Machinenationers may not be aware that a relatively new International Terminal has been launched in Dublin. Britain has St. Pancras International, many of Paris' magnificent railway termini have international connections but Dublin has broken new ground in its very own and brand new terminal.

Westmoreland Street, part of the City's North - South axis hosts Dublin's new Terminal. It's genius is in it's simplicity. In front of the amusement arcade and nestling about a foot or so between two adjacent bus stops, one for Dublin Bus and the other for Aircoach, is Morton's Bus Stop. A newly applied sticker proclaims the stop as being the one for the 0715 bus to Dublin Ferryport and Stena Line services.

Every expense has been spared in bringing this new terminal to the streets of Dublin. The stark minimalism of the bare metal pole with the plain sign on it stands in contrast to the late Victorian Pearse Station, once the origin for boat trains to Dun Laoghaire and its design ethos can be thought of as a paradigm for the more straitened times that we live in. Nothing as elaborate as a train is needed for seamless connections off the ferry that connects with Europe's railways at Holyhead, in fact, any old crap will do for Dublin and the Irish.

It's existence is owed to an apparent spat between Stena Line and the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company where the HSS is currently out of action until early February. However, on its return the HSS will only sail once a day each way, arriving in Dun Laoghaire at 12.30pm and leaving at 1.30pm. The main trains to and from Holyhead and London now only connect with the Stena conventional ferries to and from Dublin Ferryport and another consequence is that no early bird train to Dublin can now connect with the 08.20am ferry to Holyhead. One could be forgiven for assuming that Stena wants to kill Irish Sea foot passenger traffic stone dead. In addition even if you don't travel by train plenty of young (and not so young) people visit this country via train and boat connections.

Do you happen to know what the consultancy fees were to assess the feasiblity of this International Terminal ?

I'd say they were somewhere between feck all and bugger all.

Just saw this Ronald Binge.

I don't think the idea that this is not a cattle boat has hit home yet. But then again, there are regulations about cattle transportation - duration of trip, food and water etc.

Is the Wexford boat still met on the Welsh side with a three and a half hour wait for a little train that travels on average 30 mph.?

It is if you miss it but it generally doesn't leave until the boat arrives and it isn't that bad these days. The non stop takes about 3 and a half hours from Holyhead to Euston. It takes about 5 hours in the car on a decent run.