Irish Railway Record Society

Journal 165 

STATIONS

Carlow The former signal cabin has been demolished to allow the down platform to be extended.

Connolly Platform 1 was brought back into use on 12 December. It may be used to stable 8-car trains, but arriving and departing trains can only be 6-car long. This is because the end sliding doors of an 8-car railcar are off the platform.

Curragh The station at the Curragh Mainline has been taken out of use. The last scheduled use was for the Irish Derby on 26 June 2006. It had very low platforms and the intermittent level of business did not justify expenditure on raising them to comply with current standards necessary for trains with large powered sliding doors. Curragh race trains now stop at Kildare instead.

Cork An Bord Pleanála (Planning Board) refused planning permission to Manor Park Homes for redevelopment of the Horgan’s Quay site adjacent to Cork station and on railway land. CIÉs planned redevelopment of the station was linked to the plan, which would have provided a new entrance to the station. The application was for 276 residential units, eight retail outlets, two commercial centres, three showrooms and leisure facilities, including a crèche, gym as well as two basement car parks. The proposal included seven tower blocks, one 24 storeys in height and the others between four and 10 storeys. Eight reasons why the development was not suitable for the location involved were listed. These included concern that the project would involve a piece-meal approach to the docklands redevelopment, was premature pending comprehensive docklands blue print, would contravene urban design objectives including recommended maximum seven storey height for river frontage buildings, would impact on visual amenity and was not suitable for the site.

Donabate In November, IÉ applied for planning permission to construct an additional 145 car parking spaces.

Gormanston IÉ has applied for planning permission to convert the former goods store into a passenger facility.

Kilbarry In December, IÉ applied for planning permission for a new station on the Dublin-Cork line just north of Cork Tunnel in the neighbourhood of Blackpool. ‘The development will consist of 2 No. passenger platforms including shelters with stair, lift and footbridge access over the railway and station ancillary accommodation. (Telecom & Electrical rooms 30.3m²). The station includes provision for a park and ride facility of 100 car parking spaces with vehicular and pedestrian access via Dublin Hill; bicycle parking shelters and stands are also included for 20 bicycles. An additional pedestrian access will be provided from Redforge Road with lift (2 No.) access via a footbridge to the proposed station’.

Limerick The City Council has refused planning permission to Bus Éireann to build a new bus station in the freight yard of Colbert Station, Limerick. The Council said that as Bus Éireann had failed to demonstrate that the proposed development would not adversely impact on the [proposed] Orbital Route, the Council deemed that the development could ‘endanger public safety’. The Council also said that some of the works outlined in the planning application ‘would detract from the setting of the protected structure’ of the existing railway station. The decision has now been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

Monasterevin The spelling of the station has been changed from Monasterevan in the new timetable. The new spelling is the same as used on road signs.

Phoenix Park Fitting out of the new station took place in December and it opened on Monday 21 January.

Rush and Lusk IÉ is to seek planning permission for an additional 200 car parking spaces on the Lusk side of the station by spring 2008. As an interim measure, IÉ is to surface the grounds of a property adjacent to the station, which they purchased to provide a temporary car park with a capacity of 50 to 80 spaces. IÉ said ‘We are trying to buy some land on the Rush side and if we are successful, we will look to provide extra car parking spaces there also’.

Sligo Copingstones are being replaced on the out-of-use and un-signalled down arrivals platform.

Thurles In October, IÉ applied for planning permission to construct 153 additional car parking spaces adjacent to the existing east car park.

Tralee CIÉ has advertised for ‘a multi-disciplinary integrated team offering the entire range of architectural, engineering, urban planning, environmental related services and all other associated services relating to the redevelopment of a large regional town centre site adjoining Tralee Rail and Bus Station, Co. Kerry. This should incorporate significant market driven commercial and residential development on a site of up to 3.8 hectares / 9.5 acres … Assessment of existing and future transport requirements, including car parking, may also be necessary’. 

In September, Tralee Town Council placed the former signalbox on the list of Protected Structures despite an appeal from IÉ that doing so could interfere with its plans for development on the site.

Tullamore IÉ has applied for planning permission for upgrading the station including a new footbridge with stairs and lifts, new ticket office and upgrading of facilities for the mobility impaired.

DEPOTS

Laois Traincare Depot   Good progress has been made on the construction and fitting out of the depot in preparation for opening later in 2008. The new trailing crossover on the mainline and turnout to the new down loop at the north end of depot were installed but not connected on Sunday 25 November.

Copyright © 2008 by Irish Railway Record Society Ltd.
Revised: March 31, 2008 .