The well known university city of Galway was first served by rail in 1851 when Midland Great Western Railway achieved their goal by opening their mainline from Dublin. The Government of Ireland Act of 1885, funded the MGWR to build a line from the Galway terminus out to the Atlantic coast to serve the poor and sparsely populated area of Connemara to Clifden, this opened in 1895, and featured a tunnel and a large bridge across the River Corrib in Galway City, the stone piers of which still stand today. The unprofitable line lasted just 40 years, been closed by the Great Southern Railway in 1935.
Galway Station was partially modernised in the 1960s, but retains its large MGWR station building and railway hotel, located on Eyre Square. The station also retains its trainshed, but now with just one platform. The former bay platform for the Clifden line remains opposite the MGWR engine shed and now disconnected turntable. Mechanical signalling has now been replaced by CTC on the Galway line in 2004, but the typical MGWR signal cabin remains. From March 2010 onwards trains from Limerick began operating to Galway via the reopened Athenry to Limerick line.
1 Seen in its original Irish Rail orange livery with a modified front, 201 Class loco No.203 takes an evening service away from Galway towards Dublin.
2 201 Class loco No.216 is silver & green 'Intercity' is seen within the train shed at Galway Station as the driver prepares to shunt out the Mk3 coaching stock following its arrival from Dublin.
3 A view from the buffer stops at the terminus station in Galway, showing the main single platform and carriage siding. General Motors built loco 216 was delivered to Irish Rail in 1994.
4 The train shed at Galway Station is quite dark despite the numerous light shafts in the roof. Behind loco 216 is the smokey Mk3 generator van.
5 In the late 1960s Galway was one of those main CIE stations to acquire black & white terrazzo tiles as seen here. At other modernised stations the tiles have been removed. On the left is the 1980s built Mk3 restaurant car.
6 No.216 is now seen running around its train outside the dark train shed at Galway Station. Behind the loco can be seen the redundant side of the train shed which was given over to motor traffic in the 1930s. Locomotive hauled services to Galway have since ceased and the run round loop sees little use nowadays.
7 201 Class loco No.218, named 'Abhainn na Garbhoige' or in English 'River Garavogue', is seen shunting out a rake of Mk3 stock at Galway Station having arrived on a special service from Dublin.
8 Modern centralised Traffic Control replaced the mechanical signalling on the Galway line in 2004. Colour light signal No.GL 387 is the 'Up Starter' for trains leaving the main platform.
9 Loco 218 (out of view) now propels its Mk3 coaching stock into platform No.1 at Galway Station. Athough numbered one, this bay platform is not regularly used for departing trains. Before its closure in 1935 this platform was used by branch line services to Clifden.
10 The new order of main line trains to Galway, handled by the Korean built 22000 Class diesel railcars, such as No.22131 is seen having arrived with an afternoon service from Dublin. 2700 Class railcars usually operate on the Galway to Limerick trains.
11 The exterior of the Midland Great Western stone built station building at Galway Station, dating from 1851. Most bus services in Galway are operated by Bus Eireann.
12 This is the large facade of the Midland Great Western Railway's hotel which is located off the main Eyre Square in Galway City. The hotel is no longer in railway ownership.
13 The now disused Midland Great Western locomotive shed at Galway Station. The track leading to the shed has been disconnected and fenced off.
14 This is the turntable located on the north side of Galway Station beside the bay platform, as it was in the summer of 2001. The table is now disused with the track having been disconnected during the resignalling of the Galway line. Behind the table is the renment of the line to Clifden.
15 The northside of Galway Station was once decorated by many floral displays as seen here. With the rationalisation of the station in 2004 the displays have since been removed.
16 A view of Galway Station from the first overbridge on the former line to Clifden, closed in April 1935. Only a rusty disconnected stub of this 1895 built line remains as seen here. On the right is the redundant turntable.
17 This a view of the aforemetioned bridge from which the previous photo was taken, with the track of the overgrown stub of the Clifden line just visible. Much of the trackbed of line has been lost to city development in the background.
18 The large MGWR built water tower at Galway Station, complete with tank. The structure is no longer located within the station area having been fenced off.
19 A redundant MGWR water crane stands within the yard at Galway Station. It has been many years since a steam locomotive has visited Galway, even on a special.
20 The large stone built goods shed at Galway Station, which remained in use for freight traffic until the early 2000s. Today no freight trains operate to Galway.
21 This was another floral display depicting the initials of Coras Iompair Eireann, as seen in the freight yard in 2001. Behind can be seen container, oil and keg traffic which have all since disappeared.
22 This is the typical 19th Century Midland Great Western Railway signal cabin at Galway Station, with its brick built base. The cabin and the mechanical signalling was made redundant in 2004.
23 This is the bridge across Lough Atalia on the approach to Galway Station, which also carries a public footpath. Decades ago this bridge had the ability to open to ship traffic. Sadly with modernisation, huge anti vandalism fencing has been placed all around the structure.
