Local Infrastructure (or lack of it)

[illdecide]

Guys i currently get the train to work (Lurgan to Belfast) every work day but it has to be one of the worst services around, if signals are not down then the trains have broken down and if that's not the case then there usually is a bomb hoax on the lines. From Christmas to now there hasn't been one week where there have been no disruptions and the monthly cost of a train ticket is £152.50, on the flip side of the coin you drive down and sit static on the M1 for ages...WTF. Are we so backward that we can't invest in better roads or transport, i know our population is small in comparison to most of Europe but what's on offer there would put us to shame.

I know our Southern Brethren probably have similar problems with Motorway and definitely the M50 but what's the Dart and bus services like? was the Luas a big help to traffic?

This is so frustrating...

[general_lee]

Thank unionists. Closed as much railways as possible (expect the protestant towns of course - that wouldn't do) built motorways to nowhere instead (why build a motorway to Dublin or Derry when you can build one to that economic powerhouse Craigavon) built universities in Coleraine and Jordanstown...

Imagine if some of those things actually went to Derry... maybe Belfast wouldn't be so choc a block and maybe just maybe NI wouldn't be the most car dependent region in Europe

[ziggysego]

I agree illdecide. I went to get the train from Omagh to Belfast today, but....

Oh.

[Hereiam]

Was watching a programme during the week on RTE about the events leading up to the 1916 Rising and one thing struck me was how they said that Britain more or less brought Dublin from a thriving city to one of great poverty. They are more or less doing the same to here, not enough real investment just dribs and drabs to keep things tickin. Britain will keep this place a basket case as long as it has control of it.

[Franko]

Was watching a programme during the week on RTE about the events leading up to the 1916 Rising and one thing struck me was how they said that Britain more or less brought Dublin from a thriving city to one of great poverty. They are more or less doing the same to here, not enough real investment just dribs and drabs to keep things tickin. Britain will keep this place a basket case as long as it has control of it.

The guy who owns the copyright on the phrase 'basket case' is due a fair decent royalties cheque from this board.

[Franko]

On the topic of the thread, the M2 has been an absolute disaster recently.  A 1 hour journey with clear roads is now taking 2 - 2.5 hours depending on the weather.

[imtommygunn]

Thank unionists. Closed as much railways as possible (expect the protestant towns of course - that wouldn't do) built motorways to nowhere instead (why build a motorway to Dublin or Derry when you can build one to that economic powerhouse Craigavon) built universities in Coleraine and Jordanstown...

Imagine if some of those things actually went to Derry... maybe Belfast wouldn't be so choc a block and maybe just maybe NI wouldn't be the most car dependent region in Europe

Is there a stat that says NI is the most car dependent region in Europe?? (Genuinely curious as I wouldn't be surprised...)

[blewuporstuffed]

Its only when you live abroad for a while you realise how terrible our public transport really is.
Its bad enough in and around  Belfast, but once you go west of the Bann is almost non existent.

[LeoMc]

Train lines run past all 3 airports yet none have a train station. 

[Walter Cronc]

We can talk about Unionists all we want but truth is our own politicians have let us down. This patchwork approach to road infrastructure is a joke! All it does is push the tail back further west.

[armaghniac]

Thank unionists. Closed as much railways as possible (expect the protestant towns of course - that wouldn't do) built motorways to nowhere instead (why build a motorway to Dublin or Derry when you can build one to that economic powerhouse Craigavon) built universities in Coleraine and Jordanstown...

Imagine if some of those things actually went to Derry... maybe Belfast wouldn't be so choc a block and maybe just maybe NI wouldn't be the most car dependent region in Europe

In fariness, unionists weren't just bigoted but were shortsighed as well. They closed the branch to Banbridge, a largely unionist town, that might have been useful to commuters today, and shortsightedly closed the BCDR line toward Comber that would have done likewise, not exactly a Republican stronghold either.

Meanwhile the 26 county government is promising cuts in taxes of all sorts, but have postponed the DART underground project and generally failed to restore infrastructural spending generally. At least under the Bertie Aherne regime a lot of motorways etc  were built.

And modern nationalist politicians have nothing to be proud of, the old jib that there are no motorways west of the Bann is still true.

[Minder]

Conor Murphy was DRD Minister for 4 years

[Hereiam]

London have had the last say for 800yrs

[general_lee]

Thank unionists. Closed as much railways as possible (expect the protestant towns of course - that wouldn't do) built motorways to nowhere instead (why build a motorway to Dublin or Derry when you can build one to that economic powerhouse Craigavon) built universities in Coleraine and Jordanstown...

Imagine if some of those things actually went to Derry... maybe Belfast wouldn't be so choc a block and maybe just maybe NI wouldn't be the most car dependent region in Europe

Is there a stat that says NI is the most car dependent region in Europe?? (Genuinely curious as I wouldn't be surprised...)

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/Car_Dep_Scorecard_2014_LOW_RES.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjattKUjfrKAhVMbRQKHbm_CScQFgggMAI&usg=AFQjCNHlovnQ0oLjd4SQZBJ6n6QbgiUYHw

Belfast second only to Rome out of euro cities, I'd say Rome is excused though. Nearly sure I read NI as a region was most car dependent.

[general_lee]

Thank unionists. Closed as much railways as possible (expect the protestant towns of course - that wouldn't do) built motorways to nowhere instead (why build a motorway to Dublin or Derry when you can build one to that economic powerhouse Craigavon) built universities in Coleraine and Jordanstown...

Imagine if some of those things actually went to Derry... maybe Belfast wouldn't be so choc a block and maybe just maybe NI wouldn't be the most car dependent region in Europe

In fariness, unionists weren't just bigoted but were shortsighed as well. They closed the branch to Banbridge, a largely unionist town, that might have been useful to commuters today, and shortsightedly closed the BCDR line toward Comber that would have done likewise, not exactly a Republican stronghold either.

Meanwhile the 26 county government is promising cuts in taxes of all sorts, but have postponed the DART underground project and generally failed to restore infrastructural spending generally. At least under the Bertie Aherne regime a lot of motorways etc  were built.

And modern nationalist politicians have nothing to be proud of, the old jib that there are no motorways west of the Bann is still true.

20 years isn't a whole lot of time to do much. I'd argue that two of the more substantial recent infrastructure projects were West and South.

Railways were a disaster whatever way you look at things. Rail link between Portadown and Derry should have been kept and Derry - Coleraine closed