Athy Railway Station
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Athy railway station serves the town of
Athy Athy ( ; ) is a market town at the meeting of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in south-west County Kildare, Ireland, 72 kilometres southwest of Dublin. A population of 11,035 (as of the 2022 census) made it the sixth largest town in Kil ...
in
County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...
, Ireland. It is a station on the
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
to
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
intercity route.


Description

The single track north and south of the station splits to provide two platforms. Platform 1, next to the station building, car park and pedestrian entrance, is used where possible for passenger services. only when two trains are in the station simultaneously is Platform 2 used. A siding at the southern end of the station is all that remains of the line to Wolfhill. Due to the rapid growth of Athy itself, this station has seen considerable growth in passenger numbers. In 2004 the mechanical signalling system was replaced. In 2007 the platforms were extended to accommodate longer trains, a development which included the demolition of the signal box. In July 2008, planning permission was granted for the refurbishment of the partially derelict station building itself.


History

The station opened on 4 August 1846. Opened by the
Great Southern and Western Railway The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) was an Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland from 1844 until 1924. The grew by building lines and making a series of takeovers, until in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was the larges ...
, the station was amalgamated into the
Great Southern Railways The Great Southern Railways Company (often Great Southern Railways, or GSR) was an Ireland, Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State (the present-day Republic of Irelan ...
. The line was nationalised, passing to the Córas Iompair Éireann with the Transport Act 1944 which took effect from 1 January 1945 and closed for goods traffic on 6 September 1976. It passed on to
Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann, () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national Rail transport in Ireland, railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of CIÉ, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal I ...
in 1986.


Footbridge

Athy station was not originally built with a footbridge. On February 5, 1886, a newsboy, John Hamilton, was struck by a train while crossing the tracks, suffering serious injuries. He died two days later. At the inquest the railway company was criticised that they had “not at present proper provision for the protection of life at the railway station, and we, therefore, consider that a bridge crossing should be erected without delay”. By the end of April 1886 the new footbridge was ready to open.


Wolfhill Line

Due to limited coal supplies during World War I, a branch from Athy to the collieries at Gracefield and Modubeagh near Wolfhill, County Laois was opened by the government in September 1918. It was built by reusing track obtained by singling a section of the mainline to Waterford at a cost of approximately £125,000. The branch left the main line at the south end of Athy station, crossed the
River Barrow The Barrow () is a river in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters (Ireland), The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest of the three rivers and, at 192 km (12 ...
with a concrete-built bridge, and passed through the village of Ballylinan (Ballylynan). Initially, the branch was primarily used to transport coal. The Wolfhill collieries closed in the 1920s, but a shortened line as far as a siding at Ballylinan remained open for the transport of sugar beet to the Irish Sugar Company's factory at
Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...
. The branch was vested in the
Great Southern Railways The Great Southern Railways Company (often Great Southern Railways, or GSR) was an Ireland, Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State (the present-day Republic of Irelan ...
in 1929. In the early 1940s, a short spur for the delivery of cement was constructed to the Asbestos Cement Factory (later to become Tegral) on the west side of Athy town. In 1963, as part of a wider program of line and station closures, the line between Ballylinan and the Asbestos Cement Factory was closed. The Asbestos Cement Factory spur closed in 2005 and the track was lifted in 2019, in preparation for the construction of the Athy Distributor Road. As of 2023 only a short siding at the southern end of Athy station remains, although the bridge over the Barrow has been renovated and repurposed for walking and cycling.


Services

All journeys are operated by
Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann, () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national Rail transport in Ireland, railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of CIÉ, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal I ...
. The current Monday to Friday service pattern is: * 7 trains per day to
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
** An extra train runs on Fridays only. * 2 trains per day to
Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...
* 10 trains per day to
Dublin Heuston Heuston Station, ( ; ; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is one of Dublin's largest railway stations and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann (IÉ), ...
** An extra journey runs on Fridays only. On Saturdays, the service pattern is: * 7 trains per day to
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
* 8 trains per day to
Dublin Heuston Heuston Station, ( ; ; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is one of Dublin's largest railway stations and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann (IÉ), ...
The Sunday service pattern is: * 4 trains per day to
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
* 4 trains per day to
Dublin Heuston Heuston Station, ( ; ; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is one of Dublin's largest railway stations and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann (IÉ), ...


See also

*
List of railway stations in Ireland This article lists railway stations both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The stations in the Republic of Ireland are generally operated by Iarnród Éireann and stations in Northern Ireland are generally operated by NI Railways. ...


References

* * *


External links


Irish Rail: Athy Station


{{Railway stations served by Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann stations in County Kildare Railway stations in the Republic of Ireland opened in 1846 Athy