Ballyglunin railway station

Ballyglunin Béal Átha Glúinín
Location	County Galway Ireland
Coordinates	53°25′52″N 8°47′37″W / 53.4311°N 8.7937°W / 53.4311; -8.7937Coordinates: 53°25′52″N 8°47′37″W / 53.4311°N 8.7937°W / 53.4311; -8.7937
Line(s)	Limerick to Claremorris
History
Opened	1860
Closed	1976
Services
Preceding station   Iarnród Éireann   Following station   Proposed : WRC Phase 2   Athenry   Intercity Limerick-Tuam   Tuam

Ballyglunin railway station (Irish: Stáisiún traenach Bhéal Átha Glúinín)^[1] is a disused railway station close to the village of Ballyglunin in County Galway.

History

The station is on the line from Limerick to Claremorris, and was originally opened in 1860 by the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway.^[2] Operation was transferred to the Great Southern and Western Railway when it purchased the WLWR in 1901. The station was used during the filming of the film The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in 1952.^[3] As part of the rationalisation of the rail network by Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) in the 1960s and 1970s, the station was closed along with the rest of the line for passenger services in 1976.

Proposed development

The Irish Government's Transport 21 plan proposed that the Limerick-Claremorris line be re-opened under the name Western Railway Corridor. The plan expected that the re-opening would occur in three stages. The first section between Limerick and Athenry opened in 2010. The second stage proposed to restore the section between Athenry and Tuam, with Ballyglunin as an intermediate stop.^[4] However, due to financial constraints in public finances, the section (and reopening of Ballyglunin) is indefinitely postponed - though Iarnród Éireann's Rail 'Vision 2030' report recommends Galway-Tuam as a priority for review if finances become available.^[5]

References