likely need a works order to reopen the line

Docklands station, one platform has seen a grand total of 1 train since opening and that wasn't even in service. 2 platforms more than able to take 6 to 8 trains an hour, only 4 are expected from Pace leaving at least 2 slots free that more or less covers Navan

Post interconnector Navan and Longford would terminate either P6 Connolly or the centre platform in Grand Canal Dock or continue to Arklow/Gorey there is no shortage of track or platforms either now or in the future, we are however seriously short of rolling stock

[Gary]

Is there not a shortage or potential shortage of rails on the northern route from Connolly to Howth Junction esp with possible Dart to Balbrigan and new station at Donahmeade? There was talk before of widening that to 4 lines from 2.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Gary

Is there not a shortage or potential shortage of rails on the northern route from Connolly to Howth Junction esp with possible Dart to Balbrigan and new station at Donahmeade? There was talk before of widening that to 4 lines from 2.

But they won't be going through Connolly anymore

[Gary]

Ah you're just talking about City Centre?

Was figuring would still be a need to have at least one extra line north of Clontarf Rd to increase flow of trains from Belfast, Dundalk, Balbrigan, Howth at peak times.