Heuston railway station

Dublin Heuston Baile Átha Cliath Stáisiún Heuston
The station in late 2006
Location	St John's Road West Dublin 8 D08 E2CV Ireland
Coordinates	53°20′47″N 6°17′33″W / 53.3465°N 6.2925°W / 53.3465; -6.2925Coordinates: 53°20′47″N 6°17′33″W / 53.3465°N 6.2925°W / 53.3465; -6.2925
Owned by	Iarnród Éireann
Operated by	Iarnród Éireann
Platforms	9
Bus routes	25 25A 25B 66 66A 67 67A 67X 90 145 747
Bus operators	Dublin Bus
Connections	Luas Red Line
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	Yes
Architect	Sancton Wood (terminal) John MacNeill (train shed)[1][2]
Other information
Station code	HSTON
Fare zone	Suburban 1
History
Opened	4 August 1846; 175 years ago (1846-08-04)
Electrified	No
Original company	Great Southern and Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Southern and Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Southern Railways
Key dates
1846	Station opened as Kingsbridge Station
1966	Renamed as Heuston Station
1998, 2004 and 2005	Station refurbished and partially rebuilt
show Services Preceding station   Iarnród Éireann   Following station Terminus   InterCity Dublin-Cork   Newbridge or Kildare or Portlaoise Terminus   InterCity Dublin-Waterford   Newbridge   InterCity Dublin-Limerick via Thurles   Terminus   InterCity Dublin–Galway   Hazelhatch & Celbridge Terminus   InterCity Dublin–Westport/Ballina   Kildare or Newbridge Terminus   InterCity Dublin-Tralee   Ballybrophy Terminus   Commuter South Western Commuter   Park West & Cherry Orchard Preceding station   Luas   Following station Museum towards Connolly or The Point   Red Line   James's towards Tallaght or Saggart   Proposed   Terminus   Commuter South Western Commuter

show v t   Dublin to Cork
Legend
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 Lucan (south) 1947 Adamstown † Hazelhatch and Celbridge † Straffan 1947 Sallins and Naas † Newbridge Curragh Racecourse 1977 Curragh Mainline 1999 Kildare Dublin–Waterford Line Monasterevin † Portarlington Dublin–Westport/Galway line Portlaoise to Kilkenny 1962 Laois Traincare Depot Mountrath 1976 Limerick–Ballybrophy line Ballybrophy Lisduff 1963 Templemore Thurles Goold's Cross 1976 to Cashel 1954 Dundrum 1976 Limerick–Rosslare line Limerick Junction Limerick–Ballybrophy line Limerick–Ennis line Limerick Colbert Emly 1963 Knocklong 1977 Kilmallock 1977 Charleville Buttevant 1977 Mallow Mallow–Tralee Line Mourne Abbey 1963 Rathduff 1976 Blarney (GSW) 1963 Cork Kent Cork–Cobh/Midleton line † Not served by services from Dublin–Cork

show v t Dublin to Galway/Westport
Legend
Year closed 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 Adamstown Hazelhatch and Celbridge Straffan 1947 Sallins and Naas Newbridge Kildare Dublin–Waterford line Monasterevin Portarlington Dublin to Cork line Tullamore Horseleap Branch to Mullingar 1964 Clara Athlone Ballinasloe Woodlawn Attymon Western Railway Corridor to Limerick Athenry Oranmore Galway Roscommon Castlerea Ballyhaunis Claremorris to Collooney Manulla Junction Exchange only Foxford Ballina Castlebar Westport to Achill 1937 Westport Quay 1978

show v t Dublin–Waterford
Legend
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 M50 motorway Clondalkin/Fonthill Kishoge Lucan (south) 1947 Adamstown Hazelhatch and Celbridge Grand Canal Straffan 1947 Sallins and Naas River Liffey Newbridge Curragh Racecourse 1977 Curragh Mainline 1999 Kildare to Cork and Westport/Galway M7 motorway Athy Mageney 1963 Carlow Milford 1963 Muine Bheag to Palace East River Barrow Gowran 1963 Kilkenny to Portlaoise Bennetsbridge 1965 Thomastown River Nore Ballyhale 1963 Mullinavat 1963 Kilmacow 1963 to Limerick to Mallow Waterford West goods yard Waterford Plunkett to Rosslare

show v t South Western Commuter
Legend
Phoenix Park Tunnel to Dublin Pearse or Grand Canal Dock Luas Red Line to Dublin Connolly or Point Depot Dublin Heuston Luas Red Line to Tallaght or Saggart   Inchicore Works   Park West and Cherry Orchard M50 motorway Clondalkin/Fonthill Kishoge (future) Adamstown Hazelhatch and Celbridge The Grand Canal Sallins and Naas The Grand Canal River Liffey Newbridge Kildare Dublin–Waterford Line to Waterford Monasterevin The Grand Canal River Barrow Portarlington Dublin–Westport/Galway Line to Westport or Galway Portlaoise Permanent way depot Conniberry Junction Togher Inland Port (future) Portlaoise Traincare Depot M7 motorway Dublin–Cork Line to Cork Kent

show v t Luas Red Line
Legend
The Point Spencer Dock ( Docklands) Royal Canal Mayor Square - NCI George's Dock Connolly Busáras Green Line, southbound (Marlborough Street) Abbey St Green Line, northbound (O'Connell Street) Jervis Four Courts Smithfield Museum Sean Heuston Bridge over River Liffey Heuston James's Fatima Rialto Ann Devlin Bridge over Grand Canal Suir Road Goldenbridge Drimnagh Blackhorse Bluebell Kylemore M50 Motorway Red Cow Depot Kingswood Belgard Cookstown Hospital Tallaght Fettercairn Cheeverstown Citywest Campus Fortunestown Saggart

Interior of the station looking towards the track area in 2018

Ticketing area in 2018

Heuston Station (/ˈhjuːstən/ (listen) HEW-stən; Irish: Stáisiún Heuston; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is Dublin's largest railway station and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann (IÉ), the national railway operator. It also houses the head office of its parent company - Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ).^[3] The station is named in honour of Seán Heuston, an executed leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, who had worked in the station's offices.

History[]

The station opened on 4 August 1846 as the terminus and headquarters of the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR). It was originally called Kingsbridge Station after the nearby Kings Bridge over the River Liffey.^[4][5] In 1966, on the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising, it was renamed "Heuston Station" in honour of Seán Heuston, a young railway worker who commanded a nearby post in the 1916 Easter Rising. Heuston was one of the 16 executed by the British after that Rising, and had previously worked in the station's offices.^[5]

The passenger terminal and buildings were built to designs by London-born architect Sancton Wood, and the train sheds and infrastructure were designed by Irish-born railway engineer John MacNeill.^[1]

When first constructed the station had only two platforms separated by 5 carriage lines. Two of the lines were subsequently replaced by a two-sided platform and the remaining carriage line also removed. An additional platform, created in 1872 on the south side of the station, beyond the station roof, was known as the "military platform" - the intention being that military personnel could be kept separate from the rest of the public.^[6] Due to the need to cater for increased demand and reduce delays, three new platforms were incorporated in August 2002 as part of a €170,000,000 development incorporating improved signalling and approach track-work.^[7]

Since the station's refurbishment and modernisation (by Quinn Savage Smyth architects and engineers Buro Happold)^[8] its retail facilities now include two branches of Eason, a Marks & Spencer Simply Food store, as well as some dining facilities, including a branch of Supermacs, several cafés, a kiosk, and a large pub.^[9]

A maintenance depot at the Inchicore railway works is located approximately three kilometres (two miles) away and, as with Heuston Station itself, was also opened in 1846.^[10]

Operation[]

Rail services[]

InterCity[]

InterCity services from Heuston run to and from Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Mayo, and Kerry.

Commuter[]

Commuter services stop at all stations to Portlaoise Mondays to Saturdays, and on Sundays at all stations to Kildare.

All services leave the station on a triple line as far as Inchicore, quadruple line until Hazelhatch, and thereafter only double line (one each way).^{[citation needed]}

Heuston is the terminus for the mainline to Cork, and there are key service and transfer points in the Cork-bound direction at:

• Kildare (for stations on the Waterford line)
• Portarlington (for routes to the west via Tullamore and Athlone)
• Portlaoise (end of commuter services from Heuston)
• Ballybrophy (junction for stations on the Limerick-Ballybrophy railway line),
• Limerick Junction (for transfer to Limerick and Ennis services, and Waterford via Clonmel)
• Mallow (junction for Killarney and Tralee, and the start of Cork commuter services).

Links to other main railway stations[]

Before 2016, the physical rail link between Connolly Station and Heuston via the Phoenix Park Tunnel was usually only used for freight and rolling stock movements. Once or twice a year special trains operated, usually from Cork to Connolly for Gaelic Athletic Association matches at Croke Park. A more regular service along this route began on 21 November 2016.^[11]

The Luas light rail red line connects the two stations (apart from off-peak Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays).^[12] Dublin Bus has a direct service to Connolly, but this operates as a special service for Dublin Airport so fares are not at commuter level.^{[citation needed]}

Platforms[]

There are nine platforms: eight terminal platforms and one through platform. Platform 1 is an extension to Platform 2, and reachable only via that platform. Prior to Heuston's 2002-2004 upgrade, there were five terminal platforms.^[13][14]

The through platform is numbered Platform 10 and is situated on the Phoenix Park Tunnel line, which connects to Connolly Station.^[14] There is no platform nine.^[14] Platform 10 is some distance from the main concourse and is not used for any regularly scheduled trains.

Proposed developments[]

A 2018 consultation paper for the proposed Dublin MetroLink project included a reference to a potential future station, labelled "Heuston West", with connections via the Phoenix Park Tunnel to Cabra.^[15]

Other plans, first published in the 1970s,^[16][17] suggested that a proposed DART Underground project would link underground stations at Heuston and Pearse Street via a tunnel.^[18][19] As of 2015, these plans were subject to review,^[19] and as of mid-2018, the DART Underground project was not funded.^[20]

Heuston Luas stop[]

Heuston
A tram at Heuston in 2005
Location	Dublin Ireland
Owned by	Transdev
Operated by	Luas
Line(s)	Red
Platforms	3
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Other information
Fare zone	Central/Red 2
Key dates
26 September 2004	Station opened
Services
Preceding station   Luas   Following station James's towards Tallaght or Saggart   Red Line   Museum towards Connolly or The Point

Heuston is an interchange with Dublin's Luas light rail tram system. Opened in 2004,^[21] Heuston Luas stop is located in front of the station building; the tram tracks run perpendicular to the main line tracks. To the north of the stop, trams cross the River Liffey on the Seán Heuston Bridge, which was refurbished as part of the Luas construction. To the south, trams travel up Steeven's lane, which is closed to road vehicles other than those accessing St. Patrick's University Hospital.^[22]

Heuston has three platforms. There are two outer edge platforms and two sides of an island platform. The two platforms nearest the station serve the same section of track, used for northbound trams travelling towards Connolly or The Point. The platform nearest St. John's Road West is for southbound trams travelling towards and Saggart. The eastern side of the island is a terminus platform, used only in certain peak times, when extra services are run in the city centre section.

Passenger numbers[]

Based on 2019 National Transport Authority figures for "boardings and alightings", Heuston was then the third busiest station in Ireland, behind Dublin's Connolly and Pearse stations.^[23]

Gallery[]

• 

  Facade in 2018

• 

  Cork-Dublin train at Heuston

• 

  Renovated roof

• 

  Heuston interior

See also[]

• List of railway stations in Ireland
• History of rail transport in Ireland

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dublin Heuston railway station.

• Irish Rail Dublin Heuston Station Website
• Luas Heuston Stop information