53°30′42″N 8°51′12″W / 53.511576°N 8.853333°W / 53.511576; -8.853333

Tuam

Tuaim
Iarnród Éireann
112 at Tuam railway station on 7 April 1990
General information
LocationSean Purcell Rd.
Tuam, County Galway
Ireland
Elevation119 feet (36 m)
Owned byIarnród Éireann
Operated byIarnród Éireann
Platforms2
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Other information
Station codeTUAM
Fare zoneN
History
Original companyGreat Southern and Western Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Southern and Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Southern Railways
Key dates
1 August 1851Station opened
1976Station closes to passenger services
1993Station closes fully
Location
Tuam is located in Ireland
Tuam
Tuam
Location within Ireland
Tuam is located in County Galway
Tuam
Tuam
Tuam (County Galway)
Tuam is located in Tuam
Tuam
Tuam
Tuam (Tuam)

Tuam railway station is a largely disused railway station in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland.

History

The station was originally opened in 1860 as part of the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway route between Limerick and Sligo, and was the major stop on the section between Athenry and Claremorris, being the only station on this section with two platforms and a passing loop. In 1901, the WLWR was purchased by the Great Southern and Western Railway, and thus became part of the GSWR's network. Tuam also featured an extensive goods yard and locomotive facilities. The station was closed, along with the whole route, in 1976 during Córas Iompair Éireann's rationalisation of the rail network.[1]

After its closure to passenger trains, the goods facilities at Tuam continued to be heavily used, as the route remained a significant one for freight. The carriage and locomotive sheds were also used by a group called Westrail. This was a railway preservation group that operated trains between Athenry, Tuam and Claremorris until 1993, when Tuam station was closed as a block post.

The former Asahi liner train bringing intermodal containers through the station

Railfreight

The line through the station has been used to transport intermodal containers.

Proposals

As part of the Transport 21 plan (published in 2005), the Limerick-Sligo route was to be rebuilt in stages as the Western Railway Corridor. The reopening of the Athenry-Claremorris section was planned in two sections. Section 1 expected the section between Athenry and Tuam to reopen, with an intermediate stop at Ballyglunin; the section between Tuam and Claremorris was to open as Section 2.[2] Due to financial constraints in public finances, both sections were indefinitely postponed — though Irish Rail's Rail Vision 2030 report (published in 2012) recommended that Galway-Tuam be a priority for review if finances become available.[3]

References

  1. "Tuam station". eiretrains.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  2. "Western Rail Corridor". transport21.ie. 26 July 2010. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.
  3. "Irish Rail 'Rail Vision 2030' Report". irishrail.ie. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
Preceding station Iarnród Éireann Following station
  Proposed: WRC Phase 2  
Ballyglunin   InterCity
Limerick-Tuam
  Terminus
  Proposed: WRC Phase 3  
Ballyglunin   InterCity
Limerick-Claremorris
  Milltown
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