Considering the cost per mile to reinstall a rail line ($2M-$5M per mile USD) it is amazing that they are doing this at all! It's a total package. It's far more then just rail and ties (sleepers). It's improving the grade. Signal systems. Switches and sidings. Labor costs.
You are so lucky that the railway was taken out of use quite recently and has not been over built as road way. We have so many disused lines here in UK that have been used for roads that we can't reopen any from a city to a city. Very nice video.
@@tomfitzpatrick7335 We have lots of railways, but all the local branch lines that were deleted in the 1960's could be turned into tramway or light railway links now but can't because there maybe 100 yards or half a mile of road on a section of bed. Many lines could link city to city with out having to head into London and out again.
The ministry of transport did that with the Penrith to Keswick line; a new section of main road was built right on top of part of that line, quite deliberately, to hinder any possibility of rebuilding that line. The same was done to the Ambergate to Pye Bridge line near Ripley in Derbyshire where they used about 200 yards of the trackbed just to lay a slip road from a roundabout, deliberately to prevent that line from being reopened west of Ripley. Three parts of the old Clapham junction (the real one in Yorkshire !) to Lowgill line (which connected the Skipton to Lancaster line to the WCML south of Shap) have been virtually obliterated where the line & the main Settle to Kendal road used to cross over, and another section has suffered from the planning authorities allowing a house to be built directly on the trackbed at Barbon.
@@fredericksaxton3991 Roads aren't a problem in my opinion. When railway routes are built over with houses, or even housing estates, this is when it becomes impossible to re-open a railway line.
I can remember as a child the railways in Donegal being lifted and the old steam engine at the edge of the rail as they lifted each section bit by bit. Good to see them being replaced
That's a nice drone flight. Good to see that Ireland reinstates these old branches, railways have been in demise since long in Ireland with one line after the other closing, but now minds turned 180°. It seems the old stone and cast iron bridge piers were made so well that they can be reused.
I wish this would happen in England but even a little regeneration scheme would be dead in the water. Local Conservative MPs would always say "We cannot afford it". They hate railways.
Awesome 🙌 footage showing great progress 👍🏻 It’s a no brainier reinstating railways especially in theses days of expensive cost of fuel ⛽️ if we want to get about we need good public transport 👍🏻 With the shortage of lorry drivers it’s also good getting freight off the roads and back on rail. Keep the updates coming cheers Stevie 🏴
This is a stunning video. Thank you so much for your beautiful work. I remember the townlands from my childhood. I am looking forward to seeing the work in progress. I had no idea that such a tunnel existed under the N69.
What an incredible video you’ve created Dronehawk! My congratulations to you for a magnificent presentation. I can honestly say that (and I keenly follow videos of railways that are being reinstated) that I’ve never seen anything of this quality before. Flying your drone through the underpass took my breath away….in fact I started to reach for the ‘undercarriage lowering’ switch which…of course…wasn’t there…. just in case we landed! The contractors seem to be making good progress. I wish we had such ‘in depth’ videos featuring the routes (such as the East-West’ line. Instead, the videos we see if these lines are much shorter. I last visited Foynes during a trip to see the Flying Boat Museum over 10 years ago and Foynes station was nowhere as derelict then as it is now. However, I thought that Foynes Station signalbox seems to have escaped the fate of the main building…it still seems in quite good repair from the air. Thanks again for a truly remarkable video and I’m looking forward to seeing your Drone keeping up with freight trains fairly soon. Incidentally, when the first train traverses the re-opened route….I hope you’ll manage a fly past with some aerobatics? Happy Christmas and New Year Dronehawk…you’ve given me an early Christmas gift! Best wishes from Rob in Bournemouth, England.
Hi Rob , Thanks for your kind words . Check out this video from two years back for a better look at the Foynes station before works started ua-cam.com/video/rApdN6coNb0/v-deo.htmlsi=4_S2YL_IP9Faf_kS Regards DH
Oh boy just come across this an area I know well from the late 70's early 80's when I was involved on the Bauxite crushing mill project on Aughinish Island Used to stay at the Dunraven Arms in Adare thatched roof and all back then. Remember going to Foynes and seeing all of the photos in the pub there of the Sunderland Flying boats that used to criss cross the Atlantic from there went back more recently and visited the now Flyingboat Museum. Wonderful part of the world happy happy days back then.
The aircraft were Boeing B-314s and Shorts C-Class 'Empires'. Both were specifically developed for the Atlantic route. The Sunderland came later and was developed as an extension of the C-class.
Nice work for Sisk. Keeping the track bed dry won't be cheap. Now that Ireland seems relatively wealthy other restorations might to be more deserving. Youghal appears to be flourishing and unlike Midleton is an attractive destination for day trippers and journeys to work in Cork. Midleton is nearer to Cork but it lacks a beach adjacent to the railway station and the interest of the old town centre and the estuary that is Youghal. Waterford to Rosslare harbour deserves further use with a train to Limerick dividing at Lim . junction for part to go to Cork and , perhaps continue as a through service to Cobh ( or Midleton or Youghal!). I look forward to the next episode.
Youghal is now very unlikely to ever return to rail , the greenway infrastructure put the final nail in the coffin ua-cam.com/video/BPHD94gPNd0/v-deo.htmlsi=P5L4bXEZgQbXCRbG
Delighted by your encouraging response. I have some experience with railway restoration in the UK. The line to Youghal from Kent (Glanmire Road) could be run on a shared basis.with excursions and day trips on Saturdays and/or Sundays and strictly I E timetabled services at other times --- from Cork or from Midleton only.. .One wonders how much less the greenways project will cost than a full railway re-instatement. Youghal station area has the makings of Co Cork's railway museum. The museum, the journey, the beach , the estuary (?boat trips) and the town represent a good day's outing attractive to the whole family and not just railway nuts . Not sure where else in Ireland such opportunities would exist in one place. @@FlyingApes
@@tomcarr1358 Ive said that countless times . A missed opportunity to turn that section of rail line into a Heritage railway , running trains to and from Midelton in the summer months by the RPSI. Theres a turntable for turning steam locos already there and plenty of room to build a new engine shed . Could've been a huge tourist attraction for the south of the country . Now its a bland , featureless dead straight cycle path , which will only appeal to a few middle aged men in lycra .
Not so. It's all to do with cost and politics. Admittedly some wildly over-the-top concrete accommodation works for pedestrians and peddlers will be inhibiting. Conversations with the county planning office would be worth exploring. Nice new substrata for a track bed to be going on with anyway. @@dronehawk
I'm so impressed many of the original bridges and buildings are still standing. In England, the scumbags in charge couldn't wait to teat everything down and asset strip what they could. They didn't break a sweat building it after all
Yes it will be interesting to see what freight traffic eventually runs on the line.Will they construct a container depot in foynes ? Will they reactivate the spur into irish cement ?
Wonderful drone footage! So interesting to see Irelands rail network ( disused, current and soon to be regenerated)...Apart from a few episodes of 'Great Railway Journeys ' we never see anything on English TV. Keep up the good work 👏 👍
I wish I could've seen these old lines while they were in operation.. I live in Galway and the old Galway/Clofden line looks unreal scenery wise.. just born a few decades too late unfortunately
There's a project going on right now to preserve a part of the route. It's a shame that it's preserved in narrow gauge though, would've made more sense to preserve it 'full-sized'. It would also add uniqueness to it, as it would be the only Irish gauge heritage railway in ROI and the second one on the island of Ireland.
Whilst I love and support railways, your excellent video provoked further interest into, 'The Layer Cake', and what a horrendous time bomb Eire is sitting on and seemingly powerless to prevent further expansion! Wished I had not dug deeper!! Thank you!
We spent our first night in Ireland in Foynes. Walked toward the seaplane museum I spotted what looked like a two story building where railroad switches were set. From that moment on I was wanting to go to the tracks. Are they restoring this line. Nearly five years on I’m still waiting for the tourist railroads to email me back about their schedules.
Yes the line was abandoned when you saw it 5 years ago. The current plan is to restore the line for freight operations only . Passenger services may return in time but there are no plans as such for now
@@jockellisThe port area is undergoing a major redevelopment also with new quays being built . I'll be updating on the progress every few months so stay tuned to see what happens with the finished line.Completion is Scheduled for sometime in 2025.
@@dronehawk Thank you. I really fell in love with Foynes. Beautiful place. Wish the tracks would be run to Dingle. That Conor Pass is scary with rocks right to the pavement, oncoming tour buses taking up so much space and your wife screaming in your ear.
Great photography! It'd be nice if it was part of a Limerick Commuter rail network, and there were more passing loops, but sadly just freight rail for now.
This video was just on my feed, no idea why. But, as I watched it I saw "Aughinish" and suddenly realised where it was. I worked for Alcan UK in the 90's and visited the Aughinish site a couple of times. Old memories, thanks.
It's amazing so of the rail structures are still in place. Rail freight is still out of favour. It'll have to make a come back. For now bicycles will do
Love the fact that the powers that be are paying to put something back that they paid to tear up. Reassures me that government stupidity isn't a new phenomenon. Great video..
Interesting how the original stone arch overbridges are wide enough for double track but the new concrete bridge for the main road is only single width. It may never need double track but if the need arises in the future, widening this bridge would be horrendous compared with the slight extra cost of building it wider from the beginning.
Yes, that was a problem with the Scottish Borders Railway, reinstated on the cheap with several single-track new bridges which are now inhibiting a full public service by restricting line capacity.
Great vid. When this country invests properly and gets something right it's good to see. Thank goodness this railway line was not surrendered to another unless greenway with tiny tourist traffic. Westport and Dungarvan are stunning greenways due to their awesome scenery, coastal, mountains forests, giant viaducts, but most of the other greenways are boring with just mile after mile of samey bog boring hedgerows to look at.
@@dronehawk Yes it seems insanity when 000s of commuters could use this line to take cars off the congested commuter route to Cork City. The short 9km route has no scenery, just hedgerows for the tourists. Apparently the chamber of commerce in Youghal didn't want the rail link restored because they fear importing anti-social behaviour (ie langers) from Cork city!!! Short sighted.
Fantastic videos. No fear of losing that drone! What are the red goalpostlike structures for please. I have just realised that they indicate overhead cables.
WOW serious amount of work going on here on this route!!! So great video 😍 Is it very very long?? Waterford is pretty only and only busy in sections so I wonder would this actually be better’s going back to rail line….. If it goes near Limerick city?? Absolutely what is “the layer cake” all about??
The "Layer Cake" is a giant slag pile , (Visible from space) full of red mud , which is a waste product caused by the smelting of Bauxite - the ore used in the manufacture of Aluminum at the nearby Rusal (Russian Owned) Aughinish Alumina Refinery - ua-cam.com/video/Zcwbxvfkvdo/v-deo.htmlsi=B49ZCPMThPuWog7A The limerick to Foynes line is 26 miles in total and originates from limerick city railway station
I wish here in America we would put more interest into our railways. What are the blue battles with the u-shaped red pipping for across the roadbed paths?
The U Shaped piping , or goal posts as they are sometimes called , are plastic pipes placed on both sides of any electricity lines to help prevent any piece of construction machinery from coming into contact with the wires as they travel or work underneath
this should be happening all up & down the uk, there.s loads of disused railways near me that are an over grown mess, with weeds, self seeded tree,s & brambles, & when ya think of the hard work it took the guys that built them in victorian times. When everything was built & ran properly, its a disgrace, they should never of been closed in the first place. Great video.
It's great to see closed railway lines reopening come on the Irish government and open the rest of our closed railway lines .....we have enough cars on our roads....
Impressive work under way. Here in Scotland, we too are rebuilding old railway lines and reopening old stations, the Leven branch currently under reconstruction, reopening next year. The opposition political media delighted in ridiculing these projects - claiming they were a waste of money and would never pay. And yet within a few years the reopened lines have been attracting several times the anticipated traffic.
There are so many old rail routes that should be preserved, recovered from neglect and development, then gradually restored for use. In many cases, the lines had far better routes than many roads do today, makes a case for tandem restoration of rail, road, and other users. double up some bridges and cuttings. Ireland should be using the gift of huge corporate tax income to re-invest in ultra long term infrastucture, energy storage, efficient transport suitable for future energy sources.
Thank goodness the line is more or less intact...no ghastly box house estates tweely named " Beeching Close. WHY the numerous lines were closed, leaving communities in isolated poverty is beyond me!
I don't expect an answer, but: is there going to be a yard in Foynes? There doesn't look to be room. Also, will this line provide service to that massive Aughinish factory?
Hi , I don't honestly know what the plans are regarding a yard at Foynes. I don't know what type of rail freight they plan on running , whether its bulk goods or container traffic. It won't service Aughinish, never has historically . The Bauxite ore and the finished aluminium are transported via ship . The toxic red mud is dumped out in the countryside .
Seems a lot of the RR bed is below grade. I didn't see much double track capacity. Looks like a rural area. Hopefully, there is enough ridership to justify the construction and operation cost.
Well , hello to you in Canada , greetings from the Emerald Isle. No idea why this came across your feed, but as you enquired , its a long abandoned railway line, being brought back into operation , to transport freight from limerick city to the port of Foynes , in Western Ireland .
The 50km Listowel-Rathkeale Greenway needs to be extended along a further 30km to reach the heart of Limerick City . Common sense would witness a Greenway being laid parallel from Rathkeale-Ballingrane Junction to the City in tandem with the restoration of the railway.
Visually very interesting... great to see a railway line getting a second life. The background noise was hardly helpful, whereas even some commentary explaining the back to the former line and the reasons for big money being spent to rebuild it. With Ireland having about the same population as NZ, but in a much more compact space, it is interesting that the Gov't has committed itself to these costs.
The borris railway line is used for a Greenway walk only on the viaducts personally I think the borris railway line should have trains running every two or 3 hours to Dublin
well done Ireland...if only Tasmania would wake up...they are ripping up stunning rail lines for bike paths that will be used by two and half licra lizards.
The amount of good Railways Torn up for Stupid Greenways is a Disgrace trains can carry hundreds greenaway a few on bikes it doesn't make sense were trying to get cars off the Roads
A rail system with the opportunity of modernising, like battery powered, could make huge difference, to get weight and volume down on the road network. And probably the safest use of battery transport. No need for expensive electric rail set up.
You are obviously not a walker nor a cyclist - greenways are a great way of safely segregating cars/lorries and cyclist who don't want to be on the same road. Remember why some of these tracks were closed in the first case - they were underused as a commercial transport system.... greenways create routes for sustainable commuting, horse riding, hiking, dog walking and tourist pursuits.
Greenways are a great idea - they provide a block to the complete destruction of the railway infrastructure and at a later date, the railway can be reinstated
Thinking about, you could probably have both. A single track rail with cycle/walkway alongside. Especially if the trains were lightweight battery run, so much less infrastructure.
More railway lines need opening up in general. But existing ones also need duel tracks to maximise capacity, even future proof. Ireland or Scotland. Hope the project goes well and gets completed. I know in my nook of Scotland where we already have single lines, the biggest thing choking them is the single tracks. Full carriages unable to offer more. Also the other issue of broken lines, diesel vs electric making for unnecessary change overs.
The government have foolishly closed a lot of railway lines over the last 60 years. Why? Cars generate far more revenue. It’s all about the money. There’s something satisfying about travelling by train and not getting stuck in traffic congestion because of poor government planning and infrastructures. I do drive and will go the long way around to avoid being stuck in a tailback!
We need much more of this and much less of HS2 A root which already had two main Line Railways into Birmingham, can you imagine if the money had been spent on renovating or restoring some of our old lines? How much better that would have been for everyone.
Beautiful video! Might I suggest , though, the “Thomas the Tank Engine” theme music as an overdub? The music at the beginning sounds more like Guardians of the Galaxy intro. Just my opinion, of course…
Wow common sense prevails in getting a line like this reopened. If only in the U.K. we had a better idea of reopening our old railway lines instead of trying to create a massive white elephant in HS2 which is now nothing more than a massive government embarrassment
These things are cropped up all over the place because trains are not used a lot more people have their own transport goods are road hauled around the country. No real rail movement for British goods this backward run country doesn't make anything worth a toss. The Victorian people would cry out stupidly from a power house to an immigrant infested shit house
Rail is only profitable when carrying freight. Heavy rail for passengers is a money loser…………..hence the politicians won’t embrace it. Getting rid of drivers and guards is a popular but doomed way of turning things around..where will UK get 100 billion passengers to pay one pound each to pay for HS2????? Stavros
if Beecham was alive today he would be having a heart attack, new railway lines, NO he'd shout, id love to ride my Honda trail bike along that line before the tracks get laid,
Love seeing a railway coming back to life.
Considering the cost per mile to reinstall a rail line ($2M-$5M per mile USD) it is amazing that they are doing this at all! It's a total package. It's far more then just rail and ties (sleepers). It's improving the grade. Signal systems. Switches and sidings. Labor costs.
You are so lucky that the railway was taken out of use quite recently and has not been over built as road way.
We have so many disused lines here in UK that have been used for roads that we can't reopen any from a city to a city.
Very nice video.
We turn most of ours into greenways.
And I thought that you Brits had better railways than us because you guys were the fathers of them
But now I feel bad for you too
@@tomfitzpatrick7335 We have lots of railways, but all the local branch lines that were deleted in the 1960's could be turned into tramway or light railway links now but can't because there maybe 100 yards or half a mile of road on a section of bed. Many lines could link city to city with out having to head into London and out again.
The ministry of transport did that with the Penrith to Keswick line; a new section of main road was built right on top of part of that line, quite deliberately, to hinder any possibility of rebuilding that line. The same was done to the Ambergate to Pye Bridge line near Ripley in Derbyshire where they used about 200 yards of the trackbed just to lay a slip road from a roundabout, deliberately to prevent that line from being reopened west of Ripley. Three parts of the old Clapham junction (the real one in Yorkshire !) to Lowgill line (which connected the Skipton to Lancaster line to the WCML south of Shap) have been virtually obliterated where the line & the main Settle to Kendal road used to cross over, and another section has suffered from the planning authorities allowing a house to be built directly on the trackbed at Barbon.
@@fredericksaxton3991 Roads aren't a problem in my opinion. When railway routes are built over with houses, or even housing estates, this is when it becomes impossible to re-open a railway line.
It's good to see that most of the bridges are still standing. It looks like an interesting route.
If it's being reopened for passengers too, it would definitely be a good route to travel on
Beeindruckende Bilder über die Reaktivierung dieser Bahnstrecke. Danke dafür. Gruß aus Augsburg.
I can remember as a child the railways in Donegal being lifted and the old steam engine at the edge of the rail as they lifted each section bit by bit. Good to see them being replaced
I think that Donegal does need to have a railway, at least a narrow gauge one, for better connection with the rest of Ireland.
That's a nice drone flight. Good to see that Ireland reinstates these old branches, railways have been in demise since long in Ireland with one line after the other closing, but now minds turned 180°.
It seems the old stone and cast iron bridge piers were made so well that they can be reused.
I wish this would happen in England but even a little regeneration scheme would be dead in the water. Local Conservative MPs would always say "We cannot afford it". They hate railways.
Not just in Ireland. Something similar happens in Germany - unless, unfortunately, the tracks had been converted into roads.
Awesome 🙌 footage showing great progress 👍🏻 It’s a no brainier reinstating railways especially in theses days of expensive cost of fuel ⛽️ if we want to get about we need good public transport 👍🏻 With the shortage of lorry drivers it’s also good getting freight off the roads and back on rail. Keep the updates coming cheers Stevie 🏴
This is a stunning video. Thank you so much for your beautiful work. I remember the townlands from my childhood. I am looking forward to seeing the work in progress. I had no idea that such a tunnel existed under the N69.
I really hope more railways in Ireland will be re-opened like this one.
Let it be re-opened first, and see how they survive financially.
Can't wait to see the train on it way I've worked on the job laying pipes great job great videos from you 😅
Thanks 👍
Lovely drone work flying under bridges. Nice to see I.E. reinstating a line as opposed to closing one.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great drone work / photography. Please keep us updated with more footage as the progress continues.
What an incredible video you’ve created Dronehawk! My congratulations to you for a magnificent presentation. I can honestly say that (and I keenly follow videos of railways that are being reinstated) that I’ve never seen anything of this quality before. Flying your drone through the underpass took my breath away….in fact I started to reach for the ‘undercarriage lowering’ switch which…of course…wasn’t there…. just in case we landed!
The contractors seem to be making good progress. I wish we had such ‘in depth’ videos featuring the routes (such as the East-West’ line. Instead, the videos we see if these lines are much shorter.
I last visited Foynes during a trip to see the Flying Boat Museum over 10 years ago and Foynes station was nowhere as derelict then as it is now. However, I thought that Foynes Station signalbox seems to have escaped the fate of the main building…it still seems in quite good repair from the air. Thanks again for a truly remarkable video and I’m looking forward to seeing your Drone keeping up with freight trains fairly soon. Incidentally, when the first train traverses the re-opened route….I hope you’ll manage a fly past with some aerobatics? Happy Christmas and New Year Dronehawk…you’ve given me an early Christmas gift! Best wishes from Rob in Bournemouth, England.
Hi Rob , Thanks for your kind words . Check out this video from two years back for a better look at the Foynes station before works started
ua-cam.com/video/rApdN6coNb0/v-deo.htmlsi=4_S2YL_IP9Faf_kS
Regards DH
Both fascinating and picturesque!! A fantastic flying tour! (new subscriber, Virginia)
Bring these railway lines back to life again
Beautiful photography
Many thanks
Excellent video.👍 The ruins of Foynes Railway Station train shed have a haunting beauty.
Much of the front section of roof collapsed during the recent storms
Oh boy just come across this an area I know well from the late 70's early 80's when I was involved on the Bauxite crushing mill project on Aughinish Island Used to stay at the Dunraven Arms in Adare thatched roof and all back then. Remember going to Foynes and seeing all of the photos in the pub there of the Sunderland Flying boats that used to criss cross the Atlantic from there went back more recently and visited the now Flyingboat Museum. Wonderful part of the world happy happy days back then.
The aircraft were Boeing B-314s and Shorts C-Class 'Empires'. Both were specifically developed for the Atlantic route. The Sunderland came later and was developed as an extension of the C-class.
Nice work for Sisk. Keeping the track bed dry won't be cheap.
Now that Ireland seems relatively wealthy other restorations might to be more deserving. Youghal appears to be flourishing and unlike Midleton is an attractive destination for day trippers and journeys to work in Cork. Midleton is nearer to Cork but it lacks a beach adjacent to the railway station and the interest of the old town centre and the estuary that is Youghal. Waterford to Rosslare harbour deserves further use with a train to Limerick dividing at Lim . junction for part to go to Cork and , perhaps continue as a through service to Cobh ( or Midleton or Youghal!).
I look forward to the next episode.
Youghal is now very unlikely to ever return to rail , the greenway infrastructure put the final nail in the coffin
ua-cam.com/video/BPHD94gPNd0/v-deo.htmlsi=P5L4bXEZgQbXCRbG
Delighted by your encouraging response. I have some experience with railway restoration in the UK. The line to Youghal from Kent (Glanmire Road) could be run on a shared basis.with excursions and day trips on Saturdays and/or Sundays and strictly I E timetabled services at other times --- from Cork or from Midleton only..
.One wonders how much less the greenways project will cost than a full railway re-instatement. Youghal station area has the makings of Co Cork's railway museum. The museum, the journey, the beach , the estuary (?boat trips) and the town represent a good day's outing attractive to the whole family and not just railway nuts . Not sure where else in Ireland such opportunities would exist in one place.
@@FlyingApes
@@tomcarr1358 Ive said that countless times . A missed opportunity to turn that section of rail line into a Heritage railway , running trains to and from Midelton in the summer months by the RPSI. Theres a turntable for turning steam locos already there and plenty of room to build a new engine shed . Could've been a huge tourist attraction for the south of the country . Now its a bland , featureless dead straight cycle path , which will only appeal to a few middle aged men in lycra .
I would love to see a detailed explanation of how Sisks overcome this drainage issue with the solution. Seems quite substantial water retention.
Not so. It's all to do with cost and politics. Admittedly some wildly over-the-top concrete accommodation works for pedestrians and peddlers will be inhibiting. Conversations with the county planning office would be worth exploring. Nice new substrata for a track bed to be going on with anyway. @@dronehawk
Great video DroneHawk
I'm so impressed many of the original bridges and buildings are still standing. In England, the scumbags in charge couldn't wait to teat everything down and asset strip what they could. They didn't break a sweat building it after all
Plenty of them folk in Ireland too.
Excellent video. Thanks for your hard work.
Superb footage.
The line passes a number of industrial sites, I wonder if there will be any effort to service them from the line.
Yes it will be interesting to see what freight traffic eventually runs on the line.Will they construct a container depot in foynes ? Will they reactivate the spur into irish cement ?
Wonderful drone footage! So interesting to see Irelands rail network ( disused, current and soon to be regenerated)...Apart from a few episodes of 'Great Railway Journeys ' we never see anything on English TV. Keep up the good work 👏 👍
Fantastic to see the line been restored.
I wish I could've seen these old lines while they were in operation.. I live in Galway and the old Galway/Clofden line looks unreal scenery wise.. just born a few decades too late unfortunately
There's a project going on right now to preserve a part of the route. It's a shame that it's preserved in narrow gauge though, would've made more sense to preserve it 'full-sized'. It would also add uniqueness to it, as it would be the only Irish gauge heritage railway in ROI and the second one on the island of Ireland.
Whilst I love and support railways, your excellent video provoked further interest into, 'The Layer Cake', and what a horrendous time bomb Eire is sitting on and seemingly powerless to prevent further expansion! Wished I had not dug deeper!! Thank you!
Its the last thing you'd expect to find in a such a scenic area. ua-cam.com/video/Zcwbxvfkvdo/v-deo.htmlsi=wUUL-GryGmgr23S0
We spent our first night in Ireland in Foynes. Walked toward the seaplane museum I spotted what looked like a two story building where railroad switches were set. From that moment on I was wanting to go to the tracks. Are they restoring this line. Nearly five years on I’m still waiting for the tourist railroads to email me back about their schedules.
Yes the line was abandoned when you saw it 5 years ago. The current plan is to restore the line for freight operations only . Passenger services may return in time but there are no plans as such for now
@@dronehawk Will freight again be hauled from the port. Looked kinda sad then.
@@jockellisThe port area is undergoing a major redevelopment also with new quays being built . I'll be updating on the progress every few months so stay tuned to see what happens with the finished line.Completion is Scheduled for sometime in 2025.
@@dronehawk Thank you. I really fell in love with Foynes. Beautiful place.
Wish the tracks would be run to Dingle. That Conor Pass is scary with rocks right to the pavement, oncoming tour buses taking up so much space and your wife screaming in your ear.
Great photography! It'd be nice if it was part of a Limerick Commuter rail network, and there were more passing loops, but sadly just freight rail for now.
Passenger traffic unlikely ever to return since the stations along the route at Adare and Askeaton are now private dwellings
This video was just on my feed, no idea why.
But, as I watched it I saw "Aughinish" and suddenly realised where it was. I worked for Alcan UK in the 90's and visited the Aughinish site a couple of times. Old memories, thanks.
It's scary what the Google algorithm knows about us . Anyways you might enjoy this
ua-cam.com/video/Zcwbxvfkvdo/v-deo.htmlsi=baj_eTc2FliBdVXQ
It's amazing so of the rail structures are still in place. Rail freight is still out of favour. It'll have to make a come back. For now bicycles will do
WOW" What a fantastic job going on there to bring another lost railway back to life, ! How many miles will this line go when finished,?
26 from Limerick to Foynes.
Love the fact that the powers that be are paying to put something back that they paid to tear up. Reassures me that government stupidity isn't a new phenomenon. Great video..
Interesting how the original stone arch overbridges are wide enough for double track but the new concrete bridge for the main road is only single width.
It may never need double track but if the need arises in the future, widening this bridge would be horrendous compared with the slight extra cost of building it wider from the beginning.
Yes, that was a problem with the Scottish Borders Railway, reinstated on the cheap with several single-track new bridges which are now inhibiting a full public service by restricting line capacity.
@@imaginise6110 ...or was done by design from the beginning....
Great vid. When this country invests properly and gets something right it's good to see. Thank goodness this railway line was not surrendered to another unless greenway with tiny tourist traffic. Westport and Dungarvan are stunning greenways due to their awesome scenery, coastal, mountains forests, giant viaducts, but most of the other greenways are boring with just mile after mile of samey bog boring hedgerows to look at.
Case and point - Youghal Greenway .
@@dronehawk Yes it seems insanity when 000s of commuters could use this line to take cars off the congested commuter route to Cork City. The short 9km route has no scenery, just hedgerows for the tourists. Apparently the chamber of commerce in Youghal didn't want the rail link restored because they fear importing anti-social behaviour (ie langers) from Cork city!!! Short sighted.
fierce number of goal posts.
Fantastic videos. No fear of losing that drone! What are the red goalpostlike structures for please. I have just realised that they indicate overhead cables.
Thanks for that , you answered your own question , that's exactly what they are used for , and they are indeed nick named "goalposts"
Very impressive high-quality-film-making. How soon will there be a connection to Adare from Limerick by rail?
Scheduled for completion in 2025
WOW serious amount of work going on here on this route!!! So great video 😍 Is it very very long?? Waterford is pretty only and only busy in sections so I wonder would this actually be better’s going back to rail line….. If it goes near Limerick city?? Absolutely what is “the layer cake” all about??
The "Layer Cake" is a giant slag pile , (Visible from space) full of red mud , which is a waste product caused by the smelting of Bauxite - the ore used in the manufacture of Aluminum at the nearby Rusal (Russian Owned) Aughinish Alumina Refinery - ua-cam.com/video/Zcwbxvfkvdo/v-deo.htmlsi=B49ZCPMThPuWog7A
The limerick to Foynes line is 26 miles in total and originates from limerick city railway station
La France devrait prendre l'Irlande comme exemple ! Bravo !!
Look forward to its opening
I wish here in America we would put more interest into our railways. What are the blue battles with the u-shaped red pipping for across the roadbed paths?
The U Shaped piping , or goal posts as they are sometimes called , are plastic pipes placed on both sides of any electricity lines to help prevent any piece of construction machinery from coming into contact with the wires as they travel or work underneath
this should be happening all up & down the uk, there.s loads of disused railways near me that are an over grown mess, with weeds, self seeded tree,s & brambles, & when ya think of the hard work it took the guys that built them in victorian times. When everything was built & ran properly, its a disgrace, they should never of been closed in the first place. Great video.
It's great to see closed railway lines reopening come on the Irish government and open the rest of our closed railway lines .....we have enough cars on our roads....
Impressive work under way. Here in Scotland, we too are rebuilding old railway lines and reopening old stations, the Leven branch currently under reconstruction, reopening next year. The opposition political media delighted in ridiculing these projects - claiming they were a waste of money and would never pay. And yet within a few years the reopened lines have been attracting several times the anticipated traffic.
Ha ha ha 😂, talk about bigging up nothing 🤣
There are so many old rail routes that should be preserved, recovered from neglect and development, then gradually restored for use. In many cases, the lines had far better routes than many roads do today, makes a case for tandem restoration of rail, road, and other users. double up some bridges and cuttings. Ireland should be using the gift of huge corporate tax income to re-invest in ultra long term infrastucture, energy storage, efficient transport suitable for future energy sources.
Fantastic videos can you say where this music is from in this video
Thanks , the music (Licenced from envato.com) is by KakaduCreation - Inspiring Ambient Corporate.
Thank goodness the line is more or less intact...no ghastly box house estates tweely named " Beeching Close. WHY the numerous lines were closed, leaving communities in isolated poverty is beyond me!
Great project and fantastic drone footage. What’s the music in your video?
Thanks , the music (Licenced from envato.com) is by KakaduCreation - Inspiring Ambient Corporate.
@@dronehawk hi thanks for the info I’ll check it out. Have a good 2024
should be reinstating the woodhead route through the Pennines and also the Runcorn Gap and St Helens and railway
I don't expect an answer, but: is there going to be a yard in Foynes? There doesn't look to be room. Also, will this line provide service to that massive Aughinish factory?
Hi , I don't honestly know what the plans are regarding a yard at Foynes. I don't know what type of rail freight they plan on running , whether its bulk goods or container traffic.
It won't service Aughinish, never has historically . The Bauxite ore and the finished aluminium are transported via ship . The toxic red mud is dumped out in the countryside .
@@dronehawk Thanks for the reply. Looking forward to seeing the line complete.
I never understood concrete sleepers. It seems like wooden sleepers absorb some shock when the train passes over.
True but concrete doesn't rot , especially important in our wet climate
@@dronehawk I guess they've been in use for decades now. They must know what they're doing. ;)
Will the re-opened route by of dual purpose? That is to say….passenger traffic as well as for freight?
Doubtful , but I could be wrong . Most of the existing stations are now private residences so new ones would need to be built .
Seems a lot of the RR bed is below grade. I didn't see much double track capacity. Looks like a rural area. Hopefully, there is enough ridership to justify the construction and operation cost.
7:26 where does the line branch off to on the right
The old Molasses siding. Just before that there's one on the left for heavy fuel oil depot
I'm in Western Canada, and wondered across this video. What's the purpose of the restoration?
Well , hello to you in Canada , greetings from the Emerald Isle. No idea why this came across your feed, but as you enquired , its a long abandoned railway line, being brought back into operation , to transport freight from limerick city to the port of Foynes , in Western Ireland .
The 50km Listowel-Rathkeale Greenway needs to be extended along a further 30km to reach the heart of Limerick City . Common sense would witness a Greenway being laid parallel from Rathkeale-Ballingrane Junction to the City in tandem with the restoration of the railway.
Electric or diesel line?
Diesel.
Yeah, get it right up you Mr Beeching 😂
Visually very interesting... great to see a railway line getting a second life. The background noise was hardly helpful, whereas even some commentary explaining the back to the former line and the reasons for big money being spent to rebuild it.
With Ireland having about the same population as NZ, but in a much more compact space, it is interesting that the Gov't has committed itself to these costs.
Great video
Will this be freight only railway from the port
And is there a connecting railway to where ?
The rail line will be freight only and connects Foynes port to the national rail network at Limerick City
The 5 R’s…
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Re-Rail
Great to see someone’s investing in railway infrastructure. That was fun drone footage.
1st I've heard of this. Thought it was just the road that was been done to Foynes. Why would you need a train from Adare to Foynes?
Actually Limerick to Foynes , Limerick to Adare was a previous video. Line will be used for freight traffic to and from the upgraded port at Foynes.
When shall the first rail be laid?
Probably see some tracks go down next summer in some sections
The borris railway line is used for a Greenway walk only on the viaducts personally I think the borris railway line should have trains running every two or 3 hours to Dublin
What are the red arches?
Plastic pipe placed each side of ovehead
Wires , to warn machine operators .
@@dronehawk Oh....good reason.
Some super camera work and editing there, how many miles would the total flight be?
Thanks , its 26 miles from limerick to Foynes by rail , so I would guess its approx 18 miles by rail from Adare to Foynes
Great video. But that intro music is dire.
Is this being reinstated?
Yes
2024 New Year Resolution - All Drone Hawkers Devotees get together
well done Ireland...if only Tasmania would wake up...they are ripping up stunning rail lines for bike paths that will be used by two and half licra lizards.
Will this be opening again
Early 2025
@@dronehawk this will be great for the area we pass this place a few times a year heading to ballyhiegue
Should have left the tracks in place and just used trams far more cost effective
The castlecomer railway line should reopen again less car accidents and fuel official
HELP ME : Who is the composer/name of the music ?????
the music (Licenced from envato.com) is by KakaduCreation - Tracks called - Inspiring Ambient Corporate. Hope this helps
❤
Will it only carry freight?
For now . No plans for passengers but that may change in time
Very impressive. When is it due for completion?
Sometime in 2025
@@dronehawk 👍
Sometime in 2025
The amount of good Railways Torn up for Stupid Greenways is a Disgrace trains can carry hundreds greenaway a few on bikes it doesn't make sense were trying to get cars off the Roads
A rail system with the opportunity of modernising, like battery powered, could make huge difference, to get weight and volume down on the road network. And probably the safest use of battery transport. No need for expensive electric rail set up.
You are obviously not a walker nor a cyclist - greenways are a great way of safely segregating cars/lorries and cyclist who don't want to be on the same road. Remember why some of these tracks were closed in the first case - they were underused as a commercial transport system.... greenways create routes for sustainable commuting, horse riding, hiking, dog walking and tourist pursuits.
Greenways are a great idea - they provide a block to the complete destruction of the railway infrastructure and at a later date, the railway can be reinstated
Thinking about, you could probably have both. A single track rail with cycle/walkway alongside. Especially if the trains were lightweight battery run, so much less infrastructure.
@@wilfuller1699batteries just aren’t that good.
More railway lines need opening up in general. But existing ones also need duel tracks to maximise capacity, even future proof.
Ireland or Scotland. Hope the project goes well and gets completed.
I know in my nook of Scotland where we already have single lines, the biggest thing choking them is the single tracks. Full carriages unable to offer more.
Also the other issue of broken lines, diesel vs electric making for unnecessary change overs.
👍👍
The government have foolishly closed a lot of railway lines over the last 60 years. Why? Cars generate far more revenue. It’s all about the money. There’s something satisfying about travelling by train and not getting stuck in traffic congestion because of poor government planning and infrastructures. I do drive and will go the long way around to avoid being stuck in a tailback!
was it wort knocking good houses down?
Robert Smith,
Which houses?
They are only rebuilding the existing railway which had traffic until about 20 years ago.
Ya , I'll bite aswell , exactly what houses ? The Railway line has been there for the last 60 years
We need much more of this and much less of HS2 A root which already had two main Line Railways into Birmingham, can you imagine if the money had been spent on renovating or restoring some of our old lines? How much better that would have been for everyone.
Beautiful video! Might I suggest , though, the “Thomas the Tank Engine” theme music as an overdub?
The music at the beginning sounds more like Guardians of the Galaxy intro. Just my opinion, of course…
Wow common sense prevails in getting a line like this reopened. If only in the U.K. we had a better idea of reopening our old railway lines instead of trying to create a massive white elephant in HS2 which is now nothing more than a massive government embarrassment
That and Brexit . UK seems to have lost its way of late . Hope better times lie ahead for ye
This must be costing a lot of euro's
A bargain at the princely cost of only 104 million . Now if BAM were building it ...
These things are cropped up all over the place because trains are not used a lot more people have their own transport goods are road hauled around the country. No real rail movement for British goods this backward run country doesn't make anything worth a toss. The Victorian people would cry out stupidly from a power house to an immigrant infested shit house
Rail is only profitable when carrying freight. Heavy rail for passengers is a money loser…………..hence the politicians won’t embrace it. Getting rid of drivers and guards is a popular but doomed way of turning things around..where will UK get 100 billion passengers to pay one pound each to pay for HS2?????
Stavros
And there the Chungs made a propaganda documentary that they can do this sort of thing more cheaply than anyone else in the UK.
Think of all the old lines they could open here in England instead of wasting hundreds of billions on the white elephant that is HS2.
if Beecham was alive today he would be having a heart attack, new railway lines, NO he'd shout, id love to ride my Honda trail bike along that line before the tracks get laid,
What a giant torn up mess!
No forsight by that beeching bloke.