Rail Transport in Ireland - Ireland Rail Interest Groups and Museums - J

Rail Transport in Ireland - J

Ireland Rail Interest Groups and Museums

Ireland has a small heritage railway scene, with some substantial and long-running groups operating, while most are small affairs. There are a couple of railtour-operating groups, one 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) self-contained railway, and a few groups with short lines.

Ireland Heritage Railways and Bodies

Heritage bodies in Ireland include the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland which is based in Whitehead, County Antrim and also has an operational base in Dublin. It runs preserved steam trains on several main lines around Ireland. Other bodies include the Irish Traction Group, which preserves diesel locomotives including an example at Carrick-on-Suir station, four at Moyasta, and five at the DCDR.

Ireland Heritage railways include the:

• Connemara Railway, based at Maam Cross, County Galway, operating a temporary narrow gauge railway.
• Downpatrick and County Down Railway, the only self-contained full-size heritage railway in Ireland, running trains along its 4 miles of track in addition to its static museum.
• Fintown Railway, which runs a former County Donegal Railways Joint Committee (CDRJC) railbus along the shore of Lough Finn.
• Foyle Valley Railway in Derry, which closed in 2015 but reopened in 2016.
• Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway, a recreation of the original Giant's Causeway Tramway. Steam running ceased at the railway in 2012 with the arrival of a new-build tram.
• Listowel and Ballybunion Railway, a section of the Lartigue Monorail system, has been restored for visitors in Listowel, County Kerry
• Stradbally Woodland Railway, run by the Irish Steam Preservation Society.
• Tralee and Dingle Light Railway, in County Kerry.
• Waterford and Suir Valley Railway, which runs 10 km of 3 ft gauge line between Kilmeadan and Waterford.
• West Clare Railway, with a collection of 5 ft 3 in and 3 ft stock based in the restored 'Moyasta junction' station.

Ireland Interest and Record Groups

The Irish Railway Record Society has a library of Irish railway documents at Heuston station and charters an annual railtour. The Modern Railway Society of Ireland promotes interest in modern-day Irish Railways and charters occasional railtours.

• Irish Traction Group based at Carrick-on-Suir.
• Railway Preservation Society of Ireland based at Whitehead.

Ireland Museums and Historical Displays

There are a number of museums, most concerned with the 3 ft (914 mm) gauge, and restored railway stations around Ireland:

• Belturbet Railway Station, County Cavan, which is restored as a museum and has several items of rolling stock.
• Castlerea Railway Museum, formerly Hell's Kitchen Railway Museum, in County Roscommon.
• Cavan and Leitrim Railway, which has 0.4 km of 3 ft gauge track and a small transport museum, located next door to Iarnród Éireann's Dromod railway station.
• Clonakilty Model Railway Village, County Cork, which has a Ruston diesel and two Park Royal carriages.
• Donegal Railway Heritage Centre, a museum dedicated to the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee housed in the former Donegal railway station.
• National Transport Museum of Ireland, mostly holding wheeled road vehicles but also with trams.
• Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, a major museum which contains various railway and tramway vehicles of numerous gauges from across Ireland.

Ireland Former Heritage Railways and Interest Groups

• Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway, which closed in 2008.
• Shane's Castle Railway, County Antrim, which ran from 1971 to 1994/5, and was partly reused at the Giant's Causeway.
• Tralee and Blennerville Railway, which closed in 2006, and again in 2013, though the line still exists.

Rail Transport in Ireland Operation

Ireland Major Operators: Iarnród Éireann & NIR
Ireland Ridership: 50 million (Republic of Ireland, 2019)
15 million (Northern Ireland, 2017)
Ireland System Length:
Ireland Total: 2,733 km (1,698 mi)
Ireland Electrified: 53 km (33 mi)
Ireland Freight Only: 362 km (225 mi)
Ireland Track Gauge:
Ireland Main: 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Ireland Electrification:
1500 V DC   DART in Dublin
Ireland No. Stations: 147