Manulla Junction

Manulla Junction Station, Co.Mayo, serves only a sparsely populated area. This is where the Midland Great Western Railway's 1876 built branch line to Ballina diverges from the main Dublin to Westport line. The station at Manulla was originally closed in 1963, with the junction been controlled from nearby Balla there after. However in 1988, Manulla Jct was reopened as a passenger transfer point, and Balla ceased to be a block post from then on. Today, both up and down platforms remain, the up being only in use and has been turned into a bay platform to allow Ballina branch services to terminate here. All of the original by then derelict MGWR station buildings were demolished in the late 1980s.
This is Manulla Junction as it was in 2004, looking west towards Westport showing the single platform serving the main line and Ballina branch. A 201 Class loco approaches the platform at Manulla Jct with a Dublin to Westport train, while another 201 Class awaits departure for Ballina with the 1960s Craven built coaches. 071 Class locomotive No.074 stands a Manulla Jct on the Irish Railway Record Society special from Westport to Dublin. The junction here has since been rebuilt, with a dead end bay platform for Ballina trains now sited here. Manulla Jct Station does process any station buildings; the orignal Midland Great Western Railway structures were demolished in the 1980s.
A view of Manulla Jct, looking west towards Westport, showing the Ballina branch line diverging to the right. This divergence has since been moved to the western end of the platform. North of Manulla Jct is this wide level crossing on the Ballina branch, which crosses the N60 road to Wesport. Today the manual gates have since been replaced by automatic barriers. An old style lamp with LED lights, seen at this level crossing on the Ballina branch north of Manulla Jct. The stone built MGWR gate keepers house is to the left.