Categories
Overseas

A poor man’s Light rail

I was in Cambridge last Saturday, for the express purpose of taking a ride on the town’s guided busway.

Always a believer in the concept of don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, I went there to see the guided busway (one of two in England) and was greatly underwhelmed.

Oakington busway station, Cambridge, England. Copyright Ewan Duffy 2022
Oakington busway station, Cambridge, England. Copyright Ewan Duffy 2022

Whilst seeing the bus driver drive handsfree on the guided busway section (majority of the guided sections north and south of Cambridge are on former railway alignments) was interesting, I haven’t changed my view of guided busways. They are a poor man’s LRT and a full light rail system would be better.

Categories
IH News 2022

Glenanne Mill, Co. Armagh

Glenanne Mill in Co. Armagh, long since derelict, has been transformed into a community garden by local residents.

The BBC have a video clip on their website about the site.

Categories
IH News 2022

Oranmore Station

RTE reports that Irish Rail are proposing to apply for planning permission to build a passing loop and second platform at Oranmore station, to divide the otherwise single track section from Athenry to Galway.

Categories
IH News 2022

Dublin Port historic documents

The Government of Ireland website notes that recently opened parcels of salved documents from the 1922 Four Courts fire were discovered to relate to Dublin Port and the latter is now co-funding their restoration.

This is merely one arm of the State paying for work that should have been done decades ago by the State and leads onto the obvious question – how many other unopened parcels of similar 1922 fire survivors exist unrestored?

Categories
IH News 2022

Kishoge Station

Kishoge station in Dublin is the one remaining ghost station on the Irish Rail network (there are two on the Green LUAS line – one either side of Carrickmines).

The station was built as part of the Kildare Route Project, but has never opened with excuse after excuse coming out of the mouths of TPTB.

The latest excuse, given to a Dail committee, is that the station requires remedial repairs.

Categories
Site Updates

Bellarena Station

Bellarena in Derry is a station on the railway line between Coleraine and Derry.

In 2016, as part of an upgrade of the railway to Derry, a new station slightly to the east of the original station was built, along with a passing loop, to more evenly split the 33½ mile single track section between Coleraine and Derry. Prior to this, the crossing point had been at Castlerock, making it two single line sections of 5 ¾ miles and 27 ¾. This change made the sections 13 miles and 20 miles.

I have now updated the station page for the original station to note its closure and created a new page for the new 2016 station.