Connolly

Dublin Connolly, formerly known as Amiens Street Station prior to 1966, was opened by the Dublin & Drogheda Railway in 1844. The D&DR became part of the extensive Great Northern Railway, and their southern headquarters were soon established at Amiens Street, now Irish Rail's HQ. The station became a through station in 1895 when the City of Dublin Junction Railway linked Amiens Street with Westland Row (Pearse Station) via the 'new' loop line across the River Liffey. Services from the south from Bray and Rosslare could now gain access to Amiens Street and interchange with the GNR. In 1906 the GSWR opened their line into Amiens Street from Kingsbridge (Heuston Station) via Drumcondra (now the main Sligo/Maynooth line). When the Great Southern Railway, and later CIE took over in 1945, services could run straight from the south through to the western lines, and then after the GNR was abolished in 1959, CIE had total control over the north, south and western lines from Amiens Street, which are now used extensively by the electrified DART and commuter services, mainly from Bray, Howth, Maynooth and Drogheda.


Connolly Station boasts a fine imposing Italianate station building, with some later GNR station architecture and canopies on some of the platforms. The station also boasts two operational turntables and a locomotive shed. There are also stabling sidings located to the rear of the station, mostly used by diesel railcars.