[hypnotoad24]

Translink consulting on a redevelopment for Yorkgate station.

Hardly a stunner, but better than the current muck.

A reminder of what used to be here.

 

[mcstick1109]

Is Yorkgate really busy enough to justify the cost of this? I mean generally rather than at the present time of course...

I'd have thought that there were many other redevelopment opportunities which could justify the cost much more easily e.g. Ballymena and Lurgan, both of which seem to be aspirations for redevelopment but which keep on getting delayed?

 

[Cjmurphy85]

Probably makes sense with the number of student houses and new university close by

 

[Whiteabbey]

Probably makes sense with the number of student houses and new university close by

And also the City Quays developments

 

[Cjmurphy85]

And those too! Exactly what I use it for!

Ideally it would be positioned a couple of hundred metres further up but an improvement none the less

 

[Chris MC]

Is the runway extension to Belfast City Airport still going ahead? In a post-COVID world, it would be a smart idea to get it built so that larger planes and airlines could fly there.

 

[mcstick1109]

Is the runway extension to Belfast City Airport still going ahead? In a post-COVID world, it would be a smart idea to get it built so that larger planes and airlines could fly there.

Ummm, no? It was withdrawn 8 years ago and I haven't heard anything further on it since.

Belfast City Airport withdraws runway extension plan

The management of Belfast City Airport withdraw their plans to extend the runway at the east Belfast site.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[belfastuniguy]

Belfast City Airport: Six new UK routes announced

Aer Lingus and Stobart Air are to operate six new routes from Belfast City Airport. They will fly to Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Leeds-Bradford and Exeter. The new services will start on a phased basis from August.

Belfast City's chief executive Brian Ambrose said the airport is "delighted Aer Lingus is to establish a new base" at the airport. The new routes will replace a significant part of the services lost when FlyBe collapsed earlier this year.

The airport will be an Aer Lingus Regional base with the routes operated by Stobart Air. Five ATR72-600 aircraft will be based at the airport. These are turbo-props which can carry a maximum of 78 passengers.

Belfast City Airport: Six new UK routes announced

The new Aer Lingus and Stobart Air routes will start on a phased basis from August.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Petaaa]

Infrastructure Minister announces review to future-proof York Street Interchange

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has provided an update on next steps for the York Street Interchange scheme in Belfast by announcing the terms

www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

Update review into York street interchange.

 

[Petaaa]

Haulage association says an upgrade is vital to attracting businesses to NI

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1287814357066428416

would get rid of an eyesore hopefully as well

 

[odlum833]

This is gathering a bit of legs

Review of €15bn high-speed rail line linking Dublin, Belfast, Cork

Details on Dublin-Derry train line sought as part of recent government formation talks

www.irishtimes.com

The Government is to launch a study into a proposal to build a €15 billion high-speed train line from Belfast to Dublin and on to Cork and Limerick, the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has said.

The study would be “the most significant” review of the intercity network on the island since the strategic rail review in 2003, and would examine how it could operate with the existing broader network.

Mr Ryan said the Department of Transport would shortly launch “a significant procurement process” of about 500km of high-speed line from Belfast-Dublin-Cork/Limerick.

...
The new study would “take a strategic view on the potential of high-/higher speed rail to support the relevant national strategic outcomes of the National Planning Framework through developing high-level design and operational proposals” for the Belfast-Dublin-Cork/Limerick corridor, said the spokesman.

 

[hypnotoad24]

Would be good to see this progress. I can't speak for the Cork to Dublin rail service, but, as nice as the Enterprise is, the Belfast to Dublin service is far too slow. And i don't know how any faster service will get round the issue of the network in north Dublin being rammed to capacity. Perhaps the answer will be to have a Belfast to Cork/Limerick route that goes through Dublin Airport but bypasses Dublin, and to get in to Dublin you change at the airport onto Metro North, if that ever happens.

 

[odlum833]

That's one solution i'd be in favor of.

What would a termination point in Belfast be? It would involve a lot of demolitions if it were to be done properly regardless. A solution would be to terminate just outside Belfast connecting with another transport option, a tram maybe?

Any way all pie in the sky at the moment but interesting to speculate.

 

[phillips01]

The Enterprise terminus is being moved to the Belfast Transport Hub anyway so that end is sorted. Demolition/Construction has begun.

https://www.translink.co.uk/corporate/media/improvementsandprojects/thehub

Home - Weavers Cross

Weavers Cross: Connecting developers with a unique investment opportunity in the heart of Belfast

weaverscross.co.uk

 

[hypnotoad24]

Yep, and there is the potential to add a third track on the Belfast to Lisburn section in case of capacity issues.

Sorting out some of the twistier sections of the track would be needed, i'd a few ideas earlier in this thread somewhere..

From using that train fairly frequently, there is a number of things that would help journey times. The obvious, easy wins would be to run it from Great Victoria Street (which will obviously happen), and make it an express service. That alone would shave 10-15 minutes off the time.

The line through Lurgan and Portadown has some quite tight turns, and the service is very slow through there. Likewise through Newry, and the viaduct before it, it's very slow there too. Down south, it's very slow through Drogheda, again some tight corners and a viaduct. Chopping off these sections from the route would help, such as below.


North1 by hypnotoad24, on Flickr

South1 by hypnotoad24, on Flickr

The slowest bit of the service is still the section into Dublin, so additional track would be needed, or a re-prioritisation of the services using the track.

To get a 60 minute service would require an entirely new line from Belfast to Dublin to be built i imagine.

 

[Owenc]

Personally I would rather have that money spent on electrification of the NI rail network and doubling of the entire Derry line.

This is an added improvement that will benefit only people in the Belfast and SE quadrant of Northern Ireland.

Improvements to the NI network are more important than a service to Dublin.

 

[odlum833]

Yep, and there is the potential to add a third track on the Belfast to Lisburn section in case of capacity issues.

Sorting out some of the twistier sections of the track would be needed, i'd a few ideas earlier in this thread somewhere..

Wouldn't high speed rail involve an entirely new line and alignment?

 

[hypnotoad24]

Wouldn't high speed rail involve an entirely new line and alignment?

In the article you posted i assumed they meant by 'operate in the broader network' it would be a half arsed job and use as much existing network as possible, but i see further down they talk about 500 km of new line, so a new line looks more accurate!

 

[phillips01]

Wouldn't high speed rail involve an entirely new line and alignment?

I suppose at the base of all this, does anyone have any agreement about what we are actually talking about?

Everything I've read involves upgrades to the current line. But everyone seems to be jumping to a HS2 situation.

 

[belfastuniguy]

Personally I would rather have that money spent on electrification of the NI rail network and doubling of the entire Derry line.

This is an added improvement that will benefit only people in the Belfast and SE quadrant of Northern Ireland.

Improvements to the NI network are more important than a service to Dublin.

Belfast and Eastern corridor are by far the largest generators of wealth on this island. Greater Belfast is the engine of the NI economy and that’s not going to change. A high-speed rail link from Belfast - Dublin -Cork links the three largest economic centres on the island. That’s just reality. Also worth noting that upgrades to the Belfast - Derry line must be funded by Belfast. This new line would be funded by Belfast, Dublin and Brussels as it’s a cross-border project with Belfast paying a smaller share proportionally.

its not an either or situation. If money can be fantasised for the absurd Irish Sea bridge then a small portion of that projected cost could be used to electrify the NI network and improve services to not only Derry but the likes of Enniskillen and Armagh.