Closures?

[Mickey H]

Is there any truth in the statement below, published in an enthusiast newsletter? :

"There are some worrying reports coming in that closure dates can be expected in 2013 for Killonan Junction to Ballybrophy and Waterford to Limerick Junction, and even perhaps Ennis to Athenry."

[Mark Gleeson]

Nenagh line is certainly in serious trouble. Nenagh Ballybrophy is on the edge due condition. The ongoing games with trains to Dublin has made the financial position much worse

Waterford Limerick Junction while at risk is not in the same category as the Nenagh line

Worst of all is Ennis Athenry but the political fall out from that would be too much

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Worst of all is Ennis Athenry but the political fall out from that would be too much

Hmmmmm the case of I told you so ringing in their ears!

Surely the cost of avoiding political fallout in this case would be too much to bear!

When is the best time to say enough is enough!

[ACustomer]

Unlike the other two branches, keeping Ennis-Athenry should not cost all that much: signalling and crossings are automated and the track is more or less new. Of course it is a disaster, but once the costs have been sunk, the economic argument changes a little.

[dowlingm]

Wasn't at least some work done north of Nenagh?

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Mickey H

Is there any truth in the statement below, published in an enthusiast newsletter? :

"There are some worrying reports coming in that closure dates can be expected in 2013 for Killonan Junction to Ballybrophy and Waterford to Limerick Junction, and even perhaps Ennis to Athenry."

a newsletter????

to be honest, the bit in bold is a very handy tool for distinguishing between a real life rail passenger and an enthusiast. Real life people call it the Limerick-Ballybrophy, or the Nenagh line.

As for it closing, the service is going back to what it was, and need we say it again, it is a case of two trains a day going in the opposite direction to that in which they are needed.

Our belief is that they (IE) were ordered to bring in the 0505 Limerick to Heuston service, now, if they can bend the knee to something as patiently useless as that, how come they refuse to run trains on the branch in the direction that the working and commuting population is actualy going in?

Is it the belief in Irish Rail that only people from Thurles commute to Limerick for work??

Maybe the counter-spin, that IE imposed the 0505 service to teach minister kelly a lesson, may have some validity. After all, its only scarce taxpayers money that, either way, they are messing about with here. At a time when Leo is talking about not funding them at all in years to come. It couldnt be made up.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Worst of all is Ennis Athenry but the political fall out from that would be too much

there is zero chance of Ennis Athenry closing, it is actualy the safest route in the country.

[laoisfan]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

Is it the belief in Irish Rail that only people from Thurles commute to Limerick for work??

Here here - push that train from Thurles back to Portlaoise, taking in Ballybrophy, Templemore, Thurles etc. Then you have a proper commuter service to Limerick.

[Mark Gleeson]

Lets be realistic here, Thurles is a in a difficult location with respect to Limerick

In the time it takes to drive to Nenagh the train is already in Limerick, not so if you start in Portlaoise, so really Ballybrophy and Templemore are the targets

[Thomas J Stamp]

my point is that there should be a train from Ballybrophy to Limerick in the mornings. There already is a train from Thurles, which operates from Limerick. Unless, as you suggest, you have both? that is overkill.

templemore is served by both stations

[Inniskeen]

How many people use the 0735 from Thurles to Limerick - does it make double digits ?

[Mark Gleeson]

Reports are it does quite well, stops also Limerick Junction which picks up commuters based in Tipperary town

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Reports are it does quite well, stops also Limerick Junction which picks up commuters based in Tipperary town

Any chance of defining quite well - are there consistenly more than ten passengers from Thurles, more than 20 ?

[Destructix]

I got that train last year to Limerick. I don't know if this is the norm but that day on the 2700, nearly one carriage full before it left Thurles. Average number got on at the Junction. People in suits with briefcases, fás apprentices etc on it. The office type that bring sandwiches to work in a seal-able plastic bag.

Outside of Dublin, Limerick services really only do well at Thurles and Limerick Junction. The 13:40 service to Limerick is really a Dublin-Portlaoise commuter and a Dublin-Thurles service combined. That train pretty much empties at Thurles everyday. Of course it picks up passengers for Limerick at Thurles but doubt anyone from Portlaoise is even on that train. (This is the Alan Kelly express train returning to Limerick?)

As what was pointed out in another thread. To be viable to start in Portlaoise/Ballybrophy the train would have to come from the Portlaoise train depot. Couldn't see a 22k allocated to this service. Good idea but they won't do it.