Old Railway Route

WHERE THE BLACKROCK ROAD CROSSES THE PASSAGE GREENWAY WALKING ROUTE

The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway (CB&PR) was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The line originally opened in 1850 as a 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Irish standard gauge railway between Cork and Passage West and operated steam feeder ferries to other locations round Cork Harbour. The company was heavily dependent on summer tourist traffic for a considerable proportion of its revenue. The railway was converted to 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge in 1900 in conjunction with extensions southwards to Crosshaven which were completed in 1904. The railway closed in 1932 and has since been replaced by a public pathway and nature area.

Passage Railway Greenway Improvement Scheme Phase 1

The overall aim of the project is to provide a high quality, attractive transportation and recreational route while also creating and supporting an environmental living corridor.

The project includes additional access ramps onto the greenway. These are located at the Marina, Blackrock Station, Eden and Skehard Road. The Marina access ramp will form a new gateway to the greenway. These new access points will enable safe and convenient connections between the greenway and adjoining areas. This includes disability access, access for cyclists and other users.

To facilitate the widening of the greenway and construction of these new access points it was necessary to remove a total of 46 trees however a total of 65 semi mature trees will be planted along the route plus 2000 immature trees (samplings). The new trees will be native Irish species as recommended by the project’s environmental advisors. An ecologist and arborist have been employed to advise Cork City Council throughout the project.

The greenway will remain open to the greatest possible extent throughout the works however it will be necessary to close sections on a rolling base for the safety of both users and workers. Traffic management plans will be established to facilitate the safe movement of construction traffic. Pedestrian signage plus information and diversion signage will also be erected for the safety and convenience of pedestrians and cyclists.

The project will:

Provide significantly improved facilities for cyclists and pedestrians along the Passage Railway Greenway from Pairc Uí Chaoimh to Mahon.
Provide improved and new access points to improve connectivity with area around greenway.
Provide an avenue for wildlife movement, protection of natural resources and green space buffers for humans.
These objectives will include:
Wider surfaced area over length of greenway.
Public lighting and CCTV installed along length of greenway.
Greater amenities and facilities for public.
Widen the greenway from the existing 3m to 5m in width.
The Blackrock Road railway footbridge will be reinstated, utilising the existing historic abutments, access ramps and disused railway platforms.
The existing bridges, historical structures and features along the route will be repaired and cleaned where necessary.
Environmentally sensitive public lighting will be provided along the full extent of the greenway plus CCTV.
Soft landscaping works will be undertaken including tree, shrub and wildflower planting with native pollinator friendly species.
Bee, bird and bat boxes will be installed to improve the attractiveness of the greenway for native fauna.