Lack of trains and lack of catering on trains.

Some areas of the country have train services and others dont. This isnt right.

I agree that sparsely populated areas dont need trains however some large towns with substantial populations do not have a train service and they really should have.
 
There are indeed populated parts of the north west that have no train service and indeed no motorway. Most other parts of the country have an abundance of motorway and access to train services.

The population of an area is a significant factor and nobody would suggest there should be trains and motorways to gweedore. However there should be to letterkenny through monaghan, omagh and strabane/lifford. These are populous areas. It would provide the region and its people with infrastructure in line with what the rest of us have throughout the country.

And yet we have politicians giving out the trains dont serve tea and coffee.
 
ArthurMcB said:
some large towns with substantial populations do not have a train service and they really should have.
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Top 3.

Swords. Metrolink coming. Malahide is close.

Navan. Works underway?

Letterkenny.

Then where is next?

Rathoath
Shannon
Youghal
New Ross

I presume I’m missing somewhere else obvious.
 
I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the Railway Network map below. I do remember a US colleague wanting to visit their distant relatives in Kilkenny and having to get multiple trains via Heuston to get there. (Or maybe it was via Waterford etc not sure)

However for decades there was talk about opening up the Navan to Harcourt St. line to help with commutes. Surely this should be a no brainer, considering the increase in population around Navan and Meath in general? (edit: I see as per posts above, evidentally this is finally being worked on)

Along with more recent times working to reopen West Coast lines...along the Ennis greenway IIRC?

Agree, you cannot invest in a route without enough paying customers/freight to make it viable. However are we at the turning point with increased population areas? Are there elements of the old network that could be revived?

 
Brendan Burgess said:
The populations don't support them
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I think the population possibly does support it in as much as it does to some other parts of country i.e the west (mayo, Carrick on shannon etc).

A route to the north west would pass through populous areas Brendan, perhaps you havent been? They arent rural outposts and they should have a rail and motorway network like all other parts of the country does.

The population argument is weak without specific data and without any measurement criteria. Eg, whats the population threshold that warrants a rail/motorway? Im not aware of any.

Improved infrastructure to this area would bring it in line with rest of country and would encourage needed economic growth in the region.
 
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Fortune said:
Is anyone really missing out on a premade sandwich, a KitKat and some undrinkable tea when they're on a train?
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Don't forget the overpriced bit
Personally if I was on a train from Dublin to Cork, I'd stop off in the local Spar and buy myself something for the journey if I felt the need, for a lot cheaper and with more options then Irish Rail would ever provide.
 
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Brendan Burgess said:
Trains to where?

The populations don't support them.

Buses are the solution for areas like this.
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Presumably you have some evidence to support this view Brendan? The poster already stated to where. Letterkenny is largest town in the northwest with a population on a par with Athlone, Mullingar and Portlaoise. Yet you seem to know that such a population wouldn't support a train service. So presumably we should remove the train stations from other such towns? It has a bigger population than Sligo so should we stop the service to Sligo?
 
This is objectively correct. There doesn't seem to be any particular demand pressures on the current bus links between North and South Donegal respectively and Dublin that would suggest the construction of a new rail link wouldn't be a white elephant.
Ceist Beag said:
So presumably we should remove the train stations from other such towns? It has a bigger population than Sligo so should we stop the service to Sligo?
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You're conflating the sunk costs of an existing facility and what would be the phenomenally expensive marginal costs of a new rail line.
 
The op did not mention Letterkenny. At least not before I asked where.

Maybe letterkenny is justified. I doubt it though as Derry is just 30 mins away.
 
T McGibney said:
You're conflating the sunk costs of an existing facility and what would be the phenomenally expensive marginal costs of a new rail line.
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I never mentioned cost, you're the one bringing that up. I'm arguing the statement that a population the size of Letterkenny would not support a train service.
 
Does the Limerick-Ballybrophy rail line still cost the State €550 in subsidies per passenger journey? The DART costs €0.80 per passenger journey.
 
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