Cork Kent railway station

Cork Kent Stáisiún Cheannt
Cork Kent railway station in 2009
Location	Lower Glanmire Road, Cork, T23 E6TD Republic of Ireland
Coordinates	51°54′06″N 8°27′32″W / 51.901786°N 8.458829°W / 51.901786; -8.458829Coordinates: 51°54′06″N 8°27′32″W / 51.901786°N 8.458829°W / 51.901786; -8.458829
Owned by	Iarnród Éireann
Operated by	Iarnród Éireann
Platforms	5
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Other information
Station code	30
Key dates
1893	Station opened as Glanmire Road
1966	Renamed as Kent Station

Dublin to Cork Line
Phoenix Park Tunnel to Dublin Connolly Luas Red Line to Dublin Connolly & The Point Dublin Heuston Luas Red Line to Tallaght & Saggart Inchicore Works Park West and Cherry Orchard† Clondalkin/Fonthill† Kishoge proposed Adamstown† Hazelhatch and Celbridge† Straffan closed Sallins and Naas† Newbridge Kildare Dublin–Waterford Line Monasterevin† Portarlington Dublin–Westport/Galway line Portlaoise Laois Traincare Depot Limerick–Ballybrophy line Ballybrophy Templemore Thurles Limerick–Rosslare line Limerick Junction Limerick–Ballybrophy line Limerick–Ennis line Limerick Colbert Charleville Mallow Mallow–Tralee line Cork Kent Cork–Cobh/Midleton line
† Not served by through trains from Dublin to Cork

Mallow to Youghal/Cóbh
Dublin to Cork mainline Mallow-Waterford line (closed) Mallow Mallow–Tralee line Mourne Abbey (closed) Rathduff (closed) Blarney(proposed) Monard(proposed) Kilbarry(proposed) Cork Kent Tivoli (closed) Dunkettle (closed) Little Island Glounthaune Carrigtwohill West(proposed) Carrigtwohill Midleton Mogeely (closed) Killeagh (closed) Youghal (closed) Fota Carrigaloe Rushbrooke Cobh

Kent Station (Irish: Stáisiún Cheannt) is an Iarnród Éireann railway 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.

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, ca. 1893.

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 Cork & Youghal Railway (C&Y). 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, while the original C&Y terminus was above the tunnel portal. The purpose of the new station was to allow through running of trains after the 1865 takeover of the C&Y by the GS&WR. The station is the only one of the six Cork railway stations that still 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.

On 24 February 2012, the station briefly shut due to a gas leak.^[2]

On 18 December 2013, the canopy over platforms 1 and 2 collapsed in high winds; there was damage to one train and one person suffered minor injuries.^[3][4] In February 2014, €2.8 million was allocated to repair the canopy.^[5]

Engine No. 36

An old steam locomotive has been on permanent display at the station since 1950. "Engine No. 36" dates from 1847 and is on display on a viewing platform in the booking hall. It was restored and moved to its current position by Iarnród Éireann in 2007.^[6]

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. It has a 2-2-2 wheel arrangement, and remained in service until 1874. The engine was displayed at the Cork International Exhibition in 1902, the Railway Centenary Exhibition in 1925, and the bi-centenary of the Royal Dublin Society at Ballsbridge in 1930.^[6]

Services

The station offers direct intercity rail services to Heuston Station and stations in Kerry such as Killarney, Farranfore (for Kerry Airport) and Tralee. Cork Suburban Rail services follow the Cobh and Mallow lines. Since July 2009, a commuter line also operates to Midleton.^[7]

The station has three terminating platforms, numbered 1 to 3 (in the Cobh direction), and two through platforms, numbered 4 and 5. 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. Until the mid-1990s, the through platforms were numbered 5 and 6, as there had been a fourth terminating platform adjacent to platform 3; it 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.

Site Improvements

Planning permission was granted by Cork City Council in July 2013 for a new entrance building onto Horgan's Quay and a new bi-directional road linking Railway Street/Alfred Street and Horgan's Quay. The plan also included bus shelters, a new car park with 140 spaces and a set-down area accessed from Horgan's Quay for taxis and buses.^[8] In February 2014, €3 million was allocated towards implementing phase one including site works and detailed planning. Work began in summer 2014.^[9]

In September 2014, Irish Rail submitted a new application for two rather than one entrance building onto the quayside.^[10] The entrances will be smaller and will be connected to the southern end of the station’s existing underpass.^[11] Planning was granted to Irish Rail by Cork City Council for this new application and Irish Rail put the entrance building project out to tender in early 2015. Construction commenced in summer 2015 and it was envisaged to take approximately 12 months to complete.^[12] However, works took longer and are expected to be complete by the end of summer 2017.^[13]

Separately, the new road project creating a bi-directional road linking Railway Street/Alfred Street and Horgan’s Quay commenced in early 2016 with its completion to coincide with the completion of the entrance building contract.^[14] Bus Éireann will carry passengers from the new entrance to the city centre and will stop at University College Cork, Cork Institute of Technology, and Cork University Hospital. Routes to Cork Airport will also be available from the same stop.^[15]

Bus Services

As of May 2017, three Bus Éireann services use Kent Station as a terminus:

• 205:^[16] Kent Station – Cork City Centre – University College Cork – Cork Institute of Technology
• 226:^[17] Kent Station – Parnell Place Bus Station – Cork Airport – Kinsale
• 226A:^[17] Kent Station – Parnell Place Bus Station – Cork Airport

Some other Bus Éireann services use a stop across from the station on Lower Glanmire Road, which is listed on timetables as "Lwr Glanmire Rd (Opp Kent Station)". These include:

• 241:^[18] Parnell Place Bus Station – Midleton – Whitegate – Trabolgan Holiday Village
• 260:^[19] Parnell Place Bus Station – Youghal – Ardmore

Parnell Place Bus Station is approximately a 750m walk from Kent Station.

Gallery

• 
  Bury, Curtis and Kennedy Engine No. 36
• 
  The booking hall
• 
  Main train shed
• 
  Dublin service waiting to depart

See also

• List of railway stations in Ireland

References

External links

• Irish Rail - Details of Kent Station

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
	Future
Terminus		Commuter Cork-Cobh/Midleton		Dunkettle
Kilbarry		Commuter Cork-Mallow		Terminus

Listen to this article (info/dl)

This audio file was created from a revision of the "Cork Kent railway station" article dated 2006-06-20, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)

More spoken articles