Sandyford ( ga, Áth an Ghainimh) is a stop on the

Luas Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both li ...

light rail tram system in

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown.svg , area_total_km2 = 125.8 , area_footnotes = , seat_type = County town , seat = Dún Laoghaire , blank_name_sec1 = Vehicle indexmark ...

, south of

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, Ireland which serves the nearby suburb of

Sandyford Sandyford () is a suburb of Dublin, located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. Sandyford Business District makes up much of the suburb and encompasses 4 business parks: Sandyford Business Park, Stillorgan Business Park, Central Park and S ...

. It opened in 2004 as the southern terminus of the Green Line, which re-uses the alignment of the Harcourt Street railway line which closed in 1958. Sandyford Luas stop is located on the same site as a station on the old line called Stillorgan.

History

Railway station (1854–1958)

The Harcourt Street railway line was and opened by the

Dublin and Wicklow Railway The Dublin and South Eastern Railway (DSER), often referred to as the Slow and Easy, was an Irish gauge () railway in Ireland from 1846 to 1925. It carried 4,626,226 passengers in 1911. It was the fourth largest railway operation in Ireland oper ...

in 1854, running from a temporary terminus at Harcourt Road near the city centre to Bray with Stillorgan was originally one of four intermediate stops on the line. The station was located on Brewery road, which the line crossed on a bridge. There was a station building on the down platform (for trains towards Bray), and a small waiting room on the up platform. Passenger access between the platforms was via an iron footbridge. There was also a signal box a short distance up the line.

Closure (1959-2004)

The Harcourt Street line had declined in use throughout the early 20th century and was closed by CIÉ at the end of 1958. The tracks were lifted soon after and all stations on the route were auctioned off. Stillorgan station building became a private residence. The platforms and bridges were later demolished and the signal box fell into disuse.

Luas (2004-present)

Construction of the first phase of the Luas system commenced in 2001 and concluded in 2004. The route chosen for the Green Line re-used the old Harcourt Street alignment between Charlemont and Stillorgan. The terminus stop which was built on the site of the old Stillorgan is called ''Sandyford'' (a separate stop called ''

Stillorgan Stillorgan (, also ''Stigh Lorcáin'' and previously ''Tigh Lorcáin'' or ''Teach Lorcáin''), formerly a village in its own right, is now a suburban area of Dublin in Ireland. Stillorgan is located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, and contains man ...

'' was built around 500m up the line). The stop was built with two side platforms and a crossover to allow trams to turn back. The depot for the Green Line was built immediately beyond the stop. In 2010, the Green Line was extended south to Brides Glen. After Sandyford, the line diverges from the old Harcourt Street route in order to serve some more populous areas on the

Ballyogan Ballyogan () is a residential area in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland, located approximately 12 km south of Dublin city centre. Location Ballyogan is bounded to the west and north by Stepaside and Sandyford; across the M50 motorway to ...

Road, and re-joins it just before

Carrickmines Carrickmines () is an outer suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. The area, still semi-rural, was historically on the border of English control and featured a defensive construction, Carrickmines Castle, which became the subj ...

. A third platform was built at Sandyford. In 2018, the platforms were lengthened from 45 to 55 metres, and the depot was significantly upgraded. This was to accommodate the new longer trams introduced to boost capacity.

The stop today

Sandyford stop has ticket machines, shelters, displays, and signage of the same design as other Luas stops. One platform is bound by a steel railing, the other by a sandstone wall. The old signal box can still be seen just to the north of the stop. Sandyford is one of very few Luas stops with three platforms. On the side adjacent to Stillorgan

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contr ...

, there is an edge platform used for trams coming from the north and continuing to Brides Glen. There is an island platform for trams travelling northwards. The track nearest to the road is for trams which have come from Brides Glen, and the middle track is for terminating trams. The main entrance is a series of steps and ramps which lead from a plaza at the side of the adjacent Blackthorn Avenue to passenger crossings across the tracks. In addition, a pathway leads from the side platform, past the depot, to Brewery Road, adjacent to the old station building, which remains a private residence. The stop has a

Park and Ride A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system ( ...

facility with 47 spaces, of which 4 are for disabled badge holders and 2 allow for the charging of electric vehicles. In addition, the car park at Stillorgan stop has 341 spaces, some of which are physically closer to the platforms at Sandyford. The car park has entrances to both stops.

Service

Northbound trams run every 5–10 minutes and either terminate at Parnell or continue to Broombridge. Of the southbound trams which arrive at Sandyford, around half terminate there, with the rest continuing south to Brides Glen. The stop is also served by

Dublin Bus Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. ...

routes 11, 47, 114, 116, and an independent bus operator called Finnegan Coaches.

Gallery

File:SandyfordLUAS 4082.JPG, A tram waits to depart at Sandyford File:LUAS tram at Sandyford - geograph.org.uk - 1387511.jpg, Looking south from the platforms into the depot. File:Luas&stillorganstation.jpg, The depot, with the station building on the right. The pathway leads to the platforms. File:Luas tram at Sandyford terminus - geograph.org.uk - 209515.jpg, Looking north from the stop in 2006. File:Sandyford tram station.jpg, Also in 2006. The platform at which the tram is seen was then an edge platform integrated with the street; it has since become one side of an island platform. The old signal box can also be seen.

References

{{Reflist Luas Green Line stops in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Disused railway stations in County Dublin Railway stations opened in 1854 Railway stations closed in 1958 Sandyford 1854 establishments in Ireland