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If I (for one) believed that the railway north of Athenry would be effective in solving congestion, and improving services, then I assure you I would wholeheartedly support it.

Unfortunately, the evidence from a multitude of expensive reports, and timewasting commitees proves otherwise.

In ideal conditions, a preserved railway is the best way to secure the future of Athenry to Tuam, and when/if the planning and population densities support it, then Iarnrod Eireann or whatever operator surfaces in the next few years/decades can engage in a joint venture. Several TOC's in the UK for example are actively looking at operating services on preserved railways. This avoids the "snip" that jhb171achill points out. HOWEVER.

"Snipping today costs a lot more to correct tomorrow"

- A good point, but the railways that were snipped are in a different league to the line from Athenry to Claremorris.

1. They served commuters, or had the potential to do so such as

(a) Cork-Midleton
(b) Harcourt Street-Bray
(c) Clonsilla-Navan

In the case of all three of the above, the populations and planning decisions to justify their restoration did not reach sustainable levels until the 1990's in the case of A and C, and the mid 1970's in the case of B. The operational losses in that period in the case of A in the period 1963-1993 based on a 5 times a day service (which is what it had in 1963, would come to 10 Million in 2009 Euro, in the case of B for an hourly service to 50 Million (period 1958-1974) in 2009 Euro, and on C for a 4 times daily service to 12 Million in 2009 Euro (period 1963-1996). This in a country that was much poorer, and had to look at other priorities beyond railways, such as health, housing, education, policing, and more. The services, had they been retained would be nothing more than good advertisements for Ford car dealerships, and thats an unfortunate fact.

2. Athenry to Ennis is another kettle of fish, because in an ideal scenario, the rolling stock removed from the ineffective once daily Limerick to Ballina should have been diverted onto a far more effective thrice daily Limerick to Galway. But the CIE of that era was running down cross country routes to closure. Those effects remain to this day in the case of

(a) Rosslare to Limerick
(b) Limerick to Ballybrophy.

And these routes need to be fixed, and have proper timetabling on them in order to fulfil their potential, and prove the case and justify investment in regional rail. The detractors of this route no longer post here. They are now to be found at www.boards.ie under the commuting and transport section. www.politics.ie. www.garaiste.ie and www.p45.net to name a few key sites. Not to mention the obvious rival to www.irishrailwaynews.com which was a swearword....for all I know, it probably still is. !!##%!*#*! is now known as www.railusers.ie. P l a t f o r m 1 1 is still a swearword? Good heavens......

I have no objections to rail enthusiasts, or dreams, but if this line reopened North of Athenry, and it fails, it will set back the cause of regional rail investment by decades. Do you really want to take that gamble. The line North of Athenry is the very kind of route that is being closed in the former commie block, because it is an anachronism and it is outdated, and it will not compete.

Ardvana: 28/06/09 16:30:00 stated: Is it any wonder that some consider there is a concerted campaign to shaft this project at every opportunity. The fact that the next phase of the WRC from Athenry to Tuam will cost about the same as the Luas ramp outside Connolly Station or 600 yards of well deserved new Luas line might also put matters into perspective.

600 yards of Luas line will carry more passenger kilometers in a week than Athenry to Tuam will in one year. Navan does not have a rail link. Swords does not have a rail link. If they are waiting, then why should Tuam, which is a much smaller town get a link before far more deserving locations.

Burma Rd: 02/07/09 21:52:53 stated: we had the miracle of knock in the 80's, we'll have the miracle of Tuam in the 00's!!

Knock Airport was a odd project, symptomatic of all that is strange and dysfunctional with planning in the West of Ireland, but if I pointed that out too much, I would be called anti rail. Sligo Airport should have been extended, that would have been a far more effective use of resources. I'd be more inclined to call Knock a curse rather than a blessing. Priests and planning should be kept away from each other. Reopening the railway to Tuam will discredit the development of rail transport and be a waste of valuable resources.

jhb171achill: 02/07/09 22:44:05 stated: I hope so Burma Rd - I never quite made the Burma Rd section!! Done the rest though.

So you want the taxpayer to finance a joyride in order for you to make a section of dodgy track you never got to ride as a child. People will use the likes of the Interconnector, Navan, Midleton. There won't be many using this.

Rail investment in the West of Ireland worked well in terms of resignalling, OnTrack 2000, New rolling stock, more frequent services. These do a lot more to promote growth.

The West actually gets far more investment PER CAPITA than the East. People are not forced to leave the West, it occurs because the regional economy does not sustain population levels, or industry. It is a peripheral region. These exist all over Europe. Ireland now faces a recession of unprecedented proportions, and would you not agree that the investment should go into those links that are threatened with closure such as Limerick to Rosslare, Limerick to Ballybrophy, and go into making sure that the Limerick to Galway service is the best possible when it does reopen. That way, if these are successful they can be used to justify expansion later on.

I agree with you on the Comber line, but again, that is in a heavily populated area, that will sustain and justify expansion. It is at the other end of the spectrum.