Dublin-Rosslare railway line

The Dublin-Rosslare railway line is a main rail route between Dublin Connolly station and Rosslare Europort, where it connects with ferry services to the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The line between Dublin and Greystones is electrified and forms the southern part of the DART service. Between Bray and Rosslare the line is single track only. The line connects with the Limerick-Rosslare line outside Rosslare Strand. From Wicklow on, semaphore signalling is used. Although it is considered a separate route, the line is continuous after Dublin Connolly, where it connects with the Belfast-Dublin main line. The section between Dublin Pearse and a point on the line just after Salthill and Monkstown station is the oldest railway line in Ireland, opening in 1834. At that time, the railway terminated adjacent to the start of Dún Laoghaire Harbour's West Pier, at a station called Dunleary.

Services

Services include three Intercity services a day each way between Rosslare Europort and Dublin (some running through to Maynooth). There is also a commuter service from Gorey on weekdays.

No freight services operate on this route as of 2007. Up until 2002, Ammonia and fertilizer trains operated from Shelton Abbey near Arklow, where a fertilizer plant was located. However, this closed in late 2002, since when there have been no regular freight trains on this line. Bagged cement trains also operated in the past to Arklow and Gorey.

Traction

From late July 2004 , Dublin-Rosslare services have been worked exclusively by diesel railcars. At present, most services are worked by the IE 2800 Class. Prior to July 2004, services were worked by sets of mk2d coaches hauled by 071 class locomotives.

ignalling

In April 2008, the signalling on this route was upgraded to the mini-CTC system, controlled from Connolly station. It had been the last of the routes radiating from Dublin to use Electric Train Staff (ETS)and semaphore signalling (apart from the Limerick Junction station area on the Dublin-Cork route), which was still in place south of Wicklow up until April 2008.

Many of its signal cabins were situated on the corner of a footbridge, examples include Wicklow, Rathdrum, Arklow and Gorey. At present these cabins remain in situ.

See also

* Dublin and South Eastern Railway
* Iarnród Éireann
* Limerick-Rosslare railway line