Ranelagh and Rathmines

Ranelagh & Rathmines Station, is located within the southern suburbs of Dublin City on the Dublin & Wicklow Railway's 1859 built Harcourt St to Bray line. The station was a later addition to the line, opening in July 1896, and was generally known simply as 'Ranelagh'. It originally had all timber platforms, but the majority of the up platform was renewed with concrete by CIE in 1943. It had typical Dublin Wicklow & Wexford Railway style corrugated iron station buildings on each platform with the signal cabin being part of one; it was taken out of use in 1928. Access to the station was gained from Dunville Ave and the booking and station masters office was on the up side at street level. A white tiled subway provided access to the down side with wooden stairs leading up to both platforms.

The Harcourt St line was closed in Decembert 1958 by CIE, however it reopened in the form of a Luas tram line in 2004. During construction work for the new line, the original D&WR white tiled subway was partly revealed, this being the only remains of the original station. Ranelagh & Rathmines Station/Stop now has a new guise as 'Beechwood'.
The remains of Ranelagh & Rathmines Station on the Harcourt St line, looking south towards Bray in 2002. The white tiled subway of the former station is on the right. Ranelagh & Rathmines Station looking north towards Harcourt St. The line once crossed Dunville Ave. on a overbridge. On the left is the only remains of the station; the tiled subway adjacent to the road. In early 2004, the new Luas stop at Ranelagh & Rathmines is nearing complete, consisting of up & down platforms and adjacent shop. A 3-car Luas tram arrives at the new Ranelagh & Rathmines Station. Nowadays the line has to pass over the Dunville Ave on a level crossing seen here. During the reconstruction of the old trackbed into the Luas line, the railway embankment was considerably lowered.
This 4-wheel diesel locomotive, seen in early 2004 hauling a flat wagon with an excavator, was used during the construction of the Luas line between Stillorgan and Renalagh. RanelaghRathmines 20040125 007 CC JA The road level crossing at Renalagh & Rathmines, controlled by road traffic lights. The building on the right has since become a shop, and is built on the site of the original entrance to the 1896 railway station. A view looking north towards Harcourt St from Ranelagh & Rathmines, prior to the Luas line opening in 2004.
A recent view at Ranelagh & Rathmines sees French built Citadis tram No.5015 arriving with a service from Dublin City Centre to Brides Glen. This is the second type of tram to enter service on the Luas lines, featuring narrower headlights. Tram No.5051 is now seen climbing up the gradient from Ranelagh & Rathmines with its southbound service to Brides Glen, then recently opened. The next stop south of here is Cowper. Tram No.5018 approaches Ranelagh & Rathmines from the south with a northbound service to Stephens Green in Dubin City's centre. The building in the background marks the site of a one time footbridge across the railway line. This is the wide stone built bridge abutment on the Ranelagh Road, north of the old station as seen in 2002 when work had started on the new Luas line.
By early 2004 the new bridge has been installed across the Ranelagh Road, which utilised the original 1854 built railway abutments. The new Luas stop for the Ranelagh area is located here. Between Ranelagh and Harcourt St much of the Luas line is carried on the former stone built railway embankment. An excavator can be seen at work on the line in 2002, above an attractive arched bridge. North of Renelagh was this former rail overbridge on Dartmonth Road, the stone built abutment of which is seen here when work had started on the Luas line in 2002. In early 2004 the bridge abutments have been restored and a new bridge now spans the Dartmonth Road near Ranelagh. The original railway bridges here were of cast iron lattice, later replaced by metal plate types, and removed after 1959 following closure of the Harcourt St line.