Cork Kent railway station

For other locations called Kent Station, see Kent Station (disambiguation).
Cork Kent
Stáisiún Kent
Cork Kent railway station
Location
Place Lower Glanmire Road, Cork
Local authority Cork City Council
Operations
Station code 30
Platforms in use 5
History
1893 Station opened as Glanmire Road
1966 Renamed as Kent Station
Iarnród Éireann - 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) & (The Point)
Dublin Heuston
Luas Red Line (To Tallaght)
Inchicore Works
Park West & Cherry Orchard*
Clondalkin/Fonthill*
Kishoge
Adamstown*
Hazelhatch & Celbridge*
Sallins & Naas*
Newbridge*
Kildare
Dublin-Waterford Line
Monasterevin*
Portarlington
Dublin-Westport/Galway
Portlaoise
Laoise Traincare Depot
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
Mallow to Youghal/Cóbh
Legend
 Dublin to Cork mainline
Mallow-Waterford line
Mallow
Mallow-Tralee line
Mourne Abbey
Rathduff
Blarney (Future)
Monard (Future)
Kilbarry (Future)
Cork Kent
Tivoli
Dunkettle (Future)
Little Island
Glounthaune
Carrigtwohill West (Future)
Carrigtwohill
Midleton
Mogeely (closed)
Killeagh (closed)
Youghal (closed)
Fota
Carrigaloe
Ballynoe (Future)
Rushbrooke
Cobh

Kent Station (Irish: Stáisiún Kent) is an Iarnród Éireann train station in Cork, Ireland. Originally opened in 1893, the station operates as a hub for Intercity services to Dublin and Tralee and commuter services to Mallow, Cobh and Midleton.

Contents

Background

Name

The station was originally called Glanmire Road Station, but was renamed for Thomas Kent in 1966 on the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

History

The station opened on 2 February 1893[1] and the current building was built in the same year. The station replaced two earlier stations that served as separate termini for the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) and Youghal Railway. The original GS&WR station for the Glanmire line was located directly in front of the portal of the tunnel through which the railway into Cork passed. And the original Cork & Youghal Railway terminus was above the tunnel portal.

The purpose of the new station was to allow through running of trains, following the 1865 takeover of the Cork and Youghal Railway by the Great Southern and Western Railway. The station is the only one of the 6 Cork railway stations that exists today.

The station served as a filming location for the 1979 movie The First Great Train Robbery starring Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Lesley-Anne Down.

Services

The station offers direct intercity rail services to Heuston Station and stations in Kerry. Cork Suburban Rail services follow the Cobh and Mallow lines. A new commuter line also operates to Midleton.[2]

The station has three terminating platforms 1-3 (in the Cobh direction) and two through platforms 4 and 5. Formerly there was an additional terminating platform adjacent to platform 3 numbered 4. Until the mid-1990s the through platforms were number 5 and 6. The former platform 4 was removed in 1984. Since December 2005's timetable change, the through platforms tend to get quite congested as commuter trains often come in together, clogging up limited space. Since the reopening of the Cork & Youghal Railway as far as Midleton increased use has been made of the terminating platforms 1 to 3. There is also a loop line behind platform 5, which used to be used to facilitate moving locomotives from the end of arriving trains to the other end in preparation for departure. This line used to be a double tracked freight avoiding line that enabled goods rans to bypass the passenger station. It is no longer necessary since all services to the station are operated either by railcars or by Mark 4 sets with a driving van trailer. The only platform not directly accessible from the station concourse, platform 5, is accessed through a subway, unlike most other Irish stations, which use footbridges.

The two station car parks are chronically undersized, and not restricted to rail travellers. Because they offer a flat rate of €7 per day, they are attractive to commuters and as a result it is very hard to secure a space after about 08:00.

Engine No. 36

An old locomotive is on permanent display in the concourse at Kent Station since 1950. "Engine No. 36" dates from 1847 and is displayed in the booking hall. Originally built by Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy of Liverpool at a cost of £1,955, the engine was obtained by the Great Southern and Western Railway to run services from Dublin to Cork. The engine remained in service until 1874.

She was displayed at the Cork exhibition in 1902, the Railway Centenary Exhibition in 1925 and the bi-centenary of the Royal Dublin Society at Ballsbridge in 1930. She was moved to a new position and restored by Iarnród Éireann in 2007.[3]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ "Kent station". Railscot - Irish Railways. http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-31. 
  2. ^ Irish Times - Cork-Midleton rail line to open - 30 July 2009
  3. ^ Display board at Cork Station

External links

Preceding station Iarnród Éireann Following station
Terminus   InterCity
Cork-Tralee		   Mallow
Mallow   InterCity
Dublin-Cork Main Line		   Terminus
  Commuter
Cork-Mallow		  
Terminus   Commuter
Cork-Cobh/Midleton		   Little Island
    From 2012    
Terminus   Commuter
Cork-Cobh/Midleton		   Dunkettle
Kilbarry   Commuter
Cork-Mallow		   Terminus