Broadstone (Dublin) railway station

Broadstone railway station, ( _ga. Stáisiún An Clochán Leathan), the former Dublin terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway, is currently the headquarters of Bus Eireann, housing most of their administration and also one of their main garages. Nearby on the same property, there is also a Dublin Bus Depot.

In 1845 the Royal Canal was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway Company for £298,059 with a view to using the land alongside the canal to construct a railway line to the west of Ireland. Broadstone Station was opened on 28 June 1847, closed to public traffic in 1937 and finally closed on 8 April 1961, having been used as the steam depot for Dublin between 1937 and this date. [cite web | title=Dublin Broadstone station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-08-31|format=PDF] This building was one of Dublin's six original rail termini, the others being Westland Row (now Pearse Station) Amiens Street (now Connolly Station), Kingsbridge (now Heuston Station), North Wall and Harcourt Street (now the Odeon Bar / [http://www.pod.ie/index.php POD] bar and nightclub complex).

Location

Situated at the crest of Constitution Hill directly opposite King's Inns, the station served as the finishing point of the Midland and Great Western Railway. Designed by John Skipton Mulvaney, Broadstone Station is constructed of granite in a neo-Egyptian style. [cite web | author=Peter Pearson | title="Architect of Victorian solidity" | work=The Sunday Business Post | url=http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2001/03/25/story645685928.asp| accessdate=17 June | accessyear=2007]

With Galway projected to become the main port for transatlantic passenger traffic between Europe and North America, the Midland successfully competed with its rival the Great Southern and Western Railway to reach it first. A special fourth class was introduced by the Midland for poor migrants from the west going to Britain for work. The line, which branched out to serve Sligo, Westport, Achill and Clifden, was also used to transport large numbers of cattle.

It was about this time that the majority of the houses in the area were constructed, as dwellings for workers on the railway. Most of the houses were built by the "Artisan's Dwelling Company", which built many similar estates in Dublin and elsewhere, and houses of this type are now frequently described as "Artisan" cottages, regardless of their origin.

Rebirth as a Rail Terminus

In April 2007 Iarnród Éireann announced that Broadstone Station was to be reopened for rail passenger use by 2010. [http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/0609/.html] . Trains from Dunboyne and Navan, as well as existing services from Maynooth and Mullingar, will terminate at the station and connect with the Luas light rail system. This has given rise to a dispute between CIE/Irish Rail and the RPA over who gets to use the trackbed between Broadstone and Liffey Junction. [ [http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/battle-of-broadstone-1262907.html Battle of Broadstone - Editorial, Opinion - Independent.ie ] ] On 5 February 2008 Noel Dempsey, the Minister for Transport, indicated his preference for the Luas project over the re-opening of Broadstone for heavy rail, asking CIÉ to seek permanent planning permission for Docklands Station for the purposes Broadstone was intended for.

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See also

* Rail transport in Ireland

External links

* [http://www.industrialheritageireland.info/railways/broadstone Disagreement between Irish Rail and RPA over access to Broadstone]
* [http://www.irish-architecture.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/northcity/constitution_hill/broadstone.html Broadstone Railway Station]

References