Carrigtwohill

The village of Carrigtwohill, Co.Cork, was first served by rail when the Cork & Youghal Railway opened their line between Cork City and Midleton in 1859, latterly taken over by the Great Southern & Western in 1866. The single platform station had a single storey brick built station building, located on the up side of the line, while on the down side was a goods loading bank and corrugated iron shed, served by a loop. Regular passenger services over the Cobh Junction to Youghal line ceased in 1963, but remained in use of occasional Sunday excursions until the late 1970s. By the early 1980s goods services had ceased completely, after which only infrequent passenger specials ran to Youghal, the last been to Midleton in 1988.

The Youghal line lay derelict for 21 years until 2009, when the line reopened as far as Midleton. A new station at Carrigtwohill, which consists of up & down platforms serving a section of double line, was constructed on the western side of the road overbridge at the station. The original C&YR station building survives as a signal relay room, adjacent to the former station masters house. Carrigtwohill is now served by regular commuter trains running to and from Cork City.
Carrigtwohill Station, looking east towards Youghal in 1984. 141 Class loco 150 approaches with an IRRS special from Midleton. In this view is the single platform, goods loading bank and corrugated iron goods shed. ©Mark Healy After the late 1980s the Youghal line became derelict with the former station at Carrigtwohill becoming heavily overgrown, with the platform, building and track barely visible. By the following year Carrigtwohill Station was revealed, along with the track after initial vegetation clearance for the future reopening of the line to Midleton. By this time the small goods shed had been demolished. Present view shows the now reinstated line to Midleton, with the 1860s built Cork & Youghal railway building now acting as a signal relay room. Part of the line to Midleton is now double track, as seen here at Carrigtwohill.
The derelict single storey brick station building at Carrigtwohill, viewed from the road ovebridge. Note the former door entrance on this end of the structure, now bricked up. Carrigtwohill Station building, now smartly restored as part of the reopening of the line to Midleton. The building, which has also received new windows, is a listed structure. Although Carrigtwohill Station opened in 1859, the Cork & Youghal Railway building probably dates from the 1860s. This view was taken after vegetation clearance. Note the twin chimney. Carrigtwohill Station, now restored and in use as a signal relay room for the reopened line to Midleton. It is nice to get a full view of this rather venerable railway building.
Inside the Carrigtwohill Station booking office. Not a lot has changed, all the original features such as the wooden boarding, benches and ticket stand remain. Note the large bylaws notice, both in Irish and English 'Ladies Only' waiting rooms were common in Ireland. The letters indicating the room of which at Carrigtwohill Station still survive. On the then derelict platform at Carrigtwohill Station, looking west towards Cork, and to where the new station was later built. The former goods loading bank at Carrigtwohill Station. The remains of the demolished corrugated iron shed can be seen. Sugar beet was largely handled here until the early 1980s.
The remains of the one time corrugated iron goods shed at Carrigtwohill Station, which remained in use until the late 1970s. 001 Class loco No.009 heads a Youghal bound goods train through Carrigtwohill Station in April 1977. At this time the goods loop was still in use for the loading of sugar beet. Note the GSWR nameboard on the left. ©Jonathan M.Allen The forlorn looking Carrigtwohill Station in 2006, shortly after the undergrowth was cleared. This view is looking west towards Cork, with the overgrown goods bank on the right. Carrigtwohill Station in 2009 after the reopening of the line to Midleton, with the new double platform station visible beyond the road overbridge. The former goods bank was completely removed.
Another view of what once was the heavily overgrown line at the western end of Carrigtwohill Station, hard to believe at this time the last trains which traversed the route were in 1988 and 1989. Note the railway telegraph pole on the left. The track was uncovered the following year after the initial vegetation clearance. The headshunt off the former goods loop was sited to the right of the track. Present view shows the new Carrigtwohill Station, located on the western side of the road overbridge adjacent to the original Cork &Youghal Railway station. The stone built road overbridge at the western end of Carrigtwohill Station, looking towards Youghal. The goods loop once stood to the left, lifted after the early 1980s.
The overbridge has since received a facelift, along with the aforementioned raising of the parrapet walls. The old single platform was completely cleared away during the rebuilding. 2700 Class railcar No.2703 forms an Irish Railway Record Society tour to Midleton at Carrigtwohill Station. No.2704 is one of the late 1990s built Irish Rail diesel railcars, which originally entered service as the black & orange liveried 'Arrows'. Where beet trains used to amble along, No.2703 prepares to head out of Carrigtwohill Station with the IRRS special to Midleton.
The large carpark built on the up side of Carrigtwohill Station, expected to be used by Cork City commuters. This was once an empty green field. The typical Cork & Youghal Railway station masters house at Carrigtwohill, now a private residence, located adjacent to the original station building. Who viewing the 2005 photos of the line in its overgrown state would have thought this would become a reality so quickly.