COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

HEADED ITEM NO.  3

SMALL TRAIN (Thomas the Tank Engine) FOR THE PARK IN RATHFARNHAM

The Children’s Trains that operate in Corkagh and Tymon Parks were originally provided to enhance the Family Day experiences in these parks as well as Griffeen Valley Park in Lucan and to allow families with small children experience the fuller extent of these very large parks. They were so successful and so popular that a decision was taken to continue them on Sundays between May and September in the Regional Parks. The trains are now well established with many people travelling to these parks on Sunday afternoons, specifically to experience the trains. It is not proposed to expand the number of trains beyond the two existing trains, nor is it proposed to introduce a new train service to small parks such as Rathfarnham Castle Park.

Many of the parks in the county do not have a path system that is sufficiently large and generally circular in nature to provide a meaningful route. The existing trains run on a circulation route of approximately three kilometres with an average journey time of about 15 minutes. Rather than bring a train to Rathfarnham, it is proposed to promote the trains in the Regional Parks as many of the visitors to Rathfarnham Castle Park may not be aware of the service. This would encourage people to visit some of the other parks in the county, with which they might not be familiar, and increase public awareness of the amenities of these parks.

The practice of occasionally providing the trains to other parks for one off events will continue, subject to the practicalities of a realistic route and the resolution of the issues outlined below.

The trains themselves were fabricated by staff of the Parks and Landscape Services Department over ten years ago.  It has recently emerged through a routine inspection process at the end of the operating season that they now require major remedial work to make them compliant with current fabrication standards and Health and Safety regulations.  It will not be possible to operate the trains until such time as these matters have been resolved.  

An estimate cost of the necessary works is being prepared to inform a cost benefit analysis. If it emerges that the cost of the remedial work does not provide value for money when compared to the cost of the fabrication of new trains or that it is not possible to upgrade them to current standards, the Council will endeavour to investigate other alternative methods of providing a similar service having regard to the availability of resources.