Ramifications of "Brexit" for railways

ONE LAST CHANCE.

Every post from now on must be related to Railways, there are a lot of issues surounding cross border trains here.

NO REFERENDUMS,NO TRUMP, NO RABID AND NO STUPID.

Jeff has given me the decision wether to reopen this thread, but this is the last time I will, the next time it has to be locked it will be locked for good.

I see I have been guilty of wandering off topic too,obviously there is a lot of passion and interest in this topic, but lets control ourselves and talk railways. .

I don't actually know how to unlock a topic , lets see if this works .

Seems to work, and once again my apologies if I have drifted off topic.

No problems John, I did not know that about the Irish peace agreement. Its heartening to know the trains between the Ireland and Northern Ireland are probably protected by an agreement.

"NO REFERENDUMS,NO TRUMP, NO RABID AND NO STUPID."

David - at your request some time ago I agreed to stop using the word "nonsense" about posts that I think fit the description; and I have kept my word; but there are times when it would be appropriate. For example, on another thread George just pontificated that "... a rail forum ought to be about modern railways, not history." The phrase "not history" in this context obviously is "nonsense."
I suppose that this is a slip on George's part; he uses history in his own posts; and civility restricts the use of the word "nonsense." Perhaps "tito noa" would be less offensive? (A little Maori which I know that David will appreciate.)
Ciao amigo, or kia ora amigo.

General election , June 8th .
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-39629603" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With reference to the land border between Northern Ireland (part of UK) and the Republic of Ireland (EU member), The hardest border (BBC).

It has an interesting rail-related reflection on crossing the border during the period of "The Troubles":

“Kilnasaggart Bridge” was a whispered curse on the lips of train travellers in the days of Northern Ireland’s Troubles.

It nudges up close to the border that separates the six counties of Ulster in the United Kingdom from the Republic of Ireland.

The bridge was such a popular target for IRA bombers that uninterrupted travel from north to south was often impossible.

A groan would go up as the tinny tannoy announced that, because of problems on the line, all passengers would disembark at the Newry halt, travel by bus across the border and then clamber back on the train at Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland.

We trundled on, we trundled off. It added at least an hour and more like two to the journey. So much for the “express”. But at least we knew we had crossed the border.

Now, commuters sip posh coffee and sail past this once troubled spot, blissfully unaware of where the north ends, and where the Republic of Ireland begins.

The last time I crossed the border, in 2000, the last stage was a bus to Belfast. I was working as a teacher there and nearly was too late for my first lesson that day. No-one ever said why we had to get off the train. The bus delivered us to the central station and I got a taxi to my first class - just in time.

The Good Friday Agreement was 1999, so by the time you made your trip in 2000 the Troubles were over and there was theoretically an open border, but I suppose it took a while for the railway timetable to catch up with the new arrangements .

An update on the Irish "Border(lands)".
A quick scan showed no mention of railways, but good background to the problems faced.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/opin ... ght-region" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

johnthefireman wrote:The Good Friday Agreement was 1999, so by the time you made your trip in 2000 the Troubles were over and there was theoretically an open border, but I suppose it took a while for the railway timetable to catch up with the new arrangements .

My point was that despite the so-called Agreement there were still problems with cross border travel, and threats of damaging the railway.

And as I say, it is unrealsitic to expect an agreement ending 30 years of Troubles to work perfectly after just a few months. However for most of the last 18 years since the agreement, there has been smooth and seamless travel across the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, just as there has between most EU states.

There are already immigration checks from time to time on the border looking for non-EU nationals. What would change now is customs in particular. In the past there were customs post in Dublin and Belfast stations but these were agreed by the two States. The EU may deem that insufficient, requiring all passengers to clear customs in Newry and Dundalk. Unless Irish customs preclearance was permitted in Newry, this would surely end the current 0630 Newry-Belfast commuter service.

That implies that the cross border trains would not pick up or drop off passengers at any intermediate station. At least it would be safer for the customs and immigration officials who would be less likely to be attacked if they remain in the cities.

But I still think there is a chance that no exit from the EU will actually happen. I can well imagine a change of government in Britain, perhaps quite soon.

Rail commuters 'to be slapped with 4% BREXIT FARE HIKE' as result of fall in pound's value

I have no idea whether this is true or not - after all, it is from the Daily Express.