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07-08-2012, 12:20 | #1 | |
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One thing that is apparent to me (and my opinion is based on observations pre-dating the timetable changes earlier this year) is that the primary passenger potential on this line, as on most other routes, is towards Dublin, not towards the coutry terminus (in this case Limerick). Current patronage on the line is largely the function of decades of neglect resulting in slow, infrequent and not particularly convenient services. Irish Rail's ambitions to close this line stretch back at least to the early 1980s, if not earlier. |
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07-08-2012, 14:57 | #2 | |
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and you are right in that the current, low, patronage is heading towards dublin, but thats because the chance of the branch actually getting the most out of itself has been lost with the M7 opening all the way to Limerick. I have long said that what needs to be done in the morning is to have a train from Ballybrophy to Limerick which will arrive there at around 8.30. The only reason this was not done was down to staffing organisation. With portlaoise depot this is gone. It doesnt mean that the potential is in the dublin direction. It plainly isnt, there is a train getting into dublin for 8.30-ish (in fact it has been in that early and held up for being so) and the numbers using it are in the region of, lets be charitable, 6. |
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07-08-2012, 21:29 | #3 | |
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The only long term future for the Nenagh line requires at least the restoration of the previous 70 mph speed restriction, a direct curve at Ballybrophy and a decent frequency. The bulk of the line's potential is undoubtedly to Dublin - why would this route be different to almost any other in the country ? Given a decent journey time and a useful timetable, I am sure there is also some potential for local traffic into Limerick, but this would almost certainly be secondary in volume and importance to traffic to Dublin. For the immediate future the best that can be hoped for is that the line can be sustained until the economic tide turns and there is again an appetite for investment in rail transport infrastructure. The next few years will be extremely challenging for the railway generally and it is more than possible that there will be little or no investment in the system, let alone game changing investment in the Nenagh line. |
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08-08-2012, 09:57 | #4 | |
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The 0505 is only making any money because it stops from Newbridge inwards. Very few get on in Portlaoise and Monesterevin. Whilst I once enjoyed the privilage of being on an express from BB to dublin, it was lonely. Having an express train for perhaps 20 or 30 people is a total waste of resources. Saying that "if only it ran express from ballybrophy it would be full from limerick" not only flies in the face to the reality on the ground, it ignores the fact that this train will always take over an hour from brophy, which means it will always be competing with the early services from thurles and templemore where there is a history of long distance commuting to dublin, of which there isnt on the branch line. |
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08-08-2012, 10:12 | #5 | |
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the latter aspect is one which did not materialise in the towns on the branch line - because there was no service. Now, given the current economic circumstances we find ourselves in, that is not going to change soon. As someone who works in Roscrea and Nenagh I can tell you that the potental for a commuter service to limerick, which gets in at 8.30 ish starting from Brophy, is (or was) a real one. Limerick is only one hour away and is a lot easier to access than dublin, and if the track was developed and services were developed, a functioning branch shuttle service would solve all these problems, you can have a shuttle which connects to the brophy trains, you can have a shuttle that gets people into limerick and back in time for work and whatever. you can lay on specials for the rugby matches or gaa matches in limerick. NRP rep told me of an idea to close the branch for one year to put into place the infrastructure you suggest. Personally, i have only one problem with that, which is the over-riding temptation it will give the DoT to close it permanently. The gas thing is that the only posters on this thread who use the line all see that it has potential. If only we would drop the fantasy island elements and use the damn thing as a branch line to its potential and sell it as that then things would be a lot easier. |
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