Great Western Coffee Shop

At Tralee, at Sligo, at Galway and at Limerick ... they seem to have an integrated transport system with the coach / bus station right beside the railway station, and the coaches / buses lined up and awaiting their passengers when the train arrives.   I'm giving a course in the west of Ireland for the next few days, and have taken advantage of being over here to take a look around and learn a bit about how the rail thing's working here.  Too much travelling to give you a travalogue without it descending into a mundate list - but some highlights and thoughts which no doubt I will pop in in due course.

Seated here in the bar of my hotel (here for 3 nights, working across the road) ... I can tell you of being up early to ride the Pheonix Park Tunnel this morning, and to talk of places with beautiful names such as Cherry Trees and Hazelhatch, and a beautifully air conditioned trained headed out west, followed by something that reseumbed an ovesized 150 without Aircon, in the heating sun of the late afternoon.   I could also tell you of the strap from my pack tearing off (not surprised - really heavy with a course for 15 delegate and a week's supplies for me), but that's moving away from "transport" into personal anecdotes.

Thought for today - run the buses to and from the station, at times that connect with the trains.  I would have thought it was common sense - and the Irish seem to make a sucess of a linked network. Wonder why the English don't do it as matter of routine!

Can't do that far too sensible. Don't forget buses compete with trains.

Interesting to note that Melksham has more trains on Mondays-Saturdays than Tralee ( http://www.irishrail.ie/media/05_dublin-tralee_valid_from_20.11.2016.pdf ) or Sligo ( http://www.irishrail.ie/media/07_dublin_-sligo.pdf )

Utterly different passenger metrics though; they're interesting places to visit by train and to people-watch!