Is this country even big enough to need a second operator?

More operators will be a good thing. Irish Rail prices are ridiculous.

it’ll probably be light rail from and to major hub towns not covered by Irish Rail if some competitor does want a piece of the action, it’ll require investment, sure it takes money to make money

Give us trains that run right to the airport, ferry terminals etc.
I can get from galway to dublin airport in 2 hours 45 mins by bus for €15, i want the same to dublin airport on a train.
In 2012,this is not a lot to ask, is it?
Also, think of all those people arriving at dublin airport that want to see the west and would like a cheap, relaxing view of the country on a train where they can use wifi, have a drink, get a quick meal etc etc.

Leo – Steam trains in the UK in 1922 ran at a speed of 80 MPH -some even faste like the London Edinborough route. Irish rail mainline trains run at 42.3 MPH nearly 3 hours to Galway and Sligo. The CEO of Irish rail gets paid more than Obama and a bonus at Xmas for trains that run slower now than 70 years ago. He should be fired for inefficiency and poor performance . Croke Park – typical of what is happening as they get richer and the service gets poorer to the public in all areas. Only 4 poorer countries in Europe have slower speeds and they’ve just joined the EU.

With oil prices only going to get higher, someone could make a solid business in freight using an infrastructure that is under used.

I don’t think any one would touch passenger services ! But that too could be profitable, if efficiencies could be achieved , I think any way

Although all these countries have more than one operator the state in several EU countries holds a majority share in these new operators. In France SNCF holds a majority share in all of the rail operators. The UK’s rail system which is privatized was recently ranked the worst in Europe in terms of cost of fares, comfort and efficiency. Knowing this government I’m sure they’ll follow the British model and it will be a complete disaster although they might surprise me.

A bit of competition can’t be bad

Best of luck Leo I believe group of investors looked at this some time and ran a mile following feasibility study.
Michael o leary is alleged to have said that there are some things even he would not tackle
No doubt trouble at mill ahead.

They are currently upgrading the main cork Dublin line to speeds of 100mph . Not as easy as you may think. For safety different curves and heights of the rails at these curves have to be factored in to accomadate the higher speeds. With this brings parts of the track where solid banks of rock at both sides has to be taken back because of these new curves.

It’s a shame so many old rail lines around the country were closed. One of the only good things the British left was a decent rail infra structure, but we decided to close most of it down and tear it up. Many closed rail lines all over the country. There even used to be a team system in cork city.

Having travelled on trains in most European countries I am aware that high speed trains in Germany were the same cost as our mainline trains yet travel the same distance(Galway or Sligo) in 50 mins. 2 hours less and Irish rail cheer at cutting 10 minutes off the run time. The bigger mistake is that the track needs to be replaced on a lot of routes to make it possible for the trains to run at full speed. Why did they purchase trains before they laid the tracks? Corruption and brown envelopes. The Chinese high speed trains are cheeper than out slow mainline trains and they could travel from Dublin to Galway in 38 minutes. Irish rail are to put down new tract so Leo Please let it take high speed trains.

Fun this the last time FG were in power they tried selling off and/or shut some parts of the railway! We better nail our houses down before they try sell them from under our feet too. Talk about kick a man when he’s down!!

@Erica: I see your point but I guess the same could have been said of Bus Eireann. What I’d like to see is a high speed sub-sea rail link between Ireland and the UK. What are the chances I wonder ??!

It will be a bigger mess then UK rail privatisation, add to that the cost to the public purse in subsidies to private operators and finally leading to the whole lot being brought back into public ownership further down the line at a huge expense. And the build up of additional maintenance costs a private operator will try to avoid!

I get a direct train from Maynooth every morning. Stops at Drumcondra. It takes it 30mins. Pray tell, why does a train from Maynooth to Drumcondra that stops at 8stops on the way take 34mins!?!?! Silly

1) Stop comparing salaries to the most underpaid man on the planet, its ridiculous at all levels.

2) I’m guessing there’s something seriously wrong with your comparison. I’d guess that that steam train is a top speed, irrelevant, while your Galway to Sligo one is probably average including loads more stops, I can get from Dublin city centre to North Tipp (Templemore) in an hour and ten minutes which is about the eighty mile an hour rate because it’s a straight run. So the same speed really, excluding the fact that it runs slower through urban areas around Dublin than it might.

3) I can also see on the less stop routes it’s two hours and thirty according to their timetable which I’ve found to be very accurate, so that makes it around fifty miles including the fifteen minutes spent at stops add five to ten minutes for slowing and speeding up at these stops, your probably into the mid sixties, still slow but not as hyperbolic as your statement.

Also if you’re on about generally when you say the ‘service gets poorer to the public in all areas’ rather your specific case and your specific route…. You’re just wrong.

PS: Sorry got bored with college work…
:)

So much money has gone into Irish Rail to date from the EU and the Irish taxpayers it is reasonable to expect trains that are up to scratch!! I hat a commuter train back from Sligo in the past 12 months on Sunday evenings when the right mainline train was not available. As a commuter train is for short journeys it is difficult for people with back problems to travel long distance on these trains. I was in pain when I got to Dublin- again. I did not get a cheaper fare for bad service just the same as normal. I use the train to avoid back pain. I was told that the trains they purchased were so poor that the manufacturers had to keep a team of 20 engineers in the Aisling hotel for 18 months and Irish rail insisted that replacement engines be on site at Hurston as there were so maney problems with these trains. It’s another example of Priory Hall practice – buy with taxpayers money and the quality dosent matter. Well it is not good enough.

What the fuck does this mean?
“European law supports greater competition and freer access to the rail network sector across Europe, principally in the area of freight. I would like Ireland to be well prepared to avail of any such opportunities in the future,”

Does Leo the gobshite think that there is a rail connection from Ireland to Europe? Is there no end to the man’s stupidity?

The people of Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal have nothing to add to this thread seeing as we’re the only 3 counties within this republic without a rail network.

Privatise the shite out of it! Competition brings class and efficiency .. Semi state nonsense!

The only way Irish rail will be attractive to investors is if it is all pulled up and started again from scratch instead of just using the same lines built by the Victorians, the single line tracks that run up most of the East coast need to go for a start and the fact that there is no rail link from Rosslare port to Waterford and then on to Cork is ridiculous. Surely it would make economic sense to have such a rail link, also how about joining up Ballina with Sligo and then running a line to Derry via Fermanagh and Tyrone? Just one thing, don’t use the British model as template for privatising Irish rail, the most expensive rail fares in Europe are in the UK and the service is crap especially in the south east.