Waterford & Suir Valley Railway

For much of its length the line skirts the River Suir.

The Waterford & Suir Valley Railway (WSVR) is a 3ft (914mm) railway gauge railway which runs from Kilmeadan to Gracedieu Junction on the outskirts of Waterford.

History

The society was established in 1997, laying its first track in 2000. By the end of 2003, it had laid 10km of track from Kilmeadan to Gracedieu Junction, and ran its first public trains in May that year. In 2004, a further 2km of track were laid as far as Bilberry. In 2008, the railway carried its 100,000th passenger, and in 2010 opened a maintenance and storage shed for its rolling stock. In 2016, the WSVR received planning permission for a new station building at Kilmeadan. In March 2017, WSVR opened the Waterford Greenway, that runs alongside the railway.[1]

Plans exist for stations to open along the line at Mount Congreve Gardens, Woodstown Viking site, Waterford Institute of Technology Carriganore Campus and Bilberry. It is hoped the line will be extended into Waterford City, and that a working steam locomotive will be acquired.[2]

Route

The entire route is on the trackbed of the former 5'3'' Waterford, Dungarvan & Lismore Railway, that was opened in 1878 and closed in 1967, though a section as far as Ballinacourty remained open for freight until 1987. The WSVR uses the original railway station at Kilmeadan, though the buildings are long gone.

Along the route, Kilmeadan Castle, Mount Congreve Gardens, the Magic Wood and a trio of lime kilns can be seen from the train, as well as the River Suir Bridge, which passengers have an excellent view of, after emerging from the Dan Donovan Tunnel under the Waterford Bypass.

Though the line extends as far as Bilberry just to the East of Waterford City, trains only run as far as Gracedieu Junction before turning back.

Apart from Kilmeadan Station which has two tracks, the line is single track throughout.

Rolling Stock

Rolling stock consists of three diesel locomotives and two purpose-built semi-open bogie passenger carriages.[3][4] A number of permanent way wagons are kept inside the shed at Kilmaedan.

At Kilmeadan Station, an ex-Irish Rail grounded MkII carriage, No. 4106, is used as a ticket office and refreshment room.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "The Development Of Waterford & Suir Valley Heritage Railway Ireland". www.wsvrailway.ie. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  2. ↑ "The Development Of Waterford & Suir Valley Heritage Railway Ireland". www.wsvrailway.ie. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  3. ↑ "Semi-Open bogie carriage". www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  4. ↑ "Semi-Open bogie carriage". www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
  5. ↑ "BR 3157 Mk 2c First Open (body only) built 1970". www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org. Retrieved 2017-06-06.
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