Western rail corridor (WRC) - Capital Plan

Thomas Morelli · 11-12-2017, 21:49

Does anyone know if other European countries have railways to specifically link together cities that are the sizes of Limerick and Galway?

Goods · 12-12-2017, 16:17

Many examples of rail connections to similar cities in Portugal which like the Galway Limerick example is a coastal West European area.

Thomas Morelli · 12-12-2017, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goods

Many examples of rail connections to similar cities in Portugal which like the Galway Limerick example is a coastal West European area.

Which cities are they?

ACustomer · 12-12-2017, 18:13

Goods: you are wrong about Portugal. Like Ireland, and with roughly twice the population in a similar area, the Portuguese rail network is almost entirely focused on lines radiating from the capital, and also from Porto. Where services exist between provincial cities of comparable size to Limerick and Galway (50,000+) they are generally on part of an intercity route, e.g. between Coimbra and Aveiro on the Lisbon-Porto main line. South of the Tagus river, the main cities of Faro, Evora, and Beja are all linked to Lisbon by rail, but direct connections are between them are virtually non-existent. I could go on...

What we can learn from the Portuguese is (a) their impressive electrification of most main lines, (b) their big investment in suburban services around the two main cities and (c ) the Porto metro which is like a souped-up version of LUAS and crucially uses tunnels in the city centre (thus avoiding any College Green debacle).

Thomas Morelli · 12-12-2017, 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACustomer

Like Ireland, and with roughly twice the population in a similar area, the Portuguese rail network is almost entirely focused on lines radiating from the capital, and also from Porto. Where services exist between provincial cities of comparable size to Limerick and Galway (50,000+) they are generally on part of an intercity route, e.g. between Coimbra and Aveiro on the Lisbon-Porto main line. South of the Tagus river, the main cities of Faro, Evora, and Beja are all linked to Lisbon by rail, but direct connections are between them are virtually non-existent.

So, does this mean that a railway linking only a city with 100, 000 people with one that has 80, 000 is not something other European countries have?

ACustomer · 12-12-2017, 21:59

I don't know what about other European countries. The question was asked about Portugal versus the WRC, and I thought I answered it.

comcor · 13-12-2017, 09:24

Not wanting to get sidetracked, but there is definitely a train from Faro to Lagos as I have used it.

In many ways, it has a lot in common with the WRC. The service is infrequent and it's slower than traveling by bus.

ACustomer · 13-12-2017, 09:40

Comcor. I agree let's not get side-tracked, but the line you mention runs along a heavily-populated coastal strip linking several large towns (Lagos, Portimao, Faro, Olhao, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo Antonio). There is no analogy with some big investment to link Limerick and Galway and the line has loads of small halts which probably account for a large proportion of its traffic.

Looking at other countries from which to draw a lesson for Ireland can be a difficult business.

12-12-2017, 16:17	#2
Goods Regular Poster Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 117	WRC future option Many examples of rail connections to similar cities in Portugal which like the Galway Limerick example is a coastal West European area.

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11-12-2017, 21:49	#1
Thomas Morelli Regular Poster Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 36	Does anyone know if other European countries have railways to specifically link together cities that are the sizes of Limerick and Galway?

12-12-2017, 18:13	#4
ACustomer Really Regular Poster Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 767	Goods: you are wrong about Portugal. Like Ireland, and with roughly twice the population in a similar area, the Portuguese rail network is almost entirely focused on lines radiating from the capital, and also from Porto. Where services exist between provincial cities of comparable size to Limerick and Galway (50,000+) they are generally on part of an intercity route, e.g. between Coimbra and Aveiro on the Lisbon-Porto main line. South of the Tagus river, the main cities of Faro, Evora, and Beja are all linked to Lisbon by rail, but direct connections are between them are virtually non-existent. I could go on... What we can learn from the Portuguese is (a) their impressive electrification of most main lines, (b) their big investment in suburban services around the two main cities and (c ) the Porto metro which is like a souped-up version of LUAS and crucially uses tunnels in the city centre (thus avoiding any College Green debacle).

12-12-2017, 21:59	#6
ACustomer Really Regular Poster Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 767	I don't know what about other European countries. The question was asked about Portugal versus the WRC, and I thought I answered it.

13-12-2017, 09:24	#7
comcor Really Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cork-Dublin, Cork Commuter and occasionally DART and Dublin-Wexford Posts: 855	Not wanting to get sidetracked, but there is definitely a train from Faro to Lagos as I have used it. In many ways, it has a lot in common with the WRC. The service is infrequent and it's slower than traveling by bus.

13-12-2017, 09:40	#8
ACustomer Really Regular Poster Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 767	Comcor. I agree let's not get side-tracked, but the line you mention runs along a heavily-populated coastal strip linking several large towns (Lagos, Portimao, Faro, Olhao, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo Antonio). There is no analogy with some big investment to link Limerick and Galway and the line has loads of small halts which probably account for a large proportion of its traffic. Looking at other countries from which to draw a lesson for Ireland can be a difficult business.