Great Northern and Western Railway
Introduction
The route of this former railway company is still open between Athlone [MGWR] and Westport.
Dates
| / /1857 | Great Northern and Western Railway Incorporated. Backed by Lord Lucan and managed from London. |
| / /1859 | Great Northern and Western Railway Act authorises Castlerea to Castlebar. |
| / /1859 | Sligo Branch (Midland Great Western Railway) Deviation Act for the 1857 Sligo branch Act, for avoidance of mid-Roscommon (Great Northern and Western Railway territory). |
| / /1860 | Great Northern and Western Railway Opened from Athlone [MGWR] (Midland Great Western Railway) to Roscommon. |
| / /1860 | Great Northern and Western Railway Extended from Roscommon to Castlerea. |
| / /1861 | Great Northern and Western Railway Extended from Castlerea to Ballyhaunis. |
| / /1861 | Great Northern and Western Railway Act authorises Castlebar to Westport Quay. |
| / /1862 | Great Northern and Western Railway Extended from Ballyhaunis to Claremorris and Castlebar. |
| / /1862 | Ballina Branch (Great Northern and Western Railway) Act authorises Ballina branch. |
| / /1862 | Great Northern and Western Railway Work on Westport extension commenced. |
| / /1866 | Great Northern and Western Railway Line extended from Castlebar to Westport. |
| / /1868 | Ballina Branch (Great Northern and Western Railway) Manulla Junction (Great Northern and Western Railway) to Foxford opened. |
| / /1873 | Ballina Branch (Great Northern and Western Railway) Extended from Foxford to Ballina. |
| 19/11/1873 | Great Northern and Western Railway Line extended from Westport to Westport Quay. |
| / /1879 | Great Northern and Western Railway Athlone to Roscommon doubled. |
| / /1889 | Great Northern and Western Railway Westport Quay sees only seasonal use. |
| / /1890 | Claremorris and Swinford Railway
Collooney and Swinford Railway
Sligo Branch (Waterford and Limerick Railway) Light railway companies created for the Waterford and Limerick Railway to complete from Claremorris (Great Northern and Western Railway)to Sligo Collooney Junction (Midland Great Western Railway). Initially proposed by the Sligo, Leitrim and North Counties Railway. |
| 01/07/1890 | Great Northern and Western Railway Absorbed by Midland Great Western Railway. |
| / /1892 | Great Northern and Western Railway Claremorris rebuilding commences, enlarging the station from one platform to have a loop and sidings. |
| / /1892 | Ballinrobe and Claremorris Light Railway Line opened from Claremorris (Great Northern and Western Railway) to Ballinrobe. |
| / /1893 | Killala Extension (Great Northern and Western Railway) Line opened from Ballina (Ballina Branch (Great Northern and Western Railway)) to Kallala. |
| / /1894 | Great Northern and Western Railway Claremorris further expanded in anticipation of the Waterford and Limerick Railway supported Claremorris to Sligo route opening. |
| / /1894 | Westport and Mullaranny Railway Railway opened from Westport (former Great Northern and Western Railway) to Newport [Mayo] and Mullaranny [1st]. |
| / /1894 | Athenry and Tuam Extension to Claremorris Railway Opened from Tuam (Athenry and Tuam Railway) to temporary terminus at Claremorris near the Great Northern and Western Railway. |
| / /1895 | Claremorris and Swinford Railway
Collooney and Swinford Railway
Sligo Branch (Waterford and Limerick Railway) Sligo branch of the Waterford and Limerick Railway opened from Claremorris terminus ([Athenry and Tuam Extension to Claremorris Railway]]) to Claremorris (Great Northern and Western Railway) and on to Collooney Junction (Midland Great Western Railway), Sligo. |
| / /1912 | Great Northern and Western Railway Closed to regular traffic. |
| / /1930 | Great Northern and Western Railway Athlon West Junction to Knockcroghery singled. |
| / /1931 | Killala Extension (Great Northern and Western Railway) Regular trains withdrawn. |
| / /1931 | Great Northern and Western Railway Knockcroghery to Roscommon singled. |
| / /1934 | Killala Extension (Great Northern and Western Railway) Line closed. |
| / /1952 | Great Northern and Western Railway Due to rising pilgrimage traffic, a third platform is provided by converting the westbound platform into an island. |
Portions of line and locations
This line is divided into a number of portions.
Athlone to Westport
CIE 159 stands at the buffer stops at the end of the platform at Claremorris in 1988. ...Bill Roberton //1988
Passing through the closed station at Balla, County Mayo (closed to passengers in 1963) on a train heading for Ballina in 1988. ...Bill Roberton //1988
Driver climbs aboard 076 at the head of a train at Westport, Co Mayo in 1988. ...Bill Roberton //1988
Looking back towards the station at Westport in 1988. The CIEs County Mayo terminus stands in the middle distance beyond the goods and former ...Bill Roberton //1988
