Birdhill railway station

Birdhill railway station serves the town of Birdhill in County Tipperary, Ireland.

Birdhill

Cnocán an Éin Fhinn
An IRRS 071 Class Railtour at Birdhill.
LocationBirdhill
Ireland
Owned byIarnród Éireann
Operated byIarnród Éireann
Platforms2 (Only 1 in use)
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Key dates
1860Opened
1963Closed To Goods
Limerick to
Ballybrophy line
Ballybrophy
Roscrea
Cloughjordan
Nenagh
Birdhill
Castleconnell
Limerick Colbert

The station opened on 23 July 1860 as an extension from Castleconnell by the Limerick and Castleconnell Railway.[1] The line was extended to Killaloe on 12 April 1862 and became a junction when the line was further extended from Birdill to Nenagh on 1st June 1864 by the Great Southern & Western Railway [2] creating a through route to Limerick via Ballybrophy. The line to Killaloe lost its passenger services on 17th July 1931 and goods traffics suspended on 29th April 1944 as a Emergency measure by the Great Southern Railways. [3]

It is on the Limerick–Ballybrophy railway line and is also served by a skeleton service on the Limerick to Nenagh Commuter Service.

Description

The station once had a large station house but now has only a portable building. This houses the ticket office and toilet.[4] The station has a car park. A plaque in the station grounds commemorates the 150th anniversary of the station, which took place in 2010. There is also a "Railway Garden" beside the station. The signal cabin has 24 levers and is at the Killonan end of the Up platform (which is not in service) and is a crossing point and blockpost, using "C' pattern staff.[5] Both the signal cabin and railway bridge are both listed as a protected structures by Tipperary County Council (RPS Refs S708 and S709).[6]

Closure proposed

A January 2012 national newspaper article suggested that Irish Rail was expected to seek permission from the National Transport Authority to close the line.[7] In response, the timetable was altered during 2012, and the service was again reduced from February 2013.[8] In November 2016 it was announced the line was very likely to close in 2018 as the demand for the service is very low and CIE/IE wish to close it to save money.

Preceding station   Iarnród Éireann   Following station
Castleconnell   Commuter
Limerick-Ballybrophy		   Nenagh

References
  1. "Birdhill station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  2. "Birdhill station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  3. Johnson's Atlas & Gazetteer of the railways of Ireland by Stephen Johnson ISBN 1 85780 044 3
  4. http://www.irishrail.ie/Birdhill Irish Rail Birdhill Website
  5. Railway Lines of Coras Iompair Eireann and Northern Ireland railway by Oliver Doyle and Stephen Hirsch ISBN 0 906591 031
  6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Iarnród Éireann may close rail service amid falling demand". 2 January 2012.
  8. http://www.irishrail.ie


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