RAILSCOT | Waterford and Limerick Railway

Waterford and Limerick Railway

Introduction

This line is open. It runs from Limerick, in the mid west on the River Shannon, south east to cross the former Great Southern and Western Railway Dublin-Cork line, with an interchange at Limerick Junction, and continue through Tipperary and Clonmel to Waterford, in the south east at the head of Waterford Harbour.

The company was incorporated in 1845. The line was opened in portions from Limerick in 1848, reaching the outskirts of Waterford, but on the opposite (north) bank of the River Suir, in 1853.

It became the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway in 1896 and was absorbed by the Great Southern and Western Railway in 1901.

Dates

/ /1845	Waterford and Limerick Railway Incorporated.
/ /1848	Waterford and Limerick Railway Opened from Limerick to Tipperary. Contractor William Dargan.
/ /1848	Waterford and Limerick Railway Doubled from Limerick to Pallas.
/ /1849	Waterford and Limerick Railway Doubled from Pallas to Keane's Points, Limerick Junction.
/08/1851	Waterford and Limerick Railway Worked by William Dargan.
/ /1852	Waterford and Limerick Railway Extended from Tipperary to Clonmel.
15/04/1853	Waterford and Limerick Railway Extended from Clonmel to Fiddown and Portlaw. Contactor William Dargan.
/05/1853	Waterford and Limerick Railway Ceased to be worked by William Dargan.
23/08/1853	Waterford and Limerick Railway Extended from Fiddown and Portlaw to Dunkitt [W and LR] (temporary station short of Waterford).
11/09/1854	Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway Extended from Dunkitt [W and KR] and Dunkitt [W and LR] to Waterford [Newrath], a terminus for Waterford on the north bank of the River Suir. A free ferry connected the terminus to Waterford (until opposed by the Bridge Commissioners). The lines met at Newrath Junction, a single track continuing to the terminus (replaced by two parallel single lines as traffic increased).
31/12/1855	Railway 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.
/10/1856	Waterford and Limerick Railway Building of a permanent Limerick station approved.
/ /1858	Limerick and Castleconnell Railway Opened from Killonan (Waterford and Limerick Railway) to Castleconnell.
/09/1858	Waterford and Limerick Railway Board of Trade inspects the new Limerick station (although it had been in use for some time).
17/01/1859	Limerick and Ennis Railway Longpavement to Clarecastle opened. Trains provided by Waterford and Limerick Railway.
/ /1860	Waterford and Limerick Railway Limerick market tramway authorised.
08/01/1861	Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Worked by the Waterford and Limerick Railway.
22/04/1861	Limerick and Ennis Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway works line.
/ /1863	Athenry and Ennis Junction Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway agrees to work line.
/ /1864	Waterford and Limerick Railway Limerick market tramway opened.
28/06/1864	Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway Extended from Waterford [Newrath] to Waterford North.
01/06/1867	Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Ceased to be worked by the Waterford and Limerick Railway.
01/10/1867	Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Takes over its own working and ceases using Waterford North due to access charges, changing to first Waterford [Newrath] (and then a new temporary station Newrath Common when the Waterford and Limerick Railway objected).
/ /1872	Limerick and Castleconnell Railway Absorbed by Waterford and Limerick Railway.
/ /1872	Athenry and Ennis Junction Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway operates line.
/ /1880	Southern Railway [Ireland] Great Southern and Western Railway Thurles becomes junction station (actual divergence at Thurles Junction) when the line from Clonmel finally reaches the Great Southern and Western Railway. Worked by the Waterford and Limerick Railway.
20/12/1880	Waterford and Limerick Railway Abbeydorney, Abbeyfeale opened.
/ /1883	Waterford and Limerick Railway Extended from Waterford North to North Wharf as a single line.
/ /1883	Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway Doubled from Waterford North to Fiddown. Junction laid in again at Newrath Junction.
/ /1883	Limerick and Castleconnell Railway Killaloe quay line opened. The Waterford and Limerick Railway's associated Shannon & Inland Navidation Co operated on Lough Derg.
/ /1884	Waterford and Limerick Railway Waterford North to North Wharf doubled.
/ /1887	Tralee and Fenit Railway Opened. Worked by the Waterford and Limerick Railway.
/ /1890	Claremorris and Swinford Railway Collooney and Swinford 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 Northern Counties Railway.
/ /1893	Athenry and Ennis Junction Railway Athenry and Tuam Railway Absorbed by Waterford and Limerick Railway
/ /1893	Limerick and Ennis Railway Absorbed by Waterford and Limerick Railway.
/ /1894	Great Northern and Western Railway Claremorris further expanded in anticipation of the Waterford and Limerick Railway supported Claremorris to Sligo route opening.
/ /1895	Claremorris and Swinford Railway Collooney and Swinford Railway Sligo branch of the Waterford and Limerick Railway opened from Claremorris South 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.
/ /1896	Waterford and Limerick Railway Renamed Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway with the opening of the Collooney and Swinford Railway.
/ /1896	Waterford and Limerick Railway Limerick Locomotive Works enlarged.
01/06/1904	New Ross and Waterford Line (Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway) Line opened. An alteration to the former Waterford and Limerick Railway goods line to North Wharf is used to access Waterford North station from the east. With this opening the DW&WR changes its name in 1907.
/ /1911	Waterford and Limerick Railway The Midland Great Western Railway ceases stabling two engines at Limerick for its traffic using running powers to and from Athenry.
/ /1929	Waterford and Kilkenny Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway Newrath Junction taken out, two single parallel lines run east to Suir Bridge Junction
/ /1929	Waterford and Limerick Railway Limerick Junction to Killonan singled, loops being retained at stations.
/ /1931	Waterford and Limerick Railway Junction at Killonan taken out, lines running as two single track railways to Limerick.
/ /1931	Waterford and Limerick Railway Factory portion of the Limerick market tramway closed.
/ /1940	Waterford and Limerick Railway Limerick market tramway closed except for siding serving the bus depot.
/ /1947	Waterford and Limerick Railway Junction at Killonan restored.
/ /1950	Waterford and Limerick Railway Limerick market tramway completely closed.
04/02/1963	Waterford and Limerick Railway Abbeydorney, Abbeyfeale closed.
15/06/1963	Waterford and Limerick Railway Closure of Limerick ticket platform 'Limerick Check', last ticket platform in the British Isles, used for arrivals from Ennis.
/ /1966	Waterford and Limerick Railway Signalling upgraded for extra services with closure of the Waterford to Mallow route.
10/04/1966	Waterford and Limerick Railway Limerick renamed Limerick Colbert to commemoration Cornelius Colbert, one of the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.
/ /1967	Great Southern and Western Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway Curve put in between Kyle Crossing (GS&WR) and Milltown (W&LR) at Limerick Junction.
08/08/1968	Great Southern and Western Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway First passenger train uses the new curve at Limerick Junction for the Dublin to Limerick service.
/ /1975	Waterford and Limerick Railway Curve into Limerick station from Foynes and Tralee line closed.
/ /1993	Silvermines Branch Limerick and Castleconnell Railway Waterford and Limerick Railway Limerick and Foynes Railway Silvermines to Foynes flow of barytes, lead and zinc ceases.
31/08/2020	Waterford and Limerick Railway Service restarted from Limerick Junction to Waterford having been suspended due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.

Limerick to Waterford

The line was built south east progressively from Limerick to Waterford.

Limerick Colbert

Limerick Works

Shed scene at Limerick in July 1988. ...
Ian Dinmore /07/1988

CIE locomotive G611 inside the shed at Limerick in July 1988. ...
Ian Dinmore /07/1988

The locomotive shed and yard at Limerick in July 1988. ...
Ian Dinmore /07/1988

Scene inside Limerick shed in July 1988 ...
Ian Dinmore /07/1988

Limerick Check Junction

This is the junction between the Waterford and Limerick Railway and the Limerick and Foynes Railway.
...

I can see you too.... Held up by a signal check at the appropriately named Limerick Check signal box in the summer of 1988. ...
Ian Dinmore /07/1988

Scene at Limerick Check signal box in April 1996. ...
Ian Dinmore /04/1996

View from a passing train of Limerick Check cabin in 1988. To the left, the Foynes branch veers to the west past the wagon shops. Mothballed in 2001, ...
Bill Roberton //1988

An arriving train about to pass Limerick Check in April 1996. ...
Ian Dinmore /04/1996

CIE 080 stands with a train at Waterford in 1993. ...
Bill Roberton //1993

CIE 167 carrying out manoeuvres at Waterford station in 1993. ...
Bill Roberton //1992

Limerick Junction west to north curve

This curve was added in 1967

Waterford and Limerick Railway

Introduction

Dates

Portions of line and locations

Limerick to Waterford

Limerick Colbert

Limerick Works

Limerick Check Junction

Ennis Junction

Killonan

Boher

Dromkeen

Milltown Junction

Keane's Points

Limerick Junction Flat Crossing

Tipperary

Bansha

Cahir

Clonmel

Kilsheelan

Carrick-on-Suir

Fiddown and Portlaw

Annacotty

Dunkitt [W and LR]

Newrath Junction

Suir Bridge Junction

Waterford [Newrath]

Waterford

Limerick Junction west to north curve

Milltown Junction

Keane's Points

Kyle Crossing

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The Big Four

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