Lansdowne Road Station: On the Ball
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- Опубликовано: 30 ноя 2023
- A short trip to Dublin.
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Just a week ago I found myself on a DART from Dublin Pearse down to Bray, on my very short Ireland trip, just for the reason of enjoying the stunning view of Muir Eireann, that I have been longing for 15 years. It was rainy and cloudy yet beautiful. At Bray seafront my side order crisps were stolen by a wordous starling which was the nicest bird encounter I ever had.
As an Irish person and long time channel viewer. I'm so happy to see you come over here and look at our meager railways and hope to see some more soon!
Also ignore the pronunciation comments we all know they don't look right but you have froome
And Worcester.
Here's a tortuous transport-related joke. As the Dublin connecteion is called Dart, so in the Bay Area in California there is a railway called Bart. Bay Area Rapid Transit.
I worked up the hill there. There was a shuttle bus service up to the lab called Humphrey Go Bart.
OK, I'll get my coat.
We need a town beginning with F
It's also DART in Dallas.
I have a suspicion that Dublin copied SF in the naming of DART, even down to the T representing transit rather than the more commonly used (in Ireland) transport.
BART
Yes to train nerds learning about Irish railways.
The line from Galway to Dublin is beautiful. A few minutes out of Galway and you are going through fields with derelict midieval castles.
The DART is great, if a little infrequent due to shared track with intercity trains.
It’s great to see a video in Dublin. I really liked it my excitement when I saw the title and then the thumbnail was immeasurable.
Your pronunciation of Dún Laoighre was pretty much spot on. You can pronounce it the easier way in English - ‘Dunleery’ but it’s not spelled like this anymore unlike other places in Ireland.
Erm, it's Dún Laoghaire. Not exactly obscure to British ears. I'd imagine the BBC guide would be 'dun leery', as you say.
I'm always happy to find a new Jago Hazzard video available. But this time the title triggered me in a special way, it brought back 40+ years old memories. In the early 80-ies of the last century I was stationed in South-Lebanon with the United Nations troops. Our neighbors in the field hailed from Ireland and they used the catch-phrase "On the Ball" all the time. Ah memories !
you're welcome back anytime
A video on the routes around Cork would be interesting and why the Irish system uses a different gauge.
I’ve made a video on the railways in cork if you’re interested.
From what I've heard, it was something to do with providing room for larger inside cylinders.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_gauge_in_Ireland
"Ireland's first railway, the Dublin and Kingstown, was built to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (later known as standard gauge). The Ulster Railway (UR), taking the Irish Railway Commission's advice, used 1,880 mm (6 ft 2 in). The Dublin and Drogheda Railway was proposed to be built to 1,575 mm (5 ft 2 in) gauge[1] on the grounds of lower costs. The two broader gauges were not used anywhere else. Following complaints from the UR, the Board of Trade investigated the matter, and in 1843 decreed the use of 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in).[2]
This gauge was given legal status by the Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846,[3] which specified 4 ft 8.5 in (1.435 m) for Great Britain, 5 ft 3 in for Ireland.
The UR was re-gauged in 1846, at a cost of £19,000 (about £1,957,000 today), and the Dublin and Kingstown Railway in 1857 for £38,000 (about £3,857,000 today).
The Hill of Howth Tramway and the Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway also adopted the 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge. Dublin's Luas tram system, opened in 2004, uses 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge."
Plus many narrow gauge lines, mostly now closed (and a few preserved).
I thought it was a compromise for all the disparit guages in the country at the time, could be wrong, it wouldn't be unusual.
Cork should have a DART-like system. They are planning to have a tram line, so why not a rapid transit system too?
When talking about football in Ireland, it's necessary to specify the code. In this case, it's rugby union and soccer; Gaelic football (and hurling, rounders, and handball) being played in Croke Park and Parnell Park.
If youd gone north the last 2 stations at Sutton and Howth both have old signal boxes. There was a tram between the 2 stations aswell called the hill of howth and you can see the old tram sheds at sutton and the bridge in Howth. Look up a video called "called once upon a tram"
Nice to see you branching out. For the Irish content will you known as Jag O'Hazzard?
‘Branching’ out? Oh, very good.
Thank you for taking us to Ireland.
You should look into the history of some of the lines in Northern Ireland. There used to be a lot more but now there are 4 lines thanks to the government's attitude towards the railways around the same time that Beeching was getting rid of GB's railways
What is now NI was the densest part of the island's rail network at its height.
I was thinking the same. The GNRI has become of particular interest (it all started with seeing that JT ensconced at Cultra .... THE cutest little loco ever!), leading through inevitable fuming at tbe demise of the Derry Road and the loss of the last SG2 and UG locos so late in the day.
Many years ago, on a train from Dublin to Killarney (to partake in a cycling holiday), I noticed that many houses near the tracks were painted the same colour as the train. Coincidence? But of research and a vid from you? Go on, go on, go on 🙂
Landsdown Road station also has another entrance/exit gate at the very southern end of the northbound platform, originally built to connect to the AIB Bank Center, with a turnstile that would allow staff to enter when they swiped their access badge
Have you considered covering the railway system in Cymru? Some of the narrow gauge mining and associated lines are very interesting too!
If you return, try to make it between late spring and autumn, and continue on the trains going south to Greystones seated at seaward.
The railway line around Bray head shows a number of sections of track that were built by Brunel and called 'Brunel's folly'.
The view of the Irish sea is glorious on a sunny day.
How about a video on the 'Listowel and Ballybunion Railway' ? the only Lartigue-type monorail system ever built for passenger transport.
In my schoolboy railway books, this line was inevitably featured in a back section entitled 'railway oddities'.
I know it does no longer has trains, but could I suggest the station at Cobh (old Queenstown, Cork)
The station is now a superb museum for emigrated Irish & Ocean Liners (Titanic, Lusitania and all that.)
Thank you for this video!
I believe you would love looking into the Dublin and Blessingston steam tram. It's just one of those weird oddities you occasionally make videos about
Dublin Connolly station (original name Amiens St. pronounced Aim e ens Street) still has an original turntable and water tower from the steam age and Killester station was built in the 1920s as a request stop for the soldiers and sailors houses completed in the early 1920s for ex-service men from the first world war . Malhide station built by the GNR still has it's original, almost unchanged station.
Also Connolly was opened as 2 separate stations with 2 different enterances. The first station was named Dublin Station, which is located where platfroms 1 to 4 are today in Connolly. The other station was called Amiens Street Junction, and was located where platfroms 5 to 7 are today in Connolly. Amiens Street Junction was built as part of the Loop Line railway, which is the line that runs from Connolly to Prease.
I remember one afternoon waiting for a train to Maynooth seeing this strange little vehicle come up onto that turntable where the crew turned it slightly and then the vehicle rolled onto a small stub of track in the other side.
My father and mother both worked for the GNR before it became CIE, dad as a signal engineer and mum as a typist. They were both working in the old GNR offices underneath the railway bridge on Amiens St. They used to tell us about railway things but never mentioned the two entrances. The things parents keep from their children! 😁 Apparently there was a serious discussion by some politicians in the late sixties for closing the loop and dismantle the bridge over the Liffey to enhance the view !😲 I remember in the late sixties ,if dad was working outside Dublin for the day, mum would drive into Conolly to pick him up on "the ramp" which was where the Luas terminus is now. Many thanks for the info@@AtoZbyLocalBus
Connolly also has what I think is the only steam shed at a mainline terminus in a European capital 😲
If you want to get a good overall feel for Irish railways why not consider visiting the Casino Model Railway Museum just minutes walk from the station at Malahide and housed in a refurbished thatched cottage. Just get the Dart as shown to Malahide.
The original Dart carriages have been refurbished from original 1984 stock built by Siemens of Germany and the newer ones are Tokyu Japanese trains. Getting nerdy here but look at the driver cab side window which are very similar to Japanese trains.
Much appreciate you DARTing about to make this video, sir!
As a long time viewer who saw the first Dublin video when it came out, seeing this makes me very happy. I was on the Dart in the first week of operation when I were a wee lad.
Not that I'm a troll... but you could do Bray Daly Station and the controversy around the mural of the British soldier and the wounded dog, formally a flag.😅
Several features that might be worth looking at. There are the unusual track layouts at Limerick Junction and Killkenny. There is also the harbour at Wexford where the railway goes along the quay and public road. It might also be worth asking why the last train from Rosslare Harbour leaves 10 minutes before the boat from Fishguard docks, inspite of the Welsh Government running a train to specificly to connect with the boat.
It's a nice run on the DART northwards from Connolly, you get to see some of the 'real' Dublin of Roddy Doyle novels before the line hugs the coast with views of the Bay up to Howth.
I have been there several times, but I have never been able to find out about the history. Thank you for this wonderful video!
Great to see a video from the city I spent much of my life in, though I now live on the other side of the world. You could do a video on Colbert Station in Limerick and its possible link to US talk show host Stephen Colbert (he’s an Irish American, it’s not a common name, I’m assuming there is some historical link). He pronounces his name Cole-bare, but others in his family pronounce it as it’s spelt, which Is how it’s pronounced in Ireland.
If you find yourself out west, a video on the station at Tuam would be very interesting, particularly as you are so adept at unearthing the history of lines and stations. Great video, as always.
Irish Lines Are Smiling.
It would be very interesting to see a video about trams in Dublin. Similarly to London, trams here used to be very popular until the 1940s, when they were discontinued. But today there is a pretty large and modern network called Luas, which has quite a lot of interesting features. Things like the rolling stock, former railways that the new system runs along and a lot more. So it would definitely make a great video!
I’ve planned out some ideas for new Luas lines and some extensions to the existing red and green lines.
@@joshuaW5621Yea, there are a few possible extensions that would be good for the luas. I'm pretty sure they're working on extending the green line to Finglas, there's even a whole PDF available about it.
@@unspeakablek5750 they’re also planning to extend the green line to Bray, which was the junction station for the Harcourt Street line, and the red line to Poolbeg. But I think they should also extend round Foxrock and to Rathcoole. And some of the new lines could fill in the place of some of the disused Dublin Tramway routes.
Great to see you over here. I was using the station last weekend at the Munster match, there's a tunnel under the station to allow fans to get to the up side.
I'd suggest going towards Limerick. You've got several lines to look at including the Foynes line which is reopening, and the former line to Ardnacrusha power station too.
Maybe while covering Irish railways, you could make a Gauge War II. The story I’ve heard is that the 1600mm (5’3”) gauge was eventually chosen as an act of compromise between railways from the North & South
The Cork commuter network is worth looking into… one of the only pieces of double tracked rail infrastructure outside of Dublin (a beautiful line as well)… there is a lot of fascinating rail history in Cork, from the old tram network in the city to the Great Southern Railway. Worth a look.
As a big football AND railway fan, I both love this station and am a little bit saddened by the fact that no picture of the old situation (railway line running underneath one of the stands) was included. Still, interesting als always, thank you very much ❤
Fascinating video as always, Jago. Hope you enjoyed your time in Ireland.
As far as other Irish railway topics to cover, the most obvious one would probably be the Listowel & Ballybunion Steam Monorail, though that is rather a dead horse in the rail historian community. Still, it's an interesting story that's right up your alley, and the museum in Listowel that has a replica section of the monorail could always use more support.
Another topic that seems to fit your style, though a much sadder one, would be the Armagh Railway Disaster of 1889, at the time Britain's worst railway accident (Ireland still being a part of the UK at the time). Most folks know the broad strokes, but you seem the sort of chap that could go through the evidence and say what actually happened, all while visiting the actual sites, or what's left of them.
Finally, perhaps a niche topic best suited to you, there's the locations and locomotives used in 1978's "The First Great Train Robbery" directed by Michael Crichton and starring Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland. Based on Crichton's book, the film depicts a fictionalized version of the Great Gold Heist of 1855, in which a shipment of bullion bound for the Crimean War was stolen from an SER express train between London & Folkstone. Dublin's Heuston Station played the role of London Bridge Station while Cork Kent Station stood in for Folkstone. GS&WR Class 101 0-6-0 #184 played the starring as the Folkstone Express with its sister 186 appearing in various background shots. Both are now owned by the Irish Railway Preservation Society, and I believe 184 is currently being overhauled with an eye at returning to operational condition in the next few years.
If you're interested in Irish railways, then you should cover the Lartigue monorail between Listowel and Ballybunion; the first monorail put into practical use. It was actually deeply flawed, but historically interesting.
Croke Park is Ireland's national stadium and interestingly is built in between 2 railway lines with one of the lines going under a stand alongside a canal.
I've been going to Ireland on holiday since 2011 and always took the DART down to Greystones before driving to a family home. Sometimes we took the train beyond Greystones to Rathdrum which meant a shorter drive. The DART down to Greystones is simply stunning with it running along by the sea for much of the line and Greystones to Rathdrum is equally as beautiful. And the countryside around Wicklow is beautiful and great for fishing (I've been fishing many times in a wood near Rathdrum). Though I've never stayed in Dublin. I've only passed through Dublin on buses and trains heading down to County Wicklow. Ireland is just a beautiful place to visit and would recommend visiting to anyone especially going to the countryside.
Did you say you've been fishing in a wood?
@@grahamshakeshaft2373 On a river that flows through a wood.
Thanks for rekindling some memories of Lansdowne Rd station. I have been to the the rugby stadium twice, on both occasion the before it changed name to Aviva, first time around 1985 (Ireland v England) I was sitting in the old west stand, heard and was quite horrified the rumble as a train passed under the stand, thought at first it was an explosion, until I remembered the train line!. Then the other occasion early 1990s (Ire v Australia) I used the small level crossing in your video, so thanks for the memories.
I know I’d be up for more about Irish railways, I find them quite interesting
More Irish railway history please! The Dublin-Kingstown railway was opened just three years after the Liverpool to Manchester railway - so one of the earliest lines on earth! And not a word about gauge? Why did one part of the United Kingdom (at that time) adopt a different gauge?
Actually the first in Britain then
This line actually opened as standard gauge. It was changed to match the compromise 5 foot 3 gauge that was made the standard.
The Dublin and Kingstown railway opened as 4ft, 8 1/2 inch gauge (Stephenson's standard gauge).
The next railway on the island, the Ulster Railway, from Belfast, opened with a gauge of 6ft, 2inch.
A Royal commission was established to recommend a single gauge for the island. If common sense prevailed, one or the other gauges would have been selected, thus meaning only one railway would have to convert. But common sense was ignored. One set of "experts" recommended five feet, the other, five feet, six inches, they then split the difference, five foot three becoming Ireland's standard gauge.
In one way it makes sense, 1600mm being a regular figure in metric as well as a reasonable imperial measurement, but from a practical point of view, Stephenson's gauge would have been better.
@@thomasburke2683 Excellent! I knew none of this! Shows how experts looking for consensus can get it wrong!
I’d love to see him cover the Harcourt Street line.
There was a station at Butlins, Mosney, on the line north from Dublin towards Drogheda. I was on a train that stopped there in 1975. It would be interesting to see a film about that. I have a photo you may use.
Hi Jago, first time commenter, long time watcher.
The old line from Harcourt St to Bray which was closed in 1958 would be a good topic for a video. Especially given its partial reuse with the LUAS network that was opened in the 2000s
I would love a video on the Harcourt Street line, especially since I’m planning out new Luas routes.
The effects of partition on ireland's train network, the Clones Affray, the Drumully salient, the reasons why the second train line to Derry was closed in 1965 (which crossed into Donegal) and the proposal to reopen this line would tell an interesting and coherent story. Peter Leary's book on the border would help.
Lovely video! A video of the lines around Waterford and Cork would be very interesting, and issues like gauge. Loved this video, thank you!
Glad to see the appearance of your Dublin content!
Didn't realise the line doesn't go through the stadium anymore. Sadly last time I visited Ireland was 2006 (need to go again) before the new stadium. Whilst in Ireland, travelled on the southern part of the DART from Connolly Station down to Greystones and on the train from Dublin to Limerick and Galway to Dublin.
It goes under it
@seanbonella Only under the steps and ramps. No longer under the stands.
Yes, Jago, more on Irish railway stations would be interesting. On the subject of busy railway stations on match days, I went through Richmond railway station on a match day (on my way to Ashford when I was back in London a few years ago) and it reminded me of being in a Japanese railway station during rush hour! Keep up the great work! POHM
Smart looking little trains with attractive and dignified livery, thank you . . .
Wow! Jago on the move! Hope you enjoyed your holiday across the Sea! And glad you had a train to dart you between places.
The line from Westland Row to Kingstown Harbour was built originally to standard gauge of 4ft 8.5 inches before 5 ft 3 in became Irish standard gauge - apparently the mid point between the 2 "standard" gauges being employed here in Ireland at the time.
One of my sons lives near, and works in Dublin.
Thank you for the “high capacity” video from the iconic home of Irish rugby 🏉👏👏👍😎
The line south to Bray is worth a visit.
And beyond to Greystones as it's the last DART stop
Aha I was hoping we'd get a video out of your trip here! Great stuff as always Jago, and you got the pronunciation of Dún Laoghaire very close indeed (although funnily enough most Irish people tend to pronounce it like the anglicised "Dunleary"). In terms of a topic for another video, the Drumm battery electric railcars of the 1930s are a fascinating story worth telling!
I’d love to take another trip back to Dublin - it’s been a while. Interestingly, the old steam era signal box is very similar looking to the one at Reigate station in Surrey.
Some interesting stations out in Galway worth looking at
A history and route walk of the Schull and Skibbereen would be interesting (well at least to me !)
I liked seeing the use of maps.
Can you do more videos about train/transport - maps.
Probably already been mentioned because I'm late to this one, but the street running in Wexford is very cool and I'd love to know more about it
It would be great to do a video on all the train lines Ireland lost. That could be a great multi part one
There's so many to cover that it would take several episodes if Jago were to stick to his c. 8-10 minute run time!
Did you notice the special exit at the far end of the Southbound platform that is just for employees of a bank? (Back in 2009 I used it regularly when commuting from Malahide)
Good video as always, ever thought of doing one on the history of Northern Irish railways?
Great video. Nice to learn about the station I've been through going to the Cup Final on many occasions
Thanks for this. I will have more respect for the DART from now on.
Limerick Junction might be a fun one. It is rather odd. Dublin to Rosslare is rather pretty, especially the past Wicklow to Rosslare bit
My father used to commute to school from Landsdowne road. He used to play shove h’appney in the waiting room with his friends
I couldn't think where Lansdowne Road station was, but now I know it's in Ireland I don't feel so bad.
It's good to see you in my part of the world. More like this please.
A station I know very well. Thank you.
Great you came to Dublin Jago.
I can never understand why the Board of Trade stipulated Standard Gauge in England, Wales, and Scotland and had Broad Gauge foisted on Ireland, a constituent part of the United Kingdom at that time. All legally enshrined in the Railway Regulation (Gauge) Act 1846
I think you’d find the old Waterford to Tramore railway absolutely fascinating and it is DEFINITELY worth a video… just look it up and you’ll see why!
Really enjoyed watching a video from Ireland, I be visiting Ireland for the first time nect year, looking forward to it
Much welcome 😁
Thank you for another interesting video , how about the Irish monorail with its double boiler steam engine that ran on a trestle track or also Cork original station.
Check out The Tim Traveller, he did a video on it a year or two ago.
Thank you @@t_r_davies 😄
Dia Duit!! (ta mo gaeilge Ni maith)
That picture at 1:20 just looks like a still from "Ivor the Engine".
I believe Jago once said this line was the oldest in the UK when Ireland was part of Britain
Jago the Journalist is on trip in Dublin? Such fun 👏🏽
At 1min, 15sec, you say that the line opened as far as Blackrock.
In fact it continued to a temporary terminus at Old Dunleary, a few hundred yards beyond the current Salthill station, until the line was extended across the old harbour to the Kingstown station, now Dun Laoghaire in 1837.
Blackrock was one of two intermediate stations, the other being Booterstown. There were also two halts, probably very basic, which had a lesser frequency.
None of the original buildings survive; the permanent stations at Kingstown and Blackrock were designed by John Skipton Mulvaney. Blackrock, being simpler, is understood to have been completed first and so the core of the Blackrock station building is the oldest railway building in Ireland.
If you visit Blackrock, you can also see some of the original granite half sleepers built into the stonework on the down side, heading towards Seapoint,
Very interesting, thanks. More on Irish railways would be interesting. Did you notice that the rails are 6.5 inches further apart (even in NI) than in Great Britain? You could include the history behind that in a future video.
It was chosen as a compromise between the 4 foot 8 1/2 and 5 foot 2 and 6 foot 2 gauges that different companies had.
This railway here actually started out as standard gauge.
Ah - maybe that's why the platforms are extra thin...
My great uncle lived in Enniskillen. I believe there were two railways serving the town. In 1901 Great uncle George Evans was described as a porter, but I don't know which railway employed him. Any information that would help me eliminate one and chase the other would help my research ... and it's all interesting anyway.
Try the 1911 Census if you can find it, as it was a page to each household you may find the line named, or was there a Bradshaws or similar directory of the town, certain officials might be named in it.
Correct. Two Railways. The Great Northern Railway(Ireland) and the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway. The Enniskillen branch of the GNRI was closed by the Northern Ireland Government in September 1957 which simultaneously killed the SLNCR as it became an isolated stub being a single line from Sligo to Enniskillen. The fact that both the GNRI and SLNCR were both cross border lines was an additional burden which hampered both organisations. If Jago has time to visit Enniskillen, now sadly remote from rail connection, he should call in at Headhunters Railway Museum which has a superb collection of railway memorabilia.
Omg! Jago in Dublin! At one of my most favourite places?!?!
I was excited for this video
You should visit the Cork commuter lines
Like you one of the few DART stations I have visited but a lovely part of the world
Thank you from Dublin for this video. I'm glad you like our DART and I am looking forward to seeing the other rail lines in Dublin converted to DART-style electric lines. Maybe you could do a video on the Pheonix Park Tunnel which connects the Hazelhatch/Sallins line to Connolly-Grand Canal Dock; its certainly welcome but geographically it seems a rather long-winded route and your insights on it would be most welcome.
I would also be interested to know what it is you do like about our railways lines, particularly when compared to England.
That steam-age signal box looks rather similar in design to the pavilion houses that used to be on the corners of the old stadium. I'm glad that the old Lansdowne Road name has been retained.
I wonder if you're going to do the transit routes through Croke Park as well?
There's another little signal box like that a couple of stops further down the line at Sydney Parade.
Hi Mr Hazzard. Would you like to visit a whiskey distillery in a church in Dublin?
Unlike the UK's gauge of 4' 8.5", Ireland's track gauge is 5' 3", as is Spain, Portugal and the ex-USSR area. When I was in Dublin in the mid-80s,, I had to go to Belfast: the train comprising the narrower ex-British Rail coaches on Irish railway bogies, leaving a large gap between the trains' sides and the platforms. Pulling in to Belfast, I noticed a smoking building on the site which turned out to be the station's public toilets, a most inconsiderate IRA act to turn it into a public inconvenience!
Not quite accurate I'm afraid. Iberian gauge is 1,668 mm (5' 5 21⁄32") vs. Irish gauge 1600 mm (5' 3"). Russian Ukrainian rail gauge is 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in). My city of Melbourne uses 1,600 mm.
@@msg5507 Okay, thx. At least I got it right for the subject matter for Ireland, and, for the record, Melbourne! The one I love is Brunel's GWR at seven feet and a quarter inch!
I know naff all about Irish railways, so it would be interesting to see more videos about them. Especially from you.
Don't research Irish railway history if you're a railway enthusiast and don't want to have your heartbroken.
Beyond tragic
cars did smth
The Timoleague and Courtmacsharry ! Syon Mills! Fintona horse-drawn railway! Valencia Harbour! Clogher Tramway! Belcoo and Blacklion! All gone! Impoverished and isolated communities! Shame!
The Derry Road😢@@railwaychristina3192
@@railwaychristina3192If only 'Argadeen' were still with us to prove the T&C existed! To be fair to the GSR, they were going to preserve W&T No.1, but the old loco committed suicide in the 1930s.
1:24 You pronounced it right as far as Gaeilge is concerned (Dún Laoghaire), but for the English it’s said as ‘Dun Leary’ ☺️👍
This is fun and makes me want to visit!
J do look forward to any items on irish railways that you can provide. Their stations in particular are quite wonderful
Would be perfect timing to look at the Portadown -> Armagh line after talks of reopening it last week.
The track was completely ripped up but the bed still remains and there were plans to turn it into a Greenway. However it would be interesting if they did reopen. I kinda wonder where remains of the old layout, what can be reused and what would need changed to allow it to reopen
There is also the "All Ireland Strategic Rail Review" which has plans for rail improvements across all of Ireland by 2050
I'm always more in favour of talking about opening lines instead of reopening, as those old alignments aren't necessarily the best for today (we don't use 19th century steam locomotives having a hard time with inclines, anymore, and we don't need to serve old collieries, too, so often we can build a lot straighter today), but in this case, the old alignment could well be reused. An appropriate site for the station will be vital, though, the current bus station is close to the town's centre, I'm not sure a more distant railway station would be as popular. Any plans for the future after Armagh?
@@barvdw I was thinking the same thing. It's hard to pinpoint the exact old route from Google maps alone. There doesn't seem to be the same markers that say the Comber Greenway or down towards Downpatrick that possibly could have been a railway.
You would need to start overlaying older maps.
The modern route out of Portadown pretty much follows the A3 Dobbins. There are several towns that would benefit from the railway passing like Dobbins (tiny village) or Richhill (either a diversion or a Park and Ride beside the A3). From memory I think the line continued on to Monaghan.
Looking at Armagh itself there is Railway Street in the centre. It looks too built up to get a train through there. Looking at the hedging just outside of town I think I spot what could be an old line that would go through what is now the Recycling Centre and industrial complex. That area is on Station Road too. A station at the recycling centre would allow access to St Luke's hospital, the City of Armagh school and sourounding houses but doesn't do much for the centre. Donno if it would be any use. Alternatively the is some "empty" land just before and a line could divert back towards the A3 terminating close to the observatory. A bit closer to the centre but personally a bit out.
Part of bringing up the All Ireland rail review was the plan to link Portadown to Omagh and on Derry/Londonderry eventually into Letterkenny. It would likely have to follow the same route out of Portadown before splitting. Reopening would get the ball rolling and put in place the possibility of branching to meet that goal.
Enniskillen was also complaining as none of the planning will connect them. It too would have to branch out of Portadown meaning Portadown could become a large junction station as it sits on the Belfast - Newry/Dublin line
Well I have travelled from Kilkenny Station (Macdonagh Station) and wondered why it is a dead end of a line when it should continue and it looks like it did.
Good system the Irish ex CIE 5' 3'' guage clean. and attractive liveries.
Excellent video and come back to Ireland anytime 👍👍
Your pronunciation is indeed very correct👌