New Ross

New Ross, Co.Wexford, which lies on the River Barrow, was first served by rail when the Dublin Wicklow & Wexford Railway opened their September 1887 built Waterford line from Macmine Jct on what is now the Dublin to Rosslare line. In April 1904, the DWWR extended the line south from New Ross to Waterford. Passenger services on the Macmine Jct to New Ross and Waterford line ceased in 1963, but the section from Waterford to New Ross remained in use for cement and fertilizer traffic until 1995. Today, the line remains in situ but very much derelict and overgrown in some sections.

New Ross Station had up & down platforms, with a wooden DWWR station building and signal cabin, complete with footbridge. In 1966, New Ross signal cabin was abolished, with a ground frame controlling the yard from then on. In 1978 a standard CIE cement and fertilizer store was built in the former goods yard and station layout now just consists of a run around loop. The derelict station buildings were eventually demolished in 1997. Today, only the down platform remains. Just north of the town is the old bridge spanning the River Barrow.
The view from the platform, but nowadays the station and yard at New Ross are completely derelict, with grass and shrubs growing on old platform and track. The last fertilizer trains from New Ross operated on the 30th January 1995, and since then the line has been abandoned. A similar view today, looking south towards Waterford from the down platform at New Ross Station, showing the grassy platform and overgrown track. This electrical relay box on the former down platform at New Ross controlled the automated level crossing just south of the station at Rosbercon on the N25 road. The station and yard at New Ross is nowadays largely overgrown, with the entrance gates permanently locked. Since 1995, the fertilizer traffic from the Albatros factory have been road transported to Waterford via the modern N25 road.
The bagged cement and fertilizer store at the disused New Ross Station survives, but track and run around loop are covered in grass and shrubs. The forlorn looking freight store at New Ross, built in the 1970s to handle mainly the bagged fertilizer traffic from the Albatros factory. Today the store has found use as a local drinking den for the town. An old Irish Cement Ltd sign complete with faded Irish Rail logo, mounted onto the freight store at New Ross Station. Bagged cement trains from New Ross were infrequent compared to the fertilizer traffic. The paved loading pad complete with sheltered canopy at the freight store at New Ross Station. There were many of these stores constructed by CIE which are still existence, though no longer used for railfreight traffic.
The overgrown station at New Ross, looking north from the station level crossing in the summer of 2002. An old CIE trespassing sign can be seen, although it has been many years since the last train called here. A more recent view of the station level crossing at New Ross, where the track nowadays is completely covered in trees and shrubs. The gated road entrance which lead onto the down platform can be seen on the right. The rails across the road have also been covered over. A view looking south towards Waterford from the old level crossing at New Ross. The crossing gates remained in situ until the late 1990s, but have been replaced by permanent fencing. Sections of the disused line are completely overgrown, as seen here. An old ivy covered Dublin South Eastern Railway signal post, minus a semaphore arm, remains in situ on the southern side of New Ross Station level crossing. The pre-1925 Dublin South Eastern Railway often used these lattice constructed posts.
This is the 590ft long Dublin Wicklow & Wexford Railway's built bridge across the River Barrow north of New Ross, which trains last crossed in 1963. This view is looking south towards New Ross and Waterford. The Barrow Bridge, looking north north towards Palace East and Macmine Jct. Each of the its main spans are 110ft long. The swing span section located on the centre of the Barrow Bridge, which allowed two lanes of shipping 40th wide each. The span was controlled by a control cabin on the north side of the bridge, now long since gone The view from the Barrow Bridge looking north up stream.
Surprisingly the track between New Ross and the old Barrow Bridge remains in situ, though heavily overgrown. This a small overbridge located just north of the station, which has had a concrete replacement span. Another rail overbridge located between New Ross and the Barrow Bridge. This bridge allows access between fields for a nearby farm. The rails and the iron bridge spans remain. A farmers level crossing, complete with original stone post and gate, which remains in situ on the section of disused line between New Ross and the Barrow Bridge. In the foreground can be seen the partly grass covered track. The New Ross branch is Dublin & South Eastern Railway territory and not surprisingly some of the rail chairs bear the initials of that company, seen here on the section of line between the station and the Barrow Bridge.
A view of the overgrown track between New Ross Station and the Barrow Bridge, which features some shallow rocky cuttings seen here. The last trains to traverse this bit of track were in 1963, and ever since then it has lain abandoned. By 2005 the level crossing at Rosbercon had long since fallen into disuse, the last trains having traversed the N25 road in January 1995. At this time the lifting barriers and a couple of the road traffic lights remained in situ. By April 2011 the lifting barriers and lights at Rosbercon level crossing had been removed and the rails covered over. Another view of the disused Rosbercon level crossing at New Ross, as it in 2005 looking south towards Waterford, showing the barriers still in situ. The track on both sides of the crossing were heavily overgrown.
A more recent view at Rosbercon reveals there is little evidence of the level crossing left, apart from the base of the lifting barriers seen here. The eastern approach to Rosbercon level crossing south of New Ross Station on the main N25 road. Although the level crossing is long gone, a modern road sign still warns road users of the now non existence hazzard. A recent view of the Albatros factory at New Ross, where there was level crossing here at the entrance to the plant. The track along here is overgrown with horses grazing along some sections. A view of the disused track south of New Ross alongside the Albatros factory.
The same view today sees the Staffords Siding completely overgrown with brambles. This particular section of the line south of New Ross is heavily overgrown, the last trains having run 1995. The fixed distance signal for New Ross, located just south of Staffords Siding, remains in situ. The signal post is another Dublin South Eastern Railway type. The state of the overgrown track can clearly be seen here.