Railway names

[Branchline121]

Compared to the UK, not a lot of Irish lines have names. Example: the lines in Britain have many names, like the Tees Valley Line for the Bishop Auckland-Saltburn line, or the East Coast Main Line for the London-Edinburgh line. I could go on with examples, but the point is, the lines aren’t just the “A-B line” or whatever company built the railway (some are, but that’s besides the point); so, which Irish examples have names? All I can think of is:

Derry Road (Portadown-Derry)

Great Northern main line (Dublin-Belfast)

Meath Road (Dublin-Navan)

Western Railway Corridor (Limerick-Collooney)

Branches (Youghal, Kingscourt, Oldcastle, Fenit, Castleisland, Ardee, Foynes, Ballina, etc.)

Can anybody think of more?

[Galteemore]

The ‘Irish North’ - Dundalk to Enniskillen. Although technically the Irish North ran all the way to Derry. 

The ‘Back Line’ - Greenisland-Monkstown 

[Westcorkrailway]

I’ve heard “the Kerry road” being thrown around 

 

I think the western rail corridor was actually limerick to ballina/colooney while claremorris to coloony was most the most famous “Burma road” 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Westcorkrailway

[minister_for_hardship]

The North Kerry.

The West Cork, basically the CB&SCR, confusingly there was also an actual West Cork Railway Co., a constituent of the CB&SCR. Some lump the Cork & Macroom into the West Cork (incorrectly imo)

South Kerry (Kenmare & Valentia Harbour branches)

The Cork & Muskerry was known as the 'Hook and Eye', and the Schull & Skibbereen as 'The Trameen' colloquially.

 

[Westcorkrailway]

7 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

The North Kerry.

The West Cork, basically the CB&SCR, confusingly there was also an actual West Cork Railway Co., a constituent of the CB&SCR. Some lump the Cork & Macroom into the West Cork (incorrectly imo)

South Kerry (Kenmare & Valentia Harbour branches)

The Cork & Muskerry was known as the 'Hook and Eye', and the Schull & Skibbereen as 'The Trameen' colloquially.

 

My definition of the West Cork Railway would be a mixture of the Cork, Bandon and south coast, Schull and skibbereen, and macroom lines. As much as the macroom had it’s own identity. (Bassically any line where you began your journey at albert quay to get to the destination) as after 1925 was when the term “west cork railway” was being used to describe the system not the company and by that stage trains for macroom were using Albert quay 

And yes the west cork railway Co. Is confusing…I didn’t know about “the trameen” 

 

there was a name for the fermoy line but I can’t think of it 

 

 

 

[Flying Snail]

The Loop Line in Dublin -  Connolly (Amiens St) to Pearse (Westland Row)

There's likely a lot more than you might think - especially when looking back at lines now long gone. The 'Central Ireland Railway' was the rather grand name given in the Act of Parliament that authorised it to the 7 mile branch line from Portlaoise (Maryboro') to Mountmellick

Edited April 3, 2023 by Flying Snail

[minister_for_hardship]

6 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

My definition of the West Cork Railway would be a mixture of the Cork, Bandon and south coast, Schull and skibbereen, and macroom lines. As much as the macroom had it’s own identity. (Bassically any line where you began your journey at albert quay to get to the destination) as after 1925 was when the term “west cork railway” was being used to describe the system not the company and by that stage trains for macroom were using Albert quay 

And yes the west cork railway Co. Is confusing…I didn’t know about “the trameen” 

 

there was a name for the fermoy line but I can’t think of it 

 

 

 

I wouldn't include the S&S or the Macroom in that grouping, but each to their own. I wouldn't even call Macroom 'West Cork', more mid-Cork or at least the gateway to West Cork.

Most books and articles on the CB&SCR system only mention the S&S and Macroom in passing and where relevant. Both had their own flavour and culture even into GSR/CIE days and even the GSR/CIE regarded the sections separately. Plus I think it only confuses the non-savvy public and by god they're confused enough as it is.

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

I’ve heard “the Kerry road” being thrown around

I think the western rail corridor was actually limerick to ballina/colooney while claremorris to coloony was most the most famous “Burma road”

"...............the western rail corridor was actually limerick to ballina/colooney while claremorris to coloony was most the most famous “Burma road”........."

Not quite. The "western rail corridor" is a long post-railway construct - the term was never heard of until maybe a decade after the line closed! Definitely not a "railway" name - though, as mentioned above, "Burma Road" was used for the section of it north of Claremorris.

The MGWR referred to the Galway route as the "main line"; no surprises there - but they referred to the Sligo line as the "Principal Line". (Good title for a book)...

The "Kerry Road" is certainly in use a long time, probably since the 1960s when passenger services were withdrawn between Tralee & Limerick. But prior to that, the Limerick route from Tralee was the "North Kerry", while the Mallow line was the "South Kerry". Similarly, after 1906, the Waterford - New Ross - Macmine Junction line was the "North Wexford" while the Waterford - Wellington Bridge - Rosslare Strand line was the "South Wexford". The Kenmare & Valentia lines didn't come under this "title".

On the NCC, we also had the "Derry Central" - Antrim - Magherafelt - Kilrea - Macfin.

And on the GNR, to locals the Fintona branch was known by the thing that a horse dragged along it - "The Tram".

 

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by jhb171achill

[seagoebox]

5 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

My definition of the West Cork Railway would be a mixture of the Cork, Bandon and south coast, Schull and skibbereen, and macroom lines. As much as the macroom had it’s own identity. (Bassically any line where you began your journey at albert quay to get to the destination) as after 1925 was when the term “west cork railway” was being used to describe the system not the company and by that stage trains for macroom were using Albert quay 

And yes the west cork railway Co. Is confusing…I didn’t know about “the trameen” 

 

there was a name for the fermoy line but I can’t think of it 

 

 

 

The "Dukes Railway"

[irishrailways52]

the dingle train

[Darrman]

I've occasionally seen Dublin-Cork be referred to as the "Premier Line". I've seen Nenagh Branch for Limerick-Ballybrophy too.

[jhb171achill]

19 minutes ago, Darrman said:

I've occasionally seen Dublin-Cork be referred to as the "Premier Line". I've seen Nenagh Branch for Limerick-Ballybrophy too.

Yes, Ballybrophy-Limerick was always the "Nenagh Branch" even when it was operated, to all intents and purposes, as a main line. This dates from its origins - it was originally to be just a branch of the GSWR from Ballybrophy to Nenagh. Then the Waterford & Limerick set forth from Limerick to Birdhill and Killaloe - its own branch. Then the two were joined at Birdhill and it was Killaloe that became a backwater branch.

We could veer also into nicknames, though this theme has been done to death on posts here before - the "Dirty, Slow & Easy" (DSER), "Slow, Late & Never Comfortable" (SLNC) and so on.

Some years ago a book about the Lough Swilly referred to a name of "That Old Sinner" for that line. It is not a term I ever heard of in railway circles - maybe some cold-faced damnation-loving pulpit-screamer somewhere up in Dunfanaghy called it that for daring to propose trains on the "Sobboth"!

[Rosslare Ranger]

The often forgot "Harcourt St line"

[Westcorkrailway]

33 minutes ago, Rosslare Ranger said:

The often forgot "Harcourt St line"

I wouldn’t say often forgot!