Dublin Broadstone railway station

This article refers to the former station in Dublin, Ireland. For the similarly named station in Dorset see Broadstone (Dorset) railway station.
Dublin Broadstone
Baile Átha Cliath Stáisiún An Clocháin Leathan

The facade of Broadstone station
Location Broadstone
Republic of Ireland
Coordinates 53°21′15″N 6°16′26″W / 53.354291°N 6.273816°W / 53.354291; -6.273816
Owned by CIÉ
Operated by Bus Éireann
Platforms 12
Tracks 6
Construction
Structure type At-grade
History
Pre-grouping Midland Great Western Railway
Post-grouping Great Southern Railways
Key dates
June 1847 (1847-06) Station opened
18 January 1937 Station closed to passenger services
8 April 1961 Station closed
2017 Luas services expected to commence

Broadstone railway station (Irish: Stáisiún An Clocháin Leathan) was the former Dublin terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway.

It is currently the headquarters of Bus Éireann, housing most of their administration and one of their main garages. Nearby on the same property is a Dublin Bus Depot.

History

Beginnings

Designed by John Skipton Mulvany, the structure was built between 1841 and 1850, with the addition of the colonnade in 1861.[1] Broadstone Station is constructed of granite in a neo-Egyptian style.[2]

In 1845 the Royal Canal was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway Company (MGWR) with a view to using the land alongside the canal to construct a railway line to the west of Ireland. The line was constructed in stages and by 1848 reached Mullingar. Similarly Broadstone station was worked in tandem with opening in 1847 and final completion 1850.

With Galway projected to become the main port for transatlantic passenger traffic between Europe and North America, the MGWR successfully competed with its rival the Great Southern and Western Railway to reach it first in August 1851. A special fourth class was introduced by the MGWR for poor migrants from the west going to Britain for work. The line, which branched out to serve Sligo, Westport, Achill and Clifden, was also used to transport large numbers of cattle.

It was about this time that the majority of the houses in the area were constructed, as dwellings for workers on the railway. Most of the houses were built by the Artisan's Dwelling Company, which built many similar estates in Dublin and elsewhere, and houses of this type are now frequently described as Artisan cottages, regardless of their origin.

Joseph Howley, a member of the Irish Volunteers in Galway, was shot dead by a special unit of the RIC known as the Igoe Gang at the station on 4 December 1920 during the Irish War of Independence.[3]

Closure

Buses outside the station, 1958

The station was closed to public traffic on 18 January 1937 and finally closed on 8 April 1961, having been used as the steam depot for Dublin between 1937 and this date.[4]

This building was one of Dublin's six original rail termini, the others being Westland Row (now Pearse Station) Amiens Street (now Connolly Station), Kingsbridge (now Heuston Station), North Wall and Harcourt Street (now a bar and nightclub complex).

Location

Situated at the crest of Constitution Hill directly opposite King's Inns, the station served as the finishing point of the Midland and Great Western Railway.

LUAS

Luas Cross City Green Line extension

Legend
BroombridgeIarnród Éireann
Cabra
Phibsborough
Grangegorman
Broadstone - D.I.T.
Dominick Street
Parnell Street
O'Connell Street Upper
O'Connell Street - GPO
Marlborough Street
Red Line
Westmoreland Street
Trinity
Dawson Street
St Stephen's Green
Green Line to Bride's Glen

Broadstone will be a Luas stop on the LUAS Cross City Line between Broombridge and St.Stephen's Green. Work on building the line commenced in June 2013 and services are scheduled to begin in 2017.

The stop will have lateral platforms and be located adjacent to the Broadstone building with access from Constitution Hill. The stop will be called Broadstone-DIT due to it location near to DIT Grangegorman Campus.

Proposed re use for heavy rail

In April 2007 Iarnród Éireann announced that Broadstone Station was to be reopened for rail passenger use by 2010.[5] This gave rise to a dispute between CIE/Irish Rail and the RPA over who gets to use the trackbed between Broadstone and Liffey Junction.[6] On 5 February 2008 Noel Dempsey, the Minister for Transport, indicated his preference for the Luas project over the re-opening of Broadstone for heavy rail, asking CIÉ to seek permanent planning permission for Docklands Station for the purposes Broadstone was intended for.

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Terminus   Midland Great Western Railway
Dublin-Galway/Sligo		   Liffey Junction
Luas Luas
  From 2017  
Dominick Street   Green Line   Grangegorman

See also

References

  1. ↑ Craig, Maurice (2006) [1952]. Dublin 1660-1860. pp. 322–323. ISBN 1-905483-11-2.
  2. ↑ Peter Pearson. "Architect of Victorian solidity". The Sunday Business Post. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
  3. ↑ Spellissy, Sean (1999). The History of Galway. Celtic Bookshop. p. 131. ISBN 0-9534683-3-X.
  4. ↑ "Dublin Broadstone station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ "Battle of Broadstone". Irish Independent. 11 January 2008.

Sources and Further reading

External links

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