Comments on: The express train which has lost its momentum

By: Euro train

Euro train — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:47:55 +0000

High speed services are appearing everywhere in Europe and across the world.

Imagine a high-speed channel tunnel from Dublin to Birmingham, via Snowdonia? See tourism and industry explode in places like Dublin, Blackpool, Liverpool, Birmingham, Shefield etc.

Not so hard to beleive. In south England recently, opened high-speed train lines from London St Pancras to Europe travel at 186 mph. The new trains travel through Kent to the Kent coast, through the channel rail link to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam etc, taking less total journey time than by plan. In Japan the bullet train probably tops them all on speed.

Travel, tourism and industry would benefit and it would create 1000′s of jobs. How private/public funded thats how?

By: mary casey

mary casey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:22:05 +0000

Belfast-Dublin centric mindsets – what about the North West peripheral region. As a member of the Into the West Railway Lobby Group I have been campaigning with others to secure investment in the rail link from Belfast to Derry/Londonderry and into Donegal – once the county with the highest rail network in the UK. Investment in the Galway Ceannt Rail Station, investment in rail in crucial to developing balanced regional economic and social development.

By: david lally

david lally — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:01:32 +0000

As an infrequent but enthusiastic user and a London-based Irishman, I must agree with all that has been said about our own dear “Enterprise”. It has served us since ?1948? (with newish rolling stock every few years) and unlike the now crack Iarnrod Eireann (IE) Dublin HeustonCork expresses, it is showing its age. Most of the De Dietrich French carriages are at least 15 years old. For techincal reasons, the GM locos are unable at times to easily pull that French stock and have to be regularly rotated (so sometimes you dont get the green Enterprise liveried engines up front). And at times the loos aboard leave something to be desired. We need joint Translink NIR(TNIR)/IE action to lobby the respective transport depts. More stock would allow a few non-stop Dublin Connolly Belfast Central as well as the current limited stop services. Better track also would help. TNIRs useful special occasional web-based deals (always day trips only and always only Belfast->Dublin->Belfast) with much reduced return fares (sometimes only UK£ 10) are great value. We need IE to do the same at their end (obv in Euros).

best wishes
David Lally

By: Eoin Bairéad

Eoin Bairéad — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:37:06 +0000

For the first time in two decades I recently took the Enterprise. My experience of rail travel in Ireland has not been good, I’m afraid. And it hasn’t got any better. Apparently first class is OK – but I was with the polloi!

I was so looking forward to the “Ulster Fry”. Unhappily, this merely showed my age. I had the choice of bad instant coffee, bad instant tea, and some sort of plastic bread roll in a plastic container. I declined all three, and had breakfast in Belfast.

Speed, service and cost are significantly better pretty much everywhere else in Europe where English is not the official language.

On the other hand, once they get Newry bypassed, and the road works around Belfast finished, driving there will be a pleasure.

Eoin

By: Kate Clifford

Kate Clifford — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:37:06 +0000

Dear Andy I read your latest note with interest. Indeed the Dublin to Belfast train line is in need of an upgrade. That said, I would draw your attention to the state of the train line between Derry and Belfast. Woeful is the only way to describe the 2 hour 40 minute ( on an Good) day journey. The seats are filthy, there is no provision for snacks or refreshments and the temperature of the rail carriages flutuates only above feezing when the doors open at stops. I have spent many a journey with a dark coat under my bum – because of the filthy seat and a blanket wrapped around me as I waited to get home for the weekend. Even the slowest Ulsterbus service beteen Derry and Belfast, on a busy Friday takes 1 hour 50 minutes and no longer. I assume you will lobby for the upgrade of the Dublin to Belfast link but don’t forget those of us who love rail and would love a much improved service between Belfast and Derry.