Limerick–Rosslare railway line

Construction of the route was begun in 1848 for the Waterford and Limerick Railway and completed in 1854. It is one of the oldest railways in Ireland, and the first to have been authorised by the UK Parliament. The company was renamed the Waterford, Limerick and Western in 1896 and merged with the Great Southern and Western Railway in 1901.[1]

The section between Waterford and Rosslare section remains the property of the Fishguard & Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company, which is jointly owned by Iarnród Éireann and Stena Line. It is the only main line railway in the Republic not wholly owned by the State.[2]

The line's most notable feature on the line is the Cahir Viaduct across the River Suir in County Tipperary. It was built in 1852 and has three iron spans borne on stone abutments.[3] The viaduct partly collapsed in 1955 and partly collapsed again in 2003 (see below). Iarnród Éireann renewed the viaduct at a cost of €2.6 million, and the line was reopened in September 2004.[4]

Train services have remained infrequent for more than 100 years. By 2003 the line was carrying fewer than 100 passengers a day.[4] When IÉ reopened the line it introduced new railcars[4] and a service of three journeys in each direction on weekdays, which was a greater service frequency than the line had for much of its history. There is no Sunday service.

Between Limerick and Limerick Junction, trains between Limerick and Dublin Heuston also serve the line.

The speed limit on much of the line is less than 50 mph (80 km/h).[4]

In November 2016 it was announced that the section of the line between Limerick Junction and Waterford section may be closed in future along with the line linking Ennis and Athenry, part of the Wexford line, and the Limerick–Ballybrophy railway line.

On 12 March 2010 it was announced that Iarnród Éireann would review the service between Waterford and Rosslare Europort because few passengers were using it. Ticket revenue met only 2% of the line's operating costs. About 25 passengers per day were by using the service. Timetabling was poor. There was only one train each way daily from Monday to Saturday, leaving Rosslare early in the morning and returning from Waterford early in the evening.

The trains made very poor connections with other rail services. They connected with the Stena Line ferry service to and from Fishguard Harbour, but due to the poor onward connections at Waterford few passengers used this. The exception was during the volcanic ash crisis of 2010, when trains were fully loaded and had standing room only.

The last train between Waterford and Rosslare ran on 18 September 2010.[5] Iarnród Éireann provided a four-car 2700 class diesel multiple unit for the service, instead of the usual two-car unit. The National Transport Authority requires IÉ to maintain the now-disused line.

Bus Éireann revised the timetable and route of bus service 370 to offer alternative passenger transport from 20 September.[6] Buses on the route are branded "370 Connect".

• In 1955 an out-of-control train crashed through the buffers in the loop at Cahir and fell through the deck of the viaduct. The driver and fireman were killed.[7]
• In 2003 a train of 22 cement wagons was derailed on the viaduct. The locomotive and driver safely crossed the bridge, but 13 of the wagons behind the locomotive fell through the deck of the bridge into the river.[8] The Department of Transport's Interim Railway Safety Commission investigated the accident and found that timber supporting the rails was rotten, which may have allowed the rails to spread and the wagons to fall between the rails.[3]

Services resumed in September 2004 with diesel railcars, but further engineering works dogged services, requiring frequent bus replacements of the train services.

• In 2012 a young girl was hit and injured by a train near Tipperary Town which was travelling from Limerick Junction to Waterford. She was taken to hospital. No-one aboard the train was injured.[9]

IE 22000 Class InterCity railcars usually operate services on the line. Between 2012 and 2013 IÉ operated IE 2800 Class railcars on the line. From 2004 until 2012 IE 2700 Class railcars operated most services. Until 2003 IÉ operated most trains with a 141 class or 181 class diesel-electric locomotive hauling Cravens coaches.

• Murray, KA (1976). Great Southern And Western Railway. Billericay: Irish Railway Record Society (London Area). ISBN 0904078051.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• South Tipperary by rail

• Dublin-Rosslare railway line