The Tralee-Fenit walk- and cycleway will be real!
After having heard about the exciting project first at last year’s Kerry Bicycle Festival it seems that the new walk- and cycleway between Tralee and Fenit is now in the final stages of planning and may even be finished very soon. Although I understand that some discussions are still going on with owners of properties adjacent to the track I no longer doubt that the ambitious new way can and will finally become a reality.
If so, the path will be built along the former railway corridor, which still connects rock street right in the heart of Tralee with the former station area in Fenit, and that place is right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It will be absolutely great to walk or cycle the ca. 12 kilometres between those two places without having to use the narrow and sometimes dangerous public roads in the area. It would be a great tourism asset, too.
A blog with more information about the still ongoing consultation process has been set up by fellow bicycle enthusiasts and a public meeting will be held on October 22nd in the Ballyroe Heights Hotel at 8pm. So, if you want to show your support for this great idea (and hopefully soon real construction project) please sign up and come to the meeting. See you next thursday!
Below you can see some images of what the disused railway line is looking right now. The photograph in the lower left corner shows the possible starting point of the way (it would actually right behind the stone wall with the cars parking in front), the others have been taken along the track.
It would be very expensive. The councils pockets cant be deep enough. There would possibly have to be a number off toll bridges along the 12 km route possibly to fund maintenance and services. Id prefer if a number of potholes and small caves were filled in around the town, maybe a bit of traffic management around Garveys and maybe remove that stupid blindspot off the roundabout past the horan centre.That pile of rubbish failed me my driving test!
I drive out to fenit regularly and I dont find anything too dangerous on the road that a good hedge cutter wouldnt take care of.
Comment by john — October 30, 2009 @ 2:13 pm
Hey John,
I dont think the cost is huge due to the fact that all the land is owned by CIE, and they are allowing it to be used in the project at no cost.
As far as I am aware the Kerry council council are only facilitators in this project and not actually funding it, not 100% but I think that the funding is from leader.
Like most funding of this type it has to go on the project it was awarded for [ie the walkway ] and cant be used for potholes, hedge cutting etc.
So if the local walkway/cycleway doesn’t go ahead, the funding will be lost and will go to a comunity project somewhere in the country.
Nice pics Holger !
Comment by Keith — November 1, 2009 @ 2:24 pm
Has any progress been made to date on this. What amount of funding was available for this?
Before laying any surface, I would think a few men and a JCB or two just doing clearance work and spraying weedkiller alone could do wonders with a few weeks of work. I don’t think anyone has a right to object to clearance work as CIE has a right to have this done on their own land. The line was there before any of the residents were born. Clearing the first mile on either end would at least get the ball rolling and maybe inspire further interest and curiosity and help with further fund raising efforts. I personally know multi-millionaire Fred Krehbiel who resides part of the year at Churchill House has offered funding (10,000) in the past for this and is very enthusiastic about getting this transformed into a cycle/running path.
[address part edited]
It is quite likely he still has the enthusiasm for this project. If phoning and Fred is not available ask for Nora Landers and she should be able to help you.
Sincerely,
A dedicated enthusiast
Comment by john — March 9, 2010 @ 10:55 pm
I hope that the walkway will meet with more success than the expensive attempt by the Great Southern Railway Preservation Society to reopen the line in the 1980s! Kerry people seem to like turning their railways into walkways - won’t be long before Tralee/Mallow becomes available….
Comment by David Parks — May 12, 2010 @ 6:52 pm
WHATS THE STORY RORY WITH THIS AMAZING CONCEPT OF CONVERTING AN ABANDONED PIECE OF NOW SCRAP METAL
INTO A GREENWAY FOR ALL TO ENJOY..NO PROGRESS TO BE SEEN..
MOST LIKELY THE FARMERS HAVE PUT A SPANNER IN THE WORKS.. THE MORE YOU CONCEED TO THEM THE MORE GREEDY THEY GET UNTIL EVENTUALLY THE PROJECT ISNT WORTH THE COST..
SOMETHINGS NEVER CHANGE..
Comment by DENIS MC AULIFFE — September 4, 2010 @ 2:12 pm
According to http://traleetofenitcycleway.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/work-to-start-on-october-4th-2010/ work on the first phase of the project is to start as early as next Monday, October 4. That’s great news!
Comment by Holger — September 30, 2010 @ 6:38 pm
I dont think it should be reopened as a walk and cycle path. I would like it to beropen as a railway again. I will object to the walk and cycle path. when will work begin/
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 8, 2010 @ 7:38 pm
Thanks for your comment Stevie,
actually works have already commenced - at least the clearing of the old line between Tralee and Fenit seems to make good progress. While you may of course object to the conversion of the line into a walk and cycle path I find it highly unlikely if not impossible to ever reopen the track as a railway line, even if there would be a need for it. The reason for that is that there is no longer a connection to the mainline, because a number of roads and most importantly a (Dunnes) department store have been built on the original railway in the town of Tralee.
Btw: we are NOT talking about the Tralee-Blennerville section of the Tralee-Dingle Railway it that is what you thought. This line is not meant to be converted, quite the contrary infact.
Comment by Holger — November 8, 2010 @ 8:53 pm
will the old tracks be taking up to make the walkway? when will the walkway open.
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 8, 2010 @ 9:33 pm
[…] newly written comment by Stevie regarding my post about the conversion of the old Tralee-Fenit railway line showed me that there might easily be a confusion of two quite different things mentioned on this […]
Pingback by The Tralee Blog » Good progress and some confusion… — November 8, 2010 @ 9:45 pm
When will the walkway open? and when will work be complete?
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 8, 2010 @ 10:10 pm
I think nobody can give an exact date, but what I heard at one of the planning meetings was that once construction of the surface starts it should be finished within 6 weeks. As far as I know we are not yet at that stage as clearing works are still going on. Right now there is not much pressure tourismwise anyway, but it would be great to have it ready by next spring.
The tracks by the way are meant to remain in the ground, they will not be taken out. So nothing really changes for a possible, albeit very unlikely future as a railway line.
Comment by Holger — November 8, 2010 @ 10:27 pm
Will the tracks be at the side of the walkway? do you the limerick to tralee railway will reopen in the future? Do you know when the clearing work should be finished?
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 8, 2010 @ 10:43 pm
Dear Holger do you know when the clearing work should be finished?
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 13, 2010 @ 7:15 pm
Hi Stevie,
unfortunately I don’t know the exact schedule for the works, which is dependend on several factors - namely funding. But it is well possible that the best part of the clearing has already been done. Sorry that I cannot say more, but I am not involved in the process apart from being an interested member of the public. May I ask why it is so important for you to know?
Comment by Holger — November 13, 2010 @ 8:38 pm
I would just like to know. Because when the clearing work is complete I might give ut a visit to have a look of the work and might get some pictures. Will you let me know if you find out more?
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 13, 2010 @ 9:14 pm
Yes, no problem. Whenever something important happens you will read it here or there: http://traleetofenitcycleway.wordpress.com/
Best wishes,
Holger
Comment by Holger — November 13, 2010 @ 9:24 pm
Do you know how I could find out about the stage of work?
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 13, 2010 @ 9:34 pm
You may ask the town council: http://traleetc.ie/
They should know who knows more…
Comment by Holger — November 13, 2010 @ 9:43 pm
Hi Holger I was at Fenit today and i could see all the track it is all cleared in fenit. But it is still very overgrown towards Tralee
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 14, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
in fenit recently and its great to see progress being made on the line..
and far as the limerick to tralee line being reopened again…SADLY I MUST SAY THAT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN too much of it has been used as a bypass option in rathkeale and widening the road in barnagh gap in county limerick..it should have never been closed in the first place..
Comment by DENIS MC AULIFFE — November 16, 2010 @ 11:58 am
Hi Denis it shouldnt have been closed you right on saying that. The fenit line is cleared near fenit but near tralee it is still very overgrown.
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 16, 2010 @ 8:31 pm
Hi Holger do u know how work is doing now?
Comment by Stevie lenihan — November 23, 2010 @ 9:54 pm
Work is well underway in rock street da whole line in rock street has been cleared of overgrowt. i heard it shud be completed in 11 weeks
Comment by stevie lenihan — January 12, 2011 @ 10:26 pm
When the land was sold to Dunnes, a track-width strip of land was held on to in order that the Fenit line can still connect into the mainline. The Fenit line after all is officially classified as being disused and has never been formally abandoned.
The Limerick line on the other hand was abandoned many years ago and its tracks lifted.
Comment by Fergal — January 20, 2011 @ 11:41 pm
How well is da walkway doin now on da fenit line?
Comment by stevie lenihan — January 31, 2011 @ 8:45 pm
the limerick line even though abandoned had a railway formation preservation order on it from ballingrane rathkeale to beyond abbeyfeale by limerick county council to where it enters kerry and is then called the north kerry line. railway formation means the track bed and ditches at either side.now all of the limerick side has been converted into the great southern trail and some people in listowel want the connection made to abbeyfeale as a tourist attraction and to connect with the lartigue line on john b keane road, but is being met with stiff resistance from a councillor in listowel who has land off the railway formation..
Comment by D MC AULIFFE — February 1, 2011 @ 6:18 pm
We dont need walkways on old railway lines anyway why not reopen them as railways?
Comment by stevie lenihan — February 1, 2011 @ 8:53 pm
Hi stevie..
we had our railways and the goverment shut them down in the 60s and 70s.
am afraid that we will never again see them opened because of the cost factor involved and we dont have the poppulation to sustain such a venture it all down to money..
Comment by DENIS MC AULIFFE — February 5, 2011 @ 11:57 am
Will da rest of da tralee limerick be turned into a walkway
Comment by stevie lenihan — February 5, 2011 @ 8:17 pm
dont know stevie its taken 30 yrs to get the limerick section to be done from a dedicated small committee and and to be honest its up to the people in the kerry section to grab the baton and run with it now while the monentum is going..
oh and its the same people who tried hard to keep the line open as a railway who were left with no option but to pursue the trail course of action in county limerick..
Comment by DENIS MC AULIFFE — February 5, 2011 @ 10:38 pm
wudnt it be nice if it cudnt be reopened as a railway again? dom u no when da tralee to fenit walkway will be complete?
Comment by stevie lenihan — February 6, 2011 @ 8:10 pm
Hi can anyone tell me when da fenit to tralee walkway will be open?
Comment by Stevie Lenihan — March 6, 2011 @ 8:46 pm
The Tralee to Fenit walkway is not going ahead
Comment by Stevie — April 25, 2011 @ 10:39 pm
It’s a real shame that the Tralee-Fenit walking/cycle lane won’t go ahead. This is probably due to a handful of local objections. There are lots of people who like to walk and cycle in the area and, contrary to one comment, it IS a dangerous road. I’ve cycled it many times and have had a few lucky escapes. It’s narrow and cars drive way too fast. This is also a missed tourism opportunity. The views on the way are spectacular. A real pity.
Comment by Dave Ryan — August 16, 2011 @ 3:38 pm
Hi, I would like to see this line to be reopened as lrelands only standard gauge heritage railway, it does not have to meet main line, just have a station in rock street, it could bring old people to dinner that have no transport, an students to school as it passes the back of mounthawk, it has worked brilliantly in the UK and could work here also because of world wide entuasists, and funding could come from national lottery. Dont let a good opportunity go. D o connell
Comment by d o connell — August 18, 2011 @ 3:09 pm
There is a chance now that the tralee to fenit walkway could go ahead because there is a petition made for it and if they get a enough singures it will make work recommence on the walk and cycle way
Comment by stevie lenihan — August 18, 2011 @ 7:32 pm
Ya it would owrk well as a rilway line again D o connel
Comment by stevie lenihan — August 19, 2011 @ 3:50 pm
Will The Tralee to Fenit walkway ever reopen as a railway again?
Comment by stevie lenihan — September 7, 2011 @ 6:26 pm
TO GET IT TO WALKWAY STAGE WOULD BE A MIGHTY ACHIEVEMENT..IF THAT DOSENT HAPPEN IT WILL GO BACK TO NATURE…WHAT A LOSS TO TRALEE AND ITS AREA.. IT WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER SEE A TRAIN AGAIN AS WITH SO MANY SQUATTERS ON THE LINE ESPECIALLY ON THE FENIT SIDE THE WALKWAY MOVEMENT WILL BE LUCKY TO GET ENOUGH TRACTION TO GET A BIKE THROUGH AND AS FAR AS A TRAIN IS CONCERNED…NOT A HOPE..
Comment by denis mc auliffe — October 6, 2011 @ 9:02 am
Will the walkway be going ahead?
Comment by stevie lenihan — October 6, 2011 @ 8:42 pm
if the walkway dosent go ahead then most likely the rails will be lifted/stolen perhaps and wind up in hegartys scrap yard and the land will go back to the farmers much like what happened to the old dingle line..and lots of other old lines in the country..
Comment by denis mc auliffe — October 10, 2011 @ 9:28 am
The whole route of the line will never make a walkway only the part from rock street to mounthawk might. but the rest of the line to fenit will never see a walkway build on it as there is obejections and farmers using the line and rubbish throw on the line and a man has his garder and constevery on part of the line.
Comment by stevie lenihan — October 11, 2011 @ 7:34 pm
The scetion from rock street to mounthawk will be good enought to have reopened as a walkway.This is likely to happen.
Comment by stevie lenihan — October 11, 2011 @ 7:37 pm
Everone show there support this week by joining on the walk on the line this sunday 23rd assemble at 2. 30 at st brendans church for a 3 pm depture. wear sutiable footwear
Comment by stevie lenihan — October 18, 2011 @ 6:06 pm