Originally posted by ancientmariner
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From my vantage point in my home office I can see most of the daily traffic to and from Tivoli. Currently the port of Cork sees container traffic going to both Tivoli and Ringaskiddy. Ringaskiddy had managed to work quite well handling the container traffic it has had for the last 10 years or so even without Purpose built STS cranes, instead handling them using a spreader on the standard dockside crane. Tivoli Can now manage 2 smaller feeder container ships at a time since the demise of the Lisheen terminal there. Tivoli was once fed by a rail line, but all the sidings to the quays were closed off long ago. I understand all Bulk cargo will soon move to the Belvelly terminal, formerly Marino Point. This is served by a rail line, unfortunately there is no freight rolling stock operated by the main rail operator. While it is noble to desire that a port would be served by Rail freight, when the government of the day does not see the need for it, and is still actively putting rail lines beyond use, by converting them into "greenways", and only focusing on light passenger rail, perhaps you can understand why Port of Cork did not see the need for a line.
As I discussed here before, the rail line that went as far as the Ferry 30 years ago in Rosslare, now stops at the station outside the harbour gates, just 4 times a day (arr at 12.31,16.33, 19.41 and 20.42 on weekdays, 3 times on weekends.) As infrequent as to be useless when most ferries leave either in the early morning or early evening. Oh and the only way you can get a train from Rosslare to Cork is via Dublin (Change at Heuston, take Luas to Connolly). Oddly, If you wanted to take the train from Rosslare to Waterford, you would also go Via Dublin and change at Connolly for Houston, a journey of just 72km by road thanks to the New Ross bypass.
Should miracles happen though, the port is not far from the route of the old Passage-Monkstown line. Should that line ever reopen, I'm sure a siding can be arranged to serve the deepwater port. For now though the priority is the motorway, and work on that will commence once the Dunkettle interchange is complete.
At present there are a number of Container lines serving Tivoli.
Eucon on Sunday. Antwerp-Cork-Dublin (974TEU)
BG Freight on Tuesday. Cork-Rotterdam-Cork (1000 TEU)
X-Press lines Thursday. Rotterdam-Cork (900TEU)
BG Freight again on Friday. Cork-Rotterdam-Dublin (803TEU)
Samskip Saturday. Rotterdam-Waterford-Cork (803TEU)
The Move to Ringaskiddy will permit them to use their larger vessels, while still leaving slots for the Independant line and the Maersk Reefer on the STS berth. Meanwhile RORO and larger bulk handling can continue on the enlarged quay opposite. I don't know where the LPG ships are going to go now, but I suppose with the current Greens in government we will soon no longer need LPG to heat our homes.
In the Port of Cork master plan they expressed an intent in future to expand to the waterfront on the northern side of the new berth. Dredging may be required, but they already removed much of the rocky seabed in the Ringaskiddy pool to accomodate the new facility. The only barrier may be uncooperative local lobby groups who don't see the need for ships to deliver their cargo outside of daylight hours.
Here is a nice video of the STS cranes being moved into position. You'll also note a quite impressive bank of power supply for the storage of reefer containers. That's far in excess of the current requirement.
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