Welcome to ALVIN!

A. L. V. I. N.
Axial Lee Valley Integrated transport Network!

DISCLAIMER: The A. L. V. I. N. Light Rail Network Proposal is promoted as an entirely PRIVATELY backed and promoted initiative and vision of how Cork City and 'Banlieue' (Hinterland) Transport Network should develop over the next ten or more years, and does NOT have any direct link with either the constituent Iarnrod Eireann companies or CIE itself, or with any other Irish or European public or private body, and neither endorses, or is endorsed by any of the above. Expressions of interest are of course, welcome from any public or private organisation in the Public Transport industry, as well as other Irish-based Public Transport users' and campaign groups.

Watch this space for frequent updates of details and pics of this exciting proposal to transform Environmentally-Friendly Transport in Cork City and its Banlieues (Suburbs)!

BREAKING NEWS: MIDLETON RAIL LINE, the first phase of the Proposed ALVIN ROUTE 909, OPENS TODAY, 30TH JULY 2009! .
See breaking story at: Cork-Midleton rail line opens and iarnrod Eireann's own website page on the launch, INCLUDING FULL TIMETABLES of the new service, at: Midleton rail service: opens this Thursday 30th July - FREE TRAVEL ON THURSDAY (30 July 2009)!

...Below is a Time-Lapse Map of how the ALVIN Light Rail Network will take shape over the next decade!

Click on THIS photo above for the GALLERY of photos of progress on the Cork-Midleton phase of the future ALVIN Route 909: This picture is an early Artists impression (1995) of what ALVIN Trams would look like on Patrick Street; since the photo this image was based on was taken, Patrick Street has been facelifted; the overhead wire support columns and wires shown for the trams in the photo are a lot more obtrusive than they would be in reality, as the overhead wires can be supported by slimmer columns and anchor points on buildings. Iarnrod Eireann currently uses traditional 'Heavy' diesel multiple units for all its branch line services, INCLUDING the newly reopened Cork-Midleton Route. A Much cheaper and lighter alternative to the traditional diesel units which weigh 83 TONS for a 2-car unit, is the German-built 'Regio Sprinter', as used on several lightly used branch Rail Routes in Germany, Austrian and now many other countries such as Canada. Many other disused Irish Rail Routes could be reopened with Regio-Sprinter type trains (Such as its current update, the 'Desiro' Class), such as Midleton to Youghal, Cork, Bandon, and Waterford-New Ross. Above is a picture of a Regiosprinter in Austria. Note that they have low doorways, designed easy disabled access and for halts at stations with low platforms or even no platform at all. See HERE for more details on the REGIO-SPRINTER, originally designed by Siemens AG of Germany. ....Just to whet your appetite, here's an image of how a REGIO-SPRINTER would look like on the existing CORK-COBH Rail Route (Route 929) (at Fota Island Station). The platforms at this station and all the others on the Cork-Cobh Route had been raised in height at enormous expense, just to accommodate the current heavy and inefficient 'diesel railcar' multiple unit trains. The Regio Sprinter can use both high and low platforms, so it would be ideal for running through from locations such as Cobh, Midleton and Youghal on street tramway through the centre of Cork, to yet to be reopened Rail Routes on the other side of the city such as BANDON and KINSALE.
RAIL WAY AHEAD! NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Click the link above for THE Brand New Forum Dedicated to Reopening Ireland's disused Rail Routes And Enhancing existing Irish Rail Routes As an alternative to building yet more costly new roads!

THIS PAGE LAST UPDATED 1ST AUG 2009