Dublin Heuston railway station

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Dublin Heuston
Stáisiún Heuston
Dublin Heuston railway station
Location
Place	Kingsbridge, Dublin
Local authority	Dublin City Council
Operations
Managed by	Coras Iompair Éireann
Platforms in use	9
History
1846	Station opened as Kingsbridge Station
1966	Renamed as Heuston Station
Iarnród Éireann - Republic of Ireland railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Dublin to Cork Line

Legend Phoenix Park Tunnel (To Dublin Connolly) Luas Red Line (To Dublin Connolly) Dublin Heuston Luas Red Line (To Tallaght) Inchicore Works Cherry Orchard & Parkwest* Clondalkin* Hazelhatch & Celbridge* Sallins & Naas* Newbridge* Kildare Dublin-Waterford Line Monasterevin* Portarlington Dublin-Westport/Galway Portlaoise Limerick-Ballybrophy Line Ballybrophy Templemore* Thurles Limerick-Rosslare line Limerick Junction Limerick-Ennis Line Limerick Colbert Charleville Mallow Mallow-Tralee Line Cork Kent Cork-Cobh Line *Not served by through trains from Dublin to Cork

Dublin Heuston, commonly called Heuston station (Irish: Stáisiún Heuston), is one of Ireland's main railway stations, serving the south, southwest and west. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann (IE), the national railway operator. It houses the head office of IE's parent company, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ).

Contents 1 History 2 Operation 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 External links 6 References

[edit] History

The station opened on 4 August 1846^[1] as the terminus and headquarters of the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR). It was originally called Kingsbridge Station from the nearby Kings Bridge over the Liffey, but was renamed in 1966 after Sean Heuston, an Easter Rising leader who had worked in the station offices.
Designed by Sancton Wood, the handsome original buildings remain. The five panels along the front represent, in order:

• VIII.VIC - being the Act of Parliament that incorporated the GS&WR
• The Coat of Arms of Cork City
• The Coat of Arms of Dublin City
• The Coat of Arms of Limerick City
• AD. 1844 - being the year of incorporation of the GS&WR

When it was opened, the station was the largest enclosed structure on earth.^{[citation needed]}

Since its renewal (by Quinn Savage Smyth architects and engineers Buro Happold) it includes two branches of Eason's, as well as some cafés/restaurants, including a Supermacs, and a pub.

[edit] Operation

Although there is a physical rail link between Connolly Station and Heuston, this is usually only used for freight and rolling stock movements — once or twice a year special trains may operate, usually from Cork to Connolly for Gaelic Athletic Association matches in Croke Park.
However, both the No. 90 bus and the Luas light rail system connect the two stations.

There are nine platforms - eight terminal platforms and one through platform. The through platform is known as "Platform 10", and is unused; there is no platform nine. It is some distance from the main concourse. Prior to its recent upgrade, there were five terminal platforms. Platform 1 is an extension to Platform 2, and reachable only via that platform.

Intercity and Commuter services leave the station on a triple line to Inchicore and double beyond. This is the main line to Cork, serving Kildare [end of Commuter services at milepost 30] and junction for Kilkenny & Waterford; Portarlington, diverging route to west via Tullamore and Athlone; Portlaoise; Ballybrophy, junction for Limerick via Nenagh; Thurles; Limerick Junction, for direct Limerick and Ennis services and Waterford via Clonmel; Mallow, junction for Killarney & Tralee. For a full list of stops on these routes, and route descriptions, see Rail transport in Ireland.

The main maintenance depot, at Inchicore, is approximately three kilometres (two miles) away.

The Government Transport 21 initiative plans by 2015 to have an Interconnector tunnel linking Heuston with Pearse Station and onwards to the new Docklands railway station.

[edit] Gallery

A Cork-Dublin train at Heuston

The recently renewed roof

Preceding station	Iarnród Éireann			Following station
Terminus		Commuter South Western Commuter		Cherry Orchard & Parkwest
Terminus		Intercity Dublin-Cork		Kildare
Terminus		Intercity Dublin-Waterford		Newbridge
		Intercity Dublin-Limerick via Thurles
Terminus		Intercity Dublin-Galway		Hazelhatch & Celbridge
Terminus		Intercity Dublin-Westport/Ballina		Kildare or Newbridge
Luas
Museum		Red Line		James's

[edit] See also

• History of rail transport in Ireland

[edit] External links

• Iarnród Éireann: Heuston station

[edit] References

1. ^ Dublin Kingsbridge station. Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved on 2007-08-31.