Kiltimagh railway station is a disused railway station close to the town of Kiltimagh in County Mayo, Ireland. The station was originally opened in 1895 as part of the route between Claremorris to the junction at Collooney railway station and onwards to the main Sligo line. The line was initially operated by the Great Southern and Western Railway and was sometimes referred to as the Burma Road.[1]
Kiltimagh Coillte Mach | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 A freight train at Kiltimagh in 1975 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Kiltimagh, County Mayo Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Kiltimagh Museum | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Operated by | Iarnród Éireann | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 10 January 1895 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 10 January 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other services | |||||||||||||||||||||
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It was finally closed to passenger traffic in 1963, with goods traffic ending in 1975.[2]
Following its closure, the station and surrounding area was converted in the 1980s into the Kiltimagh Museum, with displays and artefacts of local history and culture.[3]
21st century usage
editWestern rail corridor
editFrom 2003 onwards, various plans have proposed the station is reopened as part of the Western Railway Corridor from Limerick to Sligo.[4] Some of these plans also feature a railway link to Ireland West Airport.[5]
Velorail
editIn 2023, a Velorail (railbike) scheme, an initiative of the IRD Kiltimagh CLG and Kiltimagh Tourism Association, was opened at the station.[6][7] The track covers a refurbished 15km portion of the railway line, 9km of which is currently being used for Velorail.[8]
Original route (1895)
editThe original line started at Claremorris and from there went northwards through Kiltimagh railway station, Swinford railway station, Charlestown railway station, Curry railway station, Tubbercurry railway station, Carrowmore railway station, Leyny railway station and Collooney railway station.
Accidents
editOn 19 December 1916, in foggy conditions, the driver of a ballast train failed to see a red signal at Kiltimagh station. The train, carrying a number of track workers, crashed into an empty cattle train, killing six people.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ ""Burma Road" Claremorris-Sligo (Archive Photo-feature)". 20 May 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ Kiltimagh station - railbrit.co.uk
- ^ "Kiltimagh Museum". museumsofmayo.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016.
- ^ Telford, Thomas (7 May 2024). "€412m 'new' Irish Rail track offering 'easy access' to airport cutting journeys". Galway Beo. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Western Rail Corridor and Mayo section receive major EU boost - news - Western People". westernpeople.ie. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Kiltimagh Velo Rail Project Officially Opened". Mayo County Council. 9 June 2023.
- ^ "Velorail". IRD Kiltimagh CLG. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "Ten of the best new Irish tourism attractions". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ Comer, Michael. "The Kiltimagh Railway Disaster of 1916". West On Track. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ "Accident at Kiltimagh on 19th December 1916" (PDF). Railways Archive. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
External links
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