KENT TRAIN STATION ALFRED STREET – HORGAN’S QUAY IN CORK
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 car park with 140 spaces and a set-down area accessed from Horgan’s Quay for taxis and buses. In February 2014, €3 million was allocated towards implementing phase one including site works and detailed planning. Work began in summer 2014.
In September 2014, Irish Rail submitted a new application for two rather than one entrance building onto the quayside. Planning permission was granted, and Irish Rail put the entrance building project out to tender in early 2015.
Construction commenced in summer 2015, and was expected to complete in approximately 12 months. However, works took longer and the entrances were officially opened in November 2017. In parallel, a new road project (for use by buses), commenced in early 2016 with its opening coinciding with the completion of the entrance building contract in November 2017. Bus Éireann now carries passengers from the new entrance to the city centre and beyond.
Horgan’s Quay, close to completion, is a six acre mixed used development centred around the conservation of the site’s Industrial heritage. The refurbishment of the Station House will form the centrepiece of the residential development. The Carriage Shed will house Retail and Restaurant uses adjoining the Hotel. The Goods Shed refurbishment and restoration of the nine metre high Cork Limestone wall are integral to the development of the Office buildings.
I visited Clonsilla today as part of my “Royal Canal” project. As I have never visited this exact location before I have little personal knowledge of the area.
The station opened on 1 September 1848 and was closed for goods traffic on 17 June 1963. The footbridge at Clonsilla was originally located at the former railway station in Listowel, County Kerry. Between here and Leixlip Confey is what is left of the old Lucan North station (also known as Coldblow) which closed on 8 October 1941. All that remains of the station is a small red brick building on the bank between the tracks and the canal. This building was a waiting room. The station was opposite this but has become a private residence and has been extended and renovated.
The station is one of the original four Western Commuter stations which became part of the line on its inception in November 1981, the others being Ashtown (opened January 1982), Leixlip Louisa Bridge and Maynooth.
On 2 September 2010, the original Dunboyne branch line reopened as the M3 Parkway commuter branch line. The junction is just to the west of Clonsilla station.
The station underwent an upgrade in 2000 that saw the platforms lengthened and a new station building being constructed. The ticket office is open from 06:00 AM to 14:00 PM, Monday to Friday. It is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
In 2012, the station was further upgraded with a new footbridge and escalator, refurbished station building, new platform surfaces and construction of platform 3. Platform 3 is used for a shuttle train service between Clonsilla and M3 Parkway.
The level crossing is still a gated crossing, operated from a wheel in the signal cabin.
Clonsilla station lies on the Dublin Connolly to Maynooth and the Dublin Docklands to M3 Parkway (peak times only
Dublin Bus 39 and 239 services stop outside the station providing connections with the Blanchardstown area and Lucan.
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