Dublin and Drogheda Railway

Introduction

This line forms the southern part of the main line between Dublin and Belfast, running north from Dublin as far as Drogheda from which it was extended north by the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway to reach the Ulster Railway at Portadown.






Dates

  /  /1836Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Incorporated. Construction between Dublin and Portmarnock begins, contractor W R Weeks.
  /  /1838Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Construction halted due to concerns that the line would not form part of the railway to the north.
  /  /1840Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Further Act. Construction re-starts.
24/05/1844Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Opened from a temporary Dublin terminus to Drogheda [1st]. Foundation stone for permanent terminus, Dublin Amiens Street, laid.
29/11/1844Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Dublin Amiens Street partly opened.
  /  /1845Howth Branch (Dublin and Drogheda Railway)
Act for branch to Howth.
  /  /1845Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway
Act for line to extend the Dublin and Drogheda Railway from Drogheda to Navan [DDR].
  /  /1846Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Dublin Amiens Street completed.
  /  /1846Howth Branch (Dublin and Drogheda Railway)
Opened to temporary terminus, contractor McCormick.
  /  /1847Howth Branch (Dublin and Drogheda Railway)
Completed by William Dargan. Branch doubled.
  /  /1847Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway
Act requires that the replacement Drogheda station and line west to Navan [DDR] be transferred to the Dublin and Drogheda Railway on completion.
  /  /1850Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Navan extension opened from Drogheda to Navan [DDR]. Contractors Jeffs (Drogheda to Duleek), Mrs Kelly, and the Moore Brothers completed through to Navan. Built with powers from the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway but transferred to the Dublin and Drogheda Railway on completion.
  /  /1853Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Extended from Navan [DDR] to Kells [County Meath], contractor Killeen & Moore. Given the indirect route from Dublin, running powers into Kells [County Meath] station is granted to any company building a more direct line by Parliament.
  /  /1855Cavan Branch (Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway)
Branch from Clones to Cavan authorised. The line was subscribed to by the Ulster Railway, Dublin and Drogheda Railway and Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway.
31/12/1855Railway Clearing House
By this date, Cork and Bandon Railway, Crieff Junction Railway, Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway, Dublin and Drogheda Railway, Forth and Clyde Junction Railway, Furness Railway, Great Southern and Western Railway, Irish South Eastern Railway, Killarney Junction Railway, Leeds, Bradford and Halifax Junction Railway, Leven Railway, London and South Western Railway, London, Tilbury and Southend Railway, Monkland Railways, Monmouthshire Railway and Canal, Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway, Norfolk Railway, North and South Western Junction Railway, Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway, Peebles Railway, Perth and Dunkeld Railway, Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway, St Andrews Railway, Ulster and Dundalk Railway, Waterford and Kilkenny Railway and Waterford and Limerick Railway join.
15/12/1862Dublin and Meath Railway
Short curve from Navan [DMR] to Navan Junction opened, allowing running over the Dublin and Drogheda Railway to Kells [County Meath].
  /  /1863Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Extended from Kells [County Meath] to Oldcastle.
  /  /1869Drogheda Curve (Dublin and Drogheda Railway and London and North Western Railway)
A joint line curve authorised from East Wall Junction (Dublin and Drogheda Railway) to London and North Western Railway sidings at Dublin North Wall [LNWR] (there was no direct connection to the Midland Great Western Railway).
  /  /1872Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Navan Junction to Kingscourt Junction doubled for extra traffic from the Navan and Kingscourt Railway.
  /  /1872North Wall Extension (Great Southern and Western Railway)
Act for line from Islandbridge Junction (close to Dublin Kingsbridge) to Glasnevin Junction (North Wall Extension (Midland Great Western Railway)) then following that line and a short link from West Road Junction to Church Road Junction (Drogheda Curve (Dublin and Drogheda Railway and London and North Western Railway)).
  /  /1875Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Merged to become The Northern Railway.
  /  /1877Drogheda Curve (Dublin and Drogheda Railway and London and North Western Railway)
Opened.
01/12/1877Dublin North Wall [LNWR] London and North Western Railway
First served by Great Northern Railway [Ireland] (ex Dublin and Drogheda Railway) and Midland Great Western Railway passenger trains.
  /05/1878Drogheda Curve (Dublin and Drogheda Railway and London and North Western Railway)
Line split between the Dublin and Drogheda Railway (East Wall Junction to Church Road Junction) and London and North Western Railway (Church Road Junction to Dublin North Wall [LNWR]).
  /  /1910Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Oldcastle begins to be served by slip coach from main line service, slipped at Drogheda.
  /  /1911Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Kingscourt Junction taken out, line run as two single parallel lines to Navan Junction.
  /  /1912Dublin and Drogheda Railway Howth Branch (Dublin and Drogheda Railway)
[Howth] Junction renamed Howth Junction.
  /  /1958Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Drogheda (excluded) to Oldcastle closed to passengers.
  /  /1963Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Navan Junction to Oldcastle closed.
  /  /1977Dublin and Drogheda Railway
Navan Junction to Tara Mine reopened, with line into mine.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.

Dublin to Drogheda

DART unit No.8608, heading to Greystones, at Dublin Connolly station on 19th June 2016. ...
David Bosher 19/06/2016
Iarnrod Eireann 29118, on a service to Dublin Pearse, arriving at Dublin Connolly station on 19th June 2016. ...
David Bosher 19/06/2016
Through platforms, Connolly station, Dublin, looking north on 19th June 2016 ...
David Bosher 19/06/2016
DART service for Bray at Dublin Connolly in 1988. ...
Bill Roberton //1988
Killester station, Dublin, seen from DART train to Howth on 19th June 2016 ...
David Bosher 19/06/2016
A DART service for Howth seen at Howth Junction in July 1993. The livery could not be said to be dynamic. ...
David Panton 10/07/1993
A DART emu takes the Howth branch at Howth Junction on 21 March 2014. ...
Bill Roberton 21/03/2014
GM 071 class 080 heads north with a freight at Howth Junction on 21 March. ...
Bill Roberton 21/03/2014
GNR (Ireland) sign. Skerries, north of Dublin. ...
Bill Roberton //1993
123 about to take a train out of Skerries in 1993. ...
Bill Roberton //1993
Commuter 29106, awaits its departure time from Balbriggan early on the afternoon of 9th September 2011 with a service to Dublin (Pearse).
...
John Steven 09/09/2011
156 brings a train into Balbriggan in 1993. ...
Bill Roberton //1993


Drogheda to Navan

Originally promoted by the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway but required to handed over to the Dublin and Drogheda Railway on opening.

Scene at a rain soaked Drogheda station, County Louth, in 1993. ...
Bill Roberton //1993
112 at Drogheda in 1993. ...
Bill Roberton //1993
CIE 124 at the rainsoaked platform at Drogheda in 1993. ...
Bill Roberton //1993
CIE 055 pulls up with a freight on the middle road at Drogheda in 1993, while on the right locomotive 124 prepares to leave with a train for Dublin ...
Bill Roberton //1993


Navan to Kells



Kells to Oldcastle