The Limerick and Foynes Railway, starting at a junction just outside Limerick to Foynes some 26+1⁄2 miles (42.6 km) distant via Ballingrane Junction. The Rathkeale and Newcastle Junction Company were responsible for the section 10 miles (16 km) section from Ballingrane Junction to Newcastle West with the Limerick and Kerry Railway Company taking responsibility for remainder of the line to Tralee which opened in December 1880. All sections were operated by the W&LR as they opened.[1][2][a][b] An additional 8 miles (13 km) branch opened from Tralee to Fenit in 1887.[1]
At Tralee the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) line approached from the east while the W&LR came in from the northwest, the two lines being connected but each initially having their own independent station until 1907.[2]
During 1901, the WL&WR was bought by the GS&WR. But during the grouping of 1925, the GS&WR was merged with three other companies to form the Great Southern Railways. After the war, the Transport Act 1944[3] dissolved the GSR and brought its assets into the ownership of Córas Iompair Éireann on 1 January 1945. The line stayed in the ownership of CIÉ until the line was closed to passengers on 4 February 1963 and for freight up to Listowel in 1977 and to Tralee on 6 February 1978.
The Foynes–Limerick section of the line was open to freight traffic until 2001, when it was closed and mothballed. In November 2022, it was announced that work had begun on restoring the line, which is scheduled to reopen to freight in 2025, with the possibility of passenger services being restored at a later date.[4]
^It was common for sections of the railway to be financed and built by separate companies supported by an operating company with the operating company leasing or buying the line section following completion
^Casserley(1974) and Ahrons(1954) may have discrepancies in the opening dates of intermediate sections
^"Work to begin on reopening Foynes-Limerick rail line". RTÉ. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
Sourcesedit
Ahrons, E. L. (1954). L. L. Asher (ed.). Locomotive and train working in the latter part of the nineteenth century". Vol. six. W Heffer & Sons Ltd.
Casserley, H.C. (1974). Outine of Irish Railway History. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN0715363778.
May 12, 2024
limerick, tralee, railway, line, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, j. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Limerick Tralee railway line news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2016 Learn how and when to remove this message The Limerick Tralee line also known as the North Kerry line is a former railway line from Limerick railway station to Tralee railway station in Ireland It also has branch lines to Foynes and Fenit Much of the line today has now been converted into a greenway the Great Southern Trail Limerick Tralee lineOverviewOther name s North Kerry lineStatusClosedTerminiLimerickTraleeServiceOperator s W amp LRWL amp WRGS amp WRGSRCIEHistoryOpened20 December 1880 1880 12 20 Closed6 February 1978 1978 02 06 TechnicalLine length70 5 mi 113 5 km Track gauge1 600 mm 5 ft 3 in Tralee rail connection early 1900s after GS amp WR absorption Contents 1 History 2 Route 3 Notes 4 References 5 SourcesHistory editThe Limerick and Foynes Railway starting at a junction just outside Limerick to Foynes some 26 1 2 miles 42 6 km distant via Ballingrane Junction The Rathkeale and Newcastle Junction Company were responsible for the section 10 miles 16 km section from Ballingrane Junction to Newcastle West with the Limerick and Kerry Railway Company taking responsibility for remainder of the line to Tralee which opened in December 1880 All sections were operated by the W amp LR as they opened 1 2 a b An additional 8 miles 13 km branch opened from Tralee to Fenit in 1887 1 At Tralee the Great Southern and Western Railway GS amp WR line approached from the east while the W amp LR came in from the northwest the two lines being connected but each initially having their own independent station until 1907 2 During 1901 the WL amp WR was bought by the GS amp WR But during the grouping of 1925 the GS amp WR was merged with three other companies to form the Great Southern Railways After the war the Transport Act 1944 3 dissolved the GSR and brought its assets into the ownership of Coras Iompair Eireann on 1 January 1945 The line stayed in the ownership of CIE until the line was closed to passengers on 4 February 1963 and for freight up to Listowel in 1977 and to Tralee on 6 February 1978 The Foynes Limerick section of the line was open to freight traffic until 2001 when it was closed and mothballed In November 2022 it was announced that work had begun on restoring the line which is scheduled to reopen to freight in 2025 with the possibility of passenger services being restored at a later date 4 Route editThe line travelled through the countryside of County Limerick and County Kerry linking the city of Limerick and the town of Tralee with towns primarily along the N21 road corridor It began at Colbert station in Limerick and passed through Patrickswell where a branch line to Charleville connected there with the Dublin Cork railway line Adare a second branch connected with the freight port at Foynes diverging at Ballingrane Junction Rathkeale Newcastle West Abbeyfeale Listowel where a connection was made with the Lartigue Monorail to Ballybunnion Lixnaw Abbeydorney Ardfert and finally Tralee where trains continued to Killarney and Mallow and a branch line went to Fenit Notes edit It was common for sections of the railway to be financed and built by separate companies supported by an operating company with the operating company leasing or buying the line section following completion Casserley 1974 and Ahrons 1954 may have discrepancies in the opening dates of intermediate sectionsReferences edit a b Ahrons 1954 p 29 a b Casserley 1974 p 79 Transport Act 1944 Irish Statute Book dead link Work to begin on reopening Foynes Limerick rail line RTE Retrieved 14 November 2022 Sources editAhrons E L 1954 L L Asher ed Locomotive and train working in the latter part of the nineteenth century Vol six W Heffer amp Sons Ltd Casserley H C 1974 Outine of Irish Railway History Newton Abbot David amp Charles ISBN 0715363778 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Limerick Tralee railway line amp oldid 1186778938, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
