Donegal railway station

Donegal railway station served Donegal in County Donegal, Ireland. It was served by connections to Derry, Killybegs and Ballyshannon.

Donegal
Railway station buildings in Donegal, now the Donegal Railway Centre
General information
LocationDonegal, County Donegal
Ireland
Coordinates54°39′24″N 8°06′31″W / 54.65673°N 8.10855°W / 54.65673; -8.10855
History
Original companyWest Donegal Railway
Post-groupingCounty Donegal Railways Joint Committee
Key dates
16 September 1889Station opens
1 January 1960Station closes

History

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The station opened on 16 September 1889 on the West Donegal Railway line from Stranorlar to Donegal. In 1906 the station, along with the rest of the line became part of the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee. The station closed on 1 January 1960.[1] However such was the attachment to the Donegal railways that after the line from Donegal town to Ballyshannon closed down in 1959, two of the railway workers continued to operate a freight service between the two towns for a month before the railway bosses in Dublin realised what was happening.[2]

Current status

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The station buildings have since been restored by the County Donegal Railway Restoration Society, and from 1995 the home of the Donegal Railway Centre.[3]

Rail accident

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In 1949, two trains collided head-on near Donegal. A driver and two passengers were killed.[2]

Routes

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Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Clarbridge Halt   West Donegal Railway
Stranorlar to Donegal
  Terminus
Terminus   Donegal Railway Company
Donegal to Killybegs
  Killymard Halt
Terminus   Donegal Railway Company
Donegal to Ballyshannon
  Hospital Halt

References

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  1. ^ "Donegal station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Railways and the 'Forgotten County' – an Irishman's Diary on Donegal's vanished rail network". The Irish Times.
  3. ^ "Donegal Railway Heritage Centre". Retrieved 29 December 2021.