I WILL BE UPDATING IT MORE OFTEN, although it will still be on an intermittent basis while I do not have my own personal Internet access.

THIS PAGE OF THE RAIL WAY AHEAD (RWA) SITE WILL IN FUTURE BE EXCLUSIVELY FOR REGULAR NEWS ON THE MANY EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS AT PRESENT ON RAILWAYS IN THE CORK CITY AND COUNTY AREA.

For news on OTHER Irish regions (Such as THE PROGRESS ON THE DUBLIN LUAS, and the very exciting news that about $3.9 BILLION will soon be invested in badly needed updating and upgrading the Irish Rail Route Network), see this site's OTHER page, the INDEX Page! I will provide a link back to the index page (HERE) in due course.

Eventually, seperate pages within this site will be created for news of positive Rail Developments and proposals, complete with links to relevant sites, for EACH major Irish city and region.

(Let's hope that CIE will have the sense to spend at least some of the new spending bonanza announced above, on SENSIBLE, ECONOMICAL, AND PRACTICAL improvements, like TILTING INTERCITY TRAINS, and REOPENING OF NUMEROUS 'MOTHBALLED' LINES, such as Athenry-Tuam-Claremorris, and Waterford-New Ross!!.

This page will soon provide a far better mine of information and links than it used to!

NEWS

29/DEC/2000:

Boy!!! Hasn't even more than I can handle, been happening since I last gave this site an extensive update. The most exciting development in the way of Rail Infrastructure in the Cork Region has got to be the start made October 2003, on the CLEARANCE OF VEGETATION FROM THE GLOUNTHAUNE-YOUGHAL RAILWAY. So far, this work has STILL only proceeded between Glounthaune Junction and Carrigtohill (About 6k.m. in total), and it is initially to allow a telecom company to lay a new Optic Fibre telecommunications cable alongside the track, for which they are paying rental from CIE. However, an additional stated advantage of this arrangement is that CIE get the track cleared of the vegetation and rubbish by the telecoms company, which will accelerate and sve costs on, the future REOPENING OF THE RAILWAY FOR PASSENGER-TRAINS!. It is expected that work on this actual Reopening SHOULD take place within the next 2-3 years, (But see our news update on the issue on our INDEX Page) and it will initially reopen to Midleton, but hopefully the remaining 20 km from Midleton to Youghal should not be far behind to reopen too!

OCT/DEC/2000:

'MOVING CORK TRANSPORT FORWARD' Plan a BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT

Watch this space for more details on CIE's recently released Cork City and Region so-called 'Public Transport Strategic Plan'. See whay it is really nothing of the sort, but merely a pathetic panhandling gesture for a few crumbs from a government dripping with money, -an INSULT to ALL Cork Rail and bus Customers, as well as Cyclists, as it panders completely to the status quo of more filthy traffic fume-laden motorways, more cars, and more slow, costly, overmanned bus services which will simply get even more STUCK in Cork's EVER-INCREASING TRAFFIC JAMS!!!!

(This now seems to be dead in the water in its original form, and has been superseeded by the CORK DOCKYARDS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, a bold new vision which was unveiled at the end of 2001. Watch this space for more news on this, and details of the submission I made concerning the ALVIN Cork Light Rail Network, for the Dockyards Development Strategy.)

The Answer to the failure of 'Moving Cork Transport Forward' is:

Watch this space for further details of the proposed Cork ALVIN Light Rail Network (Including a map), which will be coming SOON, in a couple of months!!!!

While waiting for more details of the ALVIN project, here is a site from a manufacturer of Ultra-Light Rail Vehicles, Slim Tram/Ultra Light Rail Transit Limited: We are hoping to get an Ultra-Light Rail Link up and running between Albert Quay and Mahon as the first stage of ALVIN, and companies such as Slim Tram will be considered as possible candidates for supplying equipment. The Ultra-Light Rail Link will be intended as an interim measure, for the first 4 or 5 years, until a 5'3' Guage Mainline standard link for freight and Trams to Ringaskiddy and Carrigaline is opened via Mahon. The Ultra Light Mahon Link will operate on anything from 10 inch to 3 foot guage, using lightweight diesel or electric powered tramcars. This is still at the proposal stage, and nothing has been confirmed or decided, but it has every sign of being an easy to implement initial 'taster' stage of ALVIN, the Network which Cork so badly deserves and needs!

Slim Tram can be found at: www.amleth.demon.co.uk/company/ulrtl/ulrtl.htm (Sorry this is NOT a clickable link!!!)

OLD NEWS,

(JAN/2000 -Last updated SEP 2003-):

Yes, Folks, STILL in the pipeline, FREE Rail Way Ahead Membership offer, plus freebies and special offers, for friends of Rail Transport in Ireland. WATCH THIS PAGE for further news over the coming months. Watch out in particular, for news on the Cork Dockland redevelopment proposals, and, still in the offing, a surprise Pro-Rail promotion with Free Membership of Rail Way Ahead in Cork City, in protest at the present Irish Government's waste of money on the environmentally destructive Lee road tunnel scheme, which will blight the lives of people in areas around Cork, and cause numerous deaths, costs to businesses, and illness through an increased level of road traffic accidents and carcinogenic traffic fumes!

Now VERY OLD UPDATES!!

(MAY 99):

The leafleting action at the opening day 'celebrations' of the Lee Tunnel went well, and there was also a leafleting totally independent of our own by the newly-formed CORK CYCLING CAMPAIGN. They apparently have their own website, and I will try and post their web address as soon as I can! Promise.

(AUG 99):

The Solar Eclipse Ride went successfully, although few people joined it, and no-one went the whole way! The Ride did fulfill a purpose of publicising the need for better Cycling facilities in West Cork towns and countryside, as well as investigating possible routeings for a West Cork Cycleway signposted mostly along minor roads.

(Old) NEWS NOTES ON RAILWAYS IN CORK:

(9/SEP/99):

The Midleton and Youghal saga STILL dragged on with no more commitment yet or any other encouraging signs both from that wretched Mary O'Rourke or from Iarnrod Eireann to reopen it, although her successor, the new Transport Minister Seamus Brennan, is COMMITTED to carry through all the Rail Improvements around Ireland which Mary O'Rourke failed so miserably to deliver!. Apparently the latest is that Cork Corporation and County Council are asking for £39.9 Million for investing in improved Public Transport in Cork City and suburbs, but have STILL refused to include the measly few £million needed to Reopen the Youghal Railway, which should cost less than £2 Million to start Reopening.

Many local people in Midleton and Youghal, and local councillors have been lobbying for the Rail route to be reopened as an alternative to antiquated congested road traffic policies, and if necessary we might still be taking Cork Corporation, County Council, the Government AND the transport operator to COURT in the coming year to get it reopened so!

(9/SEP/99):

CORK CITY CHALLENGE

I am also at present discussing with the people on the new 'Cork City Challenge Project' a number of radical innovative ideas to transform transport in road-congested Cork; top of the shopping list is a proposal for a LIGHT RAIL NETWORK (making use of a number of existing and disused Rail-Routes. It is called 'ALVIN' (Axial Lee Valley Integrated (Transport) Network). There has been so far a very positive response from Cork City Challenge over this matter (Mid 1999). More news about this proposal will be posted later, as it develops. More recently, the CORK AREA STRATEGIC PLAN, promising huge public funding for various renewal projects around the Docks and the city has been unveiled, including the first two routes of a proposed extensive Light Rail Network. Watch this page for more news on the Strategic Area Plan!

SPOTTED ON THE RAILWAYS AROUND CORK:

(JUL/99):

1.)Cork Ceannt Central Station:

The collection of attractive Railway crests/badges from around the world has been put back up on the walls of the Restaurant, after the room has been repainted. A (very ugly) replacement kiosk has now been built on the Ceannt Station concourse to replace the one knocked down by an out-of-control loco-hauled train which crashed in the Youghal/Cobh platforms sometime in May.

(JUL/99):

2.)Tivoli former rail Station Site:

Some clearance work of rubble and undergrowth has taken place at the site of the old TIVOLI Rail Station on the Cobh/Youghal Route. There have been plans to reopen the station, but at a different site, such as under the nearby flyover, as the former site is too close to the Glanmire road 'Skew Bridge', and there is no room for car-parking.

(JUL/99):

3.)Glounthaune (formerly Cobh Junction):

Similar clearance work has been taking place at Glounthaune Junction, where the disused Youghal Route diverges from the Cobh Route. However, it appears that this is not the start of the much longed-for Reopening of the Youghal Route, but just some stupid messing about. Similar dithering is much in evidence at Glounthaune itself, where a large car-park for PARK AND RIDE has been promised, but it has been left in a half-finished debris-and-rubbish-strewn state for OVER A YEAR NOW!! WHAT ABOUT DOING SOMETHING TO COMPLETE THIS, C.I.E.?

TIMETABLE OF PROGRESS on this website:

Sun 31st May 1998: RWA Page started.

Late Aug/Sept.1999: More updates.

Sept. 2002: Updates recommence in earnest, to prepare the site for full details of the ALVIN and the Cork Area Strategic Plan.

Here is a proposal for a technological innovation which could revolutionise Irish Public Transport:

Train Mate(TM)!

Please note the resumption of all our normal links on our other, INDEX Page, (Still under construction), to organisations such as Pobal na Dulra,The Adam Smith Institute, and various Irish Private railways' sites,such as the excellent County Donegal Railway. Please accept my apologies for continuing problems with some links!!

Sorry about the unusual shape of the text on this page, but it is now under reconstruction.