Cork Kent railway station

For other locations called Kent Station, see Kent Station (disambiguation).

Cork Kent
Stáisiún Kent
Cork Kent railway station
Location
Place	Lower Glanmire Road, Cork
Local authority	Cork City Council
Operations
Station code	30
Platforms in use	5
History
1893	Station opened as Glanmire Road
1966	Renamed as Kent Station
Iarnród Éireann - Ireland railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[v · d · e]Dublin to Cork Line

Legend Phoenix Park Tunnel (To Dublin Connolly) Luas Red Line (To Dublin Connolly) & (The Point) Dublin Heuston Luas Red Line (To Tallaght) Inchicore Works Park West & Cherry Orchard* Clondalkin/Fonthill* Kishoge Adamstown* Hazelhatch & Celbridge* Sallins & Naas* Newbridge* Kildare Dublin-Waterford Line Monasterevin* Portarlington Dublin-Westport/Galway Portlaoise Laoise Traincare Depot Limerick-Ballybrophy Line Ballybrophy Templemore* Thurles Limerick-Rosslare Line Limerick Junction Limerick-Ennis Line Limerick Colbert Charleville Mallow Mallow-Tralee line Cork Kent Cork-Cobh Line *Not served by through trains from Dublin to Cork

[v · d · e]Mallow to Youghal/Cóbh
Legend Dublin to Cork mainline Mallow-Waterford line Mallow Mallow-Tralee line Mourne Abbey Rathduff Blarney (Future) Monard (Future) Kilbarry (Future) Cork Kent Tivoli Dunkettle (Future) Little Island Glounthaune Carrigtwohill West (Future) Carrigtwohill Midleton Mogeely (closed) Killeagh (closed) Youghal (closed) Fota Carrigaloe Ballynoe (Future) Rushbrooke Cobh

Kent Station (Irish: Stáisiún Kent) is an Iarnród Éireann train station in Cork, Ireland. Originally opened in 1893, the station operates as a hub for Intercity services to Dublin and Tralee and commuter services to Mallow, Cobh and Midleton.

Background

Name

The station was originally called Glanmire Road Station, but was renamed for Thomas Kent in 1966 on the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

History

The station opened on 2 February 1893^[1] and the current building was built in the same year. The station replaced two earlier stations that served as separate termini for the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) and Youghal Railway. The original GS&WR station for the Glanmire line was located directly in front of the portal of the tunnel through which the railway into Cork passed. And the original Cork & Youghal Railway terminus was above the tunnel portal.

The purpose of the new station was to allow through running of trains, following the 1865 takeover of the Cork and Youghal Railway by the Great Southern and Western Railway. The station is the only one of the 6 Cork railway stations that exists today.

The station served as a filming location for the 1979 movie The First Great Train Robbery starring Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Lesley-Anne Down.

Services

The station offers direct intercity rail services to Heuston Station and stations in Kerry. Cork Suburban Rail services follow the Cobh and Mallow lines. A new commuter line also operates to Midleton.^[2]

The station has three terminating platforms 1-3 (in the Cobh direction) and two through platforms 4 and 5. Formerly there was an additional terminating platform adjacent to platform 3 numbered 4. Until the mid-1990s the through platforms were number 5 and 6. The former platform 4 was removed in 1984. Since December 2005's timetable change, the through platforms tend to get quite congested as commuter trains often come in together, clogging up limited space. Since the reopening of the Cork & Youghal Railway as far as Midleton increased use has been made of the terminating platforms 1 to 3.^{[citation needed]} There is also a loop line behind platform 5, which used to be used to facilitate moving locomotives from the end of arriving trains to the other end in preparation for departure. This line used to be a double tracked freight avoiding line that enabled goods rans to bypass the passenger station. It is no longer necessary since all services to the station are operated either by railcars or by Mark 4 sets with a driving van trailer.^{[citation needed]} The only platform not directly accessible from the station concourse, platform 5, is accessed through a subway, unlike most other Irish stations, which use footbridges.

The two station car parks are chronically undersized,^{[citation needed]} and not restricted to rail travellers. Because they offer a flat rate of €7 per day, they are attractive to commuters and as a result it is very hard to secure a space after about 08:00.^{[citation needed]}

Engine No. 36

An old locomotive is on permanent display in the concourse at Kent Station since 1950. "Engine No. 36" dates from 1847 and is displayed in the booking hall. Originally built by Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy of Liverpool at a cost of £1,955, the engine was obtained by the Great Southern and Western Railway to run services from Dublin to Cork. The engine remained in service until 1874.

She was displayed at the Cork exhibition in 1902, the Railway Centenary Exhibition in 1925 and the bi-centenary of the Royal Dublin Society at Ballsbridge in 1930. She was moved to a new position and restored by Iarnród Éireann in 2007.^[3]

Gallery

• 

  Engine No. 36

• 

  The booking hall

• 

  Main train shed

• 

  Dublin service waiting to depart

References

1. ^ "Kent station". Railscot - Irish Railways. http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
2. ^ Irish Times - Cork-Midleton rail line to open - 30 July 2009
3. ^ Display board at Cork Station

External links

• Irish Rail - Details of Kent Station
• Alternative view of Kent Station

Preceding station	Iarnród Éireann			Following station
Terminus		InterCity Cork-Tralee		Mallow
Mallow		InterCity Dublin-Cork Main Line		Terminus
		Commuter Cork-Mallow
Terminus		Commuter Cork-Cobh/Midleton		Little Island
		From 2012
Terminus		Commuter Cork-Cobh/Midleton		Dunkettle
Kilbarry		Commuter Cork-Mallow		Terminus

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Coordinates: 51°54′06″N 8°27′32″W / 51.901786°N 8.458829°W / 51.901786; -8.458829