Galway railway station

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Galway Ceannt

Stáisiún Cheannt
Iarnród Éireann
Regional
2 IE 22000 Class ICR sets at Galway Ceannt station.
2 ICR sets at Galway Ceannt station.
General information
LocationStation Road
Galway
Ireland
Coordinates53°16′25″N 9°02′48″W / 53.2736°N 9.0468°W / 53.2736; -9.0468
Elevation10 metres (33 ft)
Owned byIarnród Éireann
Operated byIarnród Éireann
Line(s)
Platforms2
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeGALWY
Fare zoneP
WebsiteIrish Rail page on Ceannt Station
History
Opened1 August 1851 (1851-08-01)
Location
Map

Galway railway station (Ceannt Station, Irish: Stáisiún Cheannt) is a railway station which serves the city of Galway in County Galway. The station itself is located in the centre of the city in Eyre Square.

It is the terminus station for the Dublin to Galway intercity service and the Limerick to Galway and Athenry to Galway commuter services.[1]

Description[edit]

There are two platforms at Galway Ceannt; Platform 1 and Platform 2. Platform 2 can only be reached via Platform 1. Platform 1 is used for terminating/departing trains to Dublin Heuston while Platform 2 (a much shorter platform) is used for departing Limerick services.

The services which are provided at the station include ticket machines, a booking office, heated waiting rooms, toilets, a café (Starbucks), vending machines, and a telephone box.

The station also serves as the Bus Éireann depot for Galway City.

History[edit]

The station opened on 1 August 1851. This made Galway the western terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway giving the city a direct main line to its Broadstone Station terminus in Dublin.

As the 19th century progressed the rail network in Connacht was expanded, making Galway an important railhead. The nearby town of Athenry became a railway junction, giving Galway links to Ennis, Limerick and the south in 1869 and Sligo and the north in 1894. In 1895 the MGW opened an extension between Galway and Clifden.

The 20th century brought increasing road competition, and this led the Great Southern Railways to close the Clifden extension in 1935. In the 1970s the state railway authority Córas Iompair Éireann closed the Sligo-Athenry-Ennis line to passenger services. It later closed to freight as well.

It was given the name Ceannt on 10 April 1966 in commemoration of Éamonn Ceannt, one of the executed leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916.

Developments[edit]

In 2007, CIÉ proposed a series of updates to the station as part of a projected new urban quarter development in the area.[2] This proposed development, referred to as the "Ceannt Station Quarter", was projected to cost €1 billion and include the development of offices and a hotel as well as "four rail platforms, 24 bus bays, 500 car spaces, dedicated taxi drop off and collect facilities, and 300 cycle spaces" at the station.[3] This CIÉ project had been "abandoned" by 2012.[4][5]

In 2013, 1 million euros was reportedly allocated on a "bus/rail/taxi interchange at the station, with widened footpaths, 'properly designed' bus bays, and revised taxi arrangements". In addition, approximately €100,000 was allocated for design work on an "interchange area for bus and rail passengers [..] a seated waiting area, retail units, vending area and a new office for bus inspectors".[6] By 2014, an additional €600,000 was allocated for further work on the interchange area,[7] and a related planning application was submitted to Galway City Council.[8]

In early 2020, it was reported that a planning application, overlapping somewhat with the earlier "Ceannt Station Quarter" proposal, was due to be lodged with the city council.[9] This proposed development, titled "Augustine Hill", would cover an eight-acre site around Ceannt Station "if planning permission is granted".[9] While planning was conditionally approved, in 2021 the developer appealed the removal of several buildings (and the reduction in height of others) from a "scaled-back version" of the Augustine Hill proposal.[10] In mid-2023, while approving permission for much of the project, An Bord Pleanála upheld the decision that "some residential aspects of the design [..] are not suitable and cannot be built".[11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rail, Irish. "Train Timetables by Route". Irish Rail. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Galway Station Redevelopment". CIÉ. July 2007. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010.
  3. ^ "Councillors raise concerns over Ceannt Station Quarter proposals". advertiser.ie. Galway Advertiser. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  4. ^ "'New heart for old city': Galway's massive regeneration scheme". irishtimes.com. Irish Times. 24 October 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020. Project Ceannt is described as one of the largest urban regeneration schemes in the history of the State [..] but plans were abandoned in 2012 due to the recession.
  5. ^ "New 'Ceannt Station Quarter' plan back on the cards". connachttribune.ie. Connacht Tribune. 22 September 2017. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020. that plan was shelved in 2012 by the National Transport Authority after it failed to raise funding
  6. ^ "Major investment in Galway transport". galwayindependent.com. 29 December 2018. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  7. ^ "3 million euro for Galway sustainable transport » Galway Bay FM". Galway Bay FM. 18 February 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Plans submitted for major redevelopment at Ceannt station » Galway Bay FM". Galway Bay FM. 10 February 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Plans for new €320 million urban quarter in Galway unveiled". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 19 February 2020. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Developer's bid to retain scale of urban quarter". connachttribune.ie. Connacht Tribune. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  11. ^ "An Bord Pleanala clears way for €300m Augustine Hill project behind Ceannt Station". galwaybayfm.ie. 6 July 2023. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Galway railway station.
Preceding station Iarnród Éireann Following station
Oranmore   InterCity
Dublin–Westport/Galway railway line 		  Terminus
Oranmore   InterCity
Western Rail Corridor 		  Terminus
  Commuter
Galway Suburban Rail 		 
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