Ballybrophy railway station

Ballybrophy is a railway station at Ballybrophy, County Laois, Ireland, near Borris-in-Ossory and Rathdowney.

Ballybrophy Baile Uí Bhróithe
Ballybrophy Station
Location	Station Road, Ballybrophy, County Laois, R32 DW66 Ireland
Coordinates	52°53′58″N 7°36′9″W
Owned by	Iarnród Éireann
Operated by	Iarnród Éireann
Platforms	4
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
History
Opened	1847
Services
Preceding station   Iarnród Éireann   Following station Portlaoise   InterCity Dublin-Cork Main Line   Thurles Portlaoise   InterCity Dublin-Limerick   Templemore Roscrea   Commuter Limerick-Ballybrophy   Terminus

The station is an exchange point for passengers on Dublin to Cork services to connect to Limerick via Nenagh services.[1]

Overview

The station opened on 1 September 1847[2] as Roscrea & Borris, was renamed Roscrea & Parsonstown Junction in 1858, and renamed again in 1871 as Ballybrophy.

Lifts were fitted to the footbridge in late 2007. Therefore, disabled passengers who cannot use steps and are boarding or alighting from trains to Cork and Limerick via Limerick Junction are no longer required to cross the tracks at ground level, as was previously the case.[3] This was only possible when trains were clear of the tracks.

Dublin to Cork
Phoenix Park Tunnel to Dublin Connolly Luas Red Line to Dublin Connolly & The Point Dublin Heuston Luas Red Line to Tallaght & Saggart Inchicore Works Park West and Cherry Orchard † Clondalkin/Fonthill † Kishoge proposed Lucan (south) 1947 Adamstown † Hazelhatch and Celbridge † Straffan 1947 Sallins and Naas † Newbridge Curragh Racecourse 1977 Curragh Mainline 1999 Kildare Dublin–Waterford Line Monasterevin † Portarlington Dublin–Westport/Galway line Portlaoise to Kilkenny 1962 Laois Traincare Depot Mountrath 1976 Limerick–Ballybrophy line Ballybrophy Lisduff 1963 Templemore Thurles Goold's Cross 1976 to Cashel 1954 Dundrum 1976 Limerick–Rosslare line Limerick Junction Limerick–Ballybrophy line Limerick–Ennis line Limerick Colbert Emly 1963 Knocklong 1977 Kilmallock 1977 Charleville Buttevant 1977 Mallow Mallow–Tralee Line Mourne Abbey 1963 Rathduff 1976 Blarney (GSW) 1963 Cork Kent Cork–Cobh/Midleton line † Not served by services from Dublin–Cork

The future

Ballybrophy's railway station is a connection point between the main Dublin-Cork main line and the Limerick–Ballybrophy railway line. The branch line is lightly travelled, as the principal route between Dublin and Limerick is via Limerick Junction. This is faster and more comfortable due to higher line speeds. Since the introduction of a two-hourly Dublin-Limerick service in 2008, this journey does not usually require a change of train.

Up until the mid-1980s the line to Limerick via Nenagh diverged from the mainline via a junction that faced Cork. This was replaced by a siding connection when the mainline was resignalled. For trains to enter the Nenagh branch from the Dublin bound mainline requires trains to set back into the bay platform before proceeding to Nenagh and Limerick. A train travelling from Dublin to Limerick via Nenagh would need to set back from the Down mainline onto the Up mainline before pulling forward into the bay platform. Prior to 1967, the only route from Dublin to Limerick that did not entail a reversal was via Athenry and the former Sligo to Limerick line of the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway.

Some of those who favour retaining the line have theorised that replacing the south facing connection at Ballybrophy with a new line east to the more populated Borris-in-Ossory, and joining the line nearer Portlaoise would be better for Dublin connections. However, in addition to the substantial capital cost of this work, substantial parts of the line would still need to be re-laid nearer Limerick to eliminate severe speed restrictions. It also offers no advantages over the current through route from Dublin to Limerick via Thurles and the north curve at Limerick Junction. Recent upgrading of the N7 road to motorway also dissuades rail usage.

Closure of Ballybrophy-Roscrea-Nenagh-Limerick line proposed

A January 2012 national newspaper article suggested that Irish Rail was expected to seek permission from the National Transport Authority to close the line.[4] On a trial basis an enhanced timetable was in force during 2012 however the service was again reduced from February 2013.[5] In November 2016 it was announced the line was very likely to close in 2018 as the demand for the service is very low and CIE/IE wish to close it to save money.[6]

The old water tower from the days of steam, 2002

See also

• List of railway stations in Ireland

References

1. "Timetables". Irish Rail. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
2. "Ballybrophy station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
3. "Ballybrophy". Irish Rail.
4. McCárthaigh, Seán (2 January 2012). "Iarnród Éireann may close rail service amid falling demand". Irish Examiner.
5. "(untitled)". Irish Rail.
6. "Rail Review 2016" (PDF). Ireland: National Transport Authority. August 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2020.

External links

• Ballybrophy-Roscrea-Nenagh-Limerick line
• Ballybrophy Station on Eire Trains