Anybody get a look at Platform 11’s Broadstone page? This page has a lot of ideas on how to renovate the old station into a heavy-rail line once again. Unfortunately, this rumour over on Irish Railway News seems to put a wedge into that:
…the two vacant sheds at the northern end…Unfortunately DB plan to renovate these for more storage space thus extending the operational depot across the old railway line…
On the one hand, Iarnrod Eireann (a CIE subsidiary) complain (lie) about lack of terminal capacity within Dublin (still plenty of unused trackage and platform space within Connolly and Pearse notwithstanding) but they are permitting Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann (two other CIE subsidiaries) to run roughshod over a perfectly viable railway terminal which is far closer to the city centre than is Heuston, and possibly even Connolly.
Broadstone was last used by trains back in January of 1937, over 65 years ago. Restoring train service there would mean having far shorter commuter trips on the former MGWR line to Maynooth and Mullingar, and even a shorter trips to outlying destinations like Longford, Westport, Ballina and Sligo. Currently, trains go via Liffey Junction (not a junction anymore, of course) and via another junction off the MGWR Spencer Dock line onto the GSR line into Connolly, which adds quite a bit of time to journeys into the city centre. However, instead of fixing up Broadstone to get trains back into there, they (CIE) let the bus divisions run roughshod over the property. Rotten situation, but I suppose that’s what happens when you have just the one entity running the whole show.
Any other thoughts on this…?