Birdhill railway station

Birdhill railway station serves the town of Birdhill in County Tipperary, Ireland.

Birdhill

Cnocán an Éin Fhinn
Iarnród Éireann
An IRRS 071 Class Railtour at Birdhill.
General information
LocationBirdhill
Ireland
Owned byIarnród Éireann
Operated byIarnród Éireann
Platforms2 (Only 1 in use)
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Key dates
1860Opened
1963Closed To Goods
Limerick to
Ballybrophy line
Ballybrophy
Birr
Roscrea
Portumna Bridge
Cloughjordan
Nenagh
Shallee
Killaloe
Birdhill
Castleconnell
Lisnagry
Limerick Colbert

The station opened on 23 July 1860 as an extension from Castleconnell by the Limerick and Castleconnell Railway. The line was extended to Killaloe on 12 April 1862 and became a junction when the line was further extended from Birdill to Nenagh on 1 June 1864 by the Great Southern & Western Railway creating a through route to Limerick via Ballybrophy. The line to Killaloe lost its passenger services on 17 July 1931 and goods traffic was suspended on 29 April 1944 as an emergency measure by the Great Southern Railways.[1]

It is on the Limerick–Ballybrophy railway line and is also served by a skeleton service on the Limerick to Nenagh Commuter Service.

Description

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The station once had a large station house but now has only a portable building. This houses the ticket office and toilet.[2] The station has a car park. A plaque in the station grounds commemorates the 150th anniversary of the station, which took place in 2010. There is also a "Railway Garden" beside the station. The signal cabin has 24 levers and is at the Killonan end of the Up platform (which is not in service) and is a crossing point and blockpost, using "C" pattern staff.[3] Both the signal cabin and railway bridge are both listed as protected structures by Tipperary County Council (RPS Refs S708 and S709).[4]

Services

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As of 2023, Birdhill receives the following skeleton service:

Monday to Saturdays

Sundays

Closure proposed

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A January 2012 national newspaper article suggested that Irish Rail was expected to seek permission from the National Transport Authority to close the line.[5] In response, the timetable was altered during 2012, and the service was again reduced from February 2013.[6][not specific enough to verify] 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.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Johnson's Atlas & Gazetteer of the railways of Ireland by Stephen Johnson ISBN 1 85780 044 3
  2. ^ "Birdhill". Irish Rail. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. ^ Railway Lines of Coras Iompair Eireann and Northern Ireland railway by Oliver Doyle and Stephen Hirsch ISBN 0 906591 031
  4. ^ "Register of Protected Structures" (PDF). North Tipperary County Council. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  5. ^ McCarthaigh, Sean (2 January 2012). "Iarnród Éireann may close rail service amid falling demand". Irish Examiner. Cork. ISSN 1393-9564. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Home". Irish Rail. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
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Preceding station   Iarnród Éireann Following station
Castleconnell   Commuter
Limerick-Ballybrophy
  Nenagh

52°45′57″N 8°26′31″W / 52.76583°N 8.44194°W / 52.76583; -8.44194