MYSTIC VALLEY RAILWAY SOCIETY

LINES FROM IRELAND

by James Scannell

February 2024 to April 2024

From Monday February 10th, Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail introduced a new warn- ing detection system at user operated level crossings (grade crossing) located at Cla- remorris, Co. Mayo, Ballymote, Co. Sligo, Merlin Park, Co. Galway, and Killucan, Co. Westmeath. The warning detection system operates in a similar way to a traffic light and provides users with information about the ap- proach of trains so they are certain when it is safe to cross the railroad track. Currently there are 63 user operated level crossings na- tionally equipped with this system and eight more are planned to be introduced at other locations later this year. The system provides enhanced safety through real-time train ap- proach warnings, reducing the risk of acci- dents at level crossings. At locations where this system has been installed reports of ‘near misses’ between trains and level crossing us- ers have significantly decreased. The system gives users confidence and peace of mind, particularly for vulnerable road users and children. It reduces waiting time at user oper- ated level crossings as system informs users exactly when it is safe to cross, with an aver- age wait time of just 21½ seconds. The lights provide an easy-to-understand visual signal, reducing confusion and improving compli- ance. Unlike traditional warning signs, these lights are highly visible in various weather conditions and at night.

Also in February Iarnród Éireann joined forces with Bus Éireann and Cork Airport to introduce a new integrated ticket which gives passengers the option of travelling to Cork Airport using rail and bus services – all on the one ticket. This new feature will allow customers making bookings on the Iarnród Éireann website, to add a transfer to Cork Airport and travel with convenience and ease from Kent Station, Cork City, to Cork Airport using the 225 and 226 routes, operated by Bus Éireann for the additional cost of around US$1.75. The new integrated ticketing fea- ture is another progressive step in improving public transport connectivity and means that passengers travelling on Intercity services from Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, and Laois can enjoy a hassle-free journey to Cork Air- port.
During March testing of the first new bat- tery powered DART+ railcars between Dub- lin Hueston and Hazelhatch commenced and will continued for the remainder of this year before these vehicles enter service next year. DART+ is the transformative program that will ensure train travel is at the heart of Ire- land’s sustainable transport network. Funded under the National Development Plan by the National Transport Authority, DART+ is an investment that will double the capacity and treble the electrification of the Greater Dublin network, which is Ireland’s most populous suburban area, facilitating sustainable mobil- ity and development and quality of life in the capital and surrounding countries

Signaling company Alstom has success- fully completed the installation of the Euro- pean Train Control System Level 1 on the Dundalk, Co. Louth, to Greystones, Co. Wicklow, route, which covers about 120kms and integrates new safety features and en- hanced interoperability across the entire Dub-
lin Area Rapid Transit (DART) commuter network and beyond. The project represents one of Europe’s largest European Train Con- trol System Level 1 installations. Equipment, including 337 signals, was provided from Alstom’s globally proven trackside portfolio, with more than 450 Micro-Coder line side electronic units overlayed on legacy equip- ment to provide enhanced safety and mini- mize disruption.

On April 14th, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheál Martin, European Union Commis- sioner Michael McGrath, Minister for Trans- port Darragh O’Brien, and Minister of State at the Department of Transport Jerry Buttim- er, joined Iarnród Éireann CEO Jim Meade to officially open the new platform 6 at Kent Station in Cork. The US$25M million plat- form project, funded by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), marked the beginning of the first phase of investment in Cork’s heavy rail network en- visaged through the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme. The opening of the plat- form marked the completion of the first in a series of interrelated projects being delivered under the overall programme, potentially worth over US$1.10B and ultimately facili- tating up to a 10-minute service frequency for the Cork rail network. The first phase of the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme incor- porates the new platform, together with the RRF-funded Glounthaune to Midleton twin- track and Cork area signalling and commu- nications upgrade projects, which are both set for completion next year. This phase will deliver the network capacity to allow for sig- nificant increase in train service frequency on each of Cork’s three commuter lines to Cobh, Midleton and Mallow. These projects will ensure that Cork is equipped with the rail network to support the city and county’s development, rail service expansion and new stations envisaged under the Cork Metropoli- tan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) and in the longer term, as part of Phase 2, the po- tential future electrification of the Cork com- muter rail network. The new 220-meter long platform, designed by AECOM and built by John Cradock Ltd, will support increased service frequency via the new platform 5b to the north side and platform 6 to the south side. Services using the new platforms will be introduced on a phased basis. Initially, some Intercity and Midleton services will operate to and from the platform and some through services from Midleton to Mallow will be in- troduced over the coming months. Once fully delivered, the Cork Area Commuter Rail Pro- gramme will support the following over the longer-term: a ‘turn up and ride’ service with up to a 10-minute frequency, delivering more capacity and a better customer experience for all rail users; a seamless, more efficient and integrated transport network for Cork, with a multi-modal transport hub at Kent Sta- tion to promote modal shift from the private car, a more connected, more sustainable and more accessible rail service for rail custom- ers through new stations, electrification of the network and Park & Ride interchange points, and additional fleet and fleet maintenance de- pot to provide the rolling stock to meet exist- ing and future passenger demand.

News from Britain
London’s St. Pancras stations plans for direct trains from UK to Germany
In February it was announced that new direct train routes from London to Germany, Switzerland and France could open as part of plans to boost passenger numbers at St. Pan- cras station. London St. Pancras Highspeed, which owns the station and operates the track to the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone, has already set out proposals to increase capac- ity for international train travel from 1,800 passengers per hour to almost 5,000. It now wants to attract different train operators to offer a range of services in Europe. Euro- star currently holds a monopoly on the trains through the Channel Tunnel with routes to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. London St. Pancras Highspeed and Getlink have signed an agreement that will help them to commit to expanding rail connectivity between the UK and Europe. Getlink believes it is possible for train services to Bordeaux, Cologne, Frank- furt, Geneva, Marseille and Zurich to be cre- ated but no set timeline has been revealed as yet.
Railroad station pigeons would be stu- pid to mess with ‘Zulu the hawk’ Train operator Northern, which run the stations in East Yorkshire, said Harris’s hawks were being used from March to deter pigeons and prevent them from nesting in sta- tions, rather than for hunting. Falconer Joel Coldron said that his hawk ‘Zulu’ will make short work of scaring pigeons from railway stations at Driffield and Beverley as when a pigeon sees a hawk fly up it still has the de- sired effect of scaring it away.
New simulators to ‘transform’ training for Engineers Rail company Northern has taken delivery of a prototype of the high-tech cab simulator to train its train engineers on and has ordered a total of 24 of the semi-immersive static cab simulators which feature video footage of 610 miles of real track on its routes across northern England. The units will be used alongside six full-immersion motion platform simulators which are set to be introduced to Northern’s training academies later this year. Northern operates nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the north of England. The units will be used alongside six full-immersion motion platform simulators which are set to be introduced to Northern’s training academies later this year.
British Prime Minister promises US$£450m boost for North of England
At the end of March speaking on a visit to Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced US$450M of funding to improve rail links between Huddersfield, Manchester, Leeds and York which he said was “new money” on top of previous investment that has already been committed to the Transpennine Route upgrade and electrification. Downing Street also announced local leaders would be given more than £1bn to boost regional transport, such as West Yorkshire’s mass transit sys- tem. The additional money is also expected to help fund a new railway station in Liver- pool’s Baltic Triangle area and the redevelop- ment of Bury Interchange. Work to electrify railway lines running across the Pennines was given the go-ahead in 2022, more than 10 years after the scheme was first mooted by the then-chancellor, George Osborne and is part of a major package of investment to improve transport across the North, with the British government now saying it is to spend more than double the money per head on lo- cal transport in the North than the South, in- cluding London. However, the project, which will ultimately speed up journey times for passengers, is not expected to be completed until the mid-2030s.

Rail chiefs move to cut wildfire risk Steam trains running along a coastal line from April must now operate with the help of a diesel locomotive, after a series of wildfires possibly caused by sparks from a passing ser- vice. Firefighters tackled more than 40 blazes across Cumbria one April weekend, with sev- eral near the railway line between St. Bees and Nethertown. The cause is being inves- tigated, with Cumbria Fire and Rescue Ser- vice suggesting they may have been started accidentally by a steam train. Network Rail said the step was in place until further notice and would ensure that while steam will still be visible from the smokestack, the diesel lo- comotive will handle the actual work, signifi- cantly reducing the risk of fire.

Stranded tourists walk down Spanish railway lines
On April 28th some Welsh tourists were left stranded after a massive power cut hit large parts of Spain and Portugal. Airports, trains and gas stations were affected as gov- ernment officials tried to figure out what caused it. Jordan Williams, in Barcelona, was on his way to the airport when his train stopped. He said passengers were ‘stuck for two hours with no power’ leaving people to walk 800 metres along the railway tracks with their luggage. Jordan said there was “carnage” on the streets of the city with over- crowded buses and no taxis available.