Dunleer railway station

Dunleer railway station is an existing unused railway station on the main line between Belfast and Dublin. Opened by the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway in 1851^[1] to serve the town of Dunleer in County Louth, the station was the major stop between Dundalk and Drogheda.^[2] The station survived longer than most following the rationalisation of the railway network, and was only closed by Córas Iompair Éireann in 1984.

In recent years, Dunleer has expanded significantly to become a dormitory settlement for Dundalk, Drogheda and Dublin. As a consequence of this, the infrastructure of the town has been expanded; it is located by the M1 motorway, with three separate junctions onto distributor roads, and significant bus links. However, the local community in Dunleer have called for the railway station to be reopened, led by the Dunleer Community Development Board.^[3] The possibility of the station being rebuilt is also included in the local development plan for Dunleer and mid-Louth published by Louth County Council.^[4]

There has been some degree of debate in the past about a proposed mixed-use urban renewal development adjacent to the railway station, with claims being made that it would restrict access, with the project having been planned to improve the level of access in advance of the station being reopened. However, in 2010,Louth County Council granted Dunleer equal status in future proposals to have a third Railway Station developed in County Louth during the lifetime of the Louth County Development plan 2009-2020. The Dunleer Community Development Board continues its campaign to have the station reopened in the future.

References

1. ↑ Dunleer station - railbrit.co.uk
2. ↑ Dunleer station - eiretrains.com
3. ↑ History - dunleer.net
4. ↑ 's%20Report%20in%20Relation%20to%20Pre-draft%20Submissions.pdf Louth County Council Development Plan Review 2009-2015