The Foynes-Limerick Rail Line

If you want to reduce auto use, you must provide a affordable and user -friendly alternative.

The Irish government believes that and is rebuilding a former rail line as a cheaper and more environmentally friendly way to provide affordable and user-friendly transportation. The cost is €104 million (CAD $152 million) for 42 km of reinstated rail line!

This works out to about $10.75 million/km to reinstate the Foynes Line as a passenger carrying railway.

Rail is that affordable and user-friendly alternative.

Using existing railways and railway formations is a lot cheaper than building “greenfields”.

Estimated cost for Rail for the Valley’s “Return of the Interurban”, around $1.75 billion for over 130 km.

Cost of Broadway subway, $2.7 billion, for 5.7 km.

E&N Railway, 230 km, plus, estimated cost $3 billion.

Cost of the Langley extension of the Expo Line, 16 km $4.42 billion (includes inflation from the 2001 estimate).

For the cost of 21.7 km extensions of the Evergreen and Millennium Lines, we could build the Valley Interurban and rehab the E&N Railway and still have $2.7 billion to improve transit in metro Vancouver!

Foynes before.

Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) has commenced works on the Foynes-Limerick rail line as part of a €104m overhaul programme.

The rail operator has already begun the clearance of vegetation along the 42km track, reported RTÉ.

Irish Rail will start key construction work on the rail line in the coming weeks.

Works will include the removal of the old track, followed by the deployment of new rail track and sleepers, as well as the upgrading of road infrastructure at level crossings.

Other works will consist of rehabilitating bridges and culverts, along with renewing the lineside fencing.

Designed to serve the Patrickswell, Adare, Askeaton and Foynes regions, the Foynes-Limerick rail line was first opened as a passenger line in 1858. It was closed in 1963.

Foynes After