Limerick–Ballybrophy railway line

Limerick to Ballybrophy Line
Legend Ballybrophy Dublin-Cork Main Line Roscrea Cloughjordan Nenagh Birdhill Castleconnell Dublin-Cork Main Line Limerick Colbert

The Limerick-Ballybrophy line is a short railway line connecting Limerick with Ballybrophy Railway Station in County Laois. The line diverges from the Limerick to Limerick Junction railway line at Killonan and continues in a north east direction with five intermediate stops at Castleconnell, Birdhill, Nenagh, Cloughjordan and Roscrea. The line ends at Ballybrophy where it joins the Dublin-Cork Main Line. Services are infrequent, with only two trains per weekday in each direction from Ballybrophy to Limerick. In addition, there is a commuter service, forming part of the Limerick Suburban Rail network, which has one train running from Nenagh to Limerick. This commuter train runs Mondays to Fridays inclusive. On Sundays there is one train in each direction, Limerick-Ballybrophy. Services on the line are formed of IE 2800 Class railcars.

Despite such a poor service, it is an improvement over the past. A local rail users group lobbied Irish Rail to improve the timetable to suit commuters, which they duly did, to a limited extent. The service is mostly patronised by passengers who connect into morning Limerick to Heuston Station trains and evening trains in the opposite direction, at Ballybrophy Station.

The railway line is also plagued by speed restrictions particularly close to Limerick city. For instance the route although a shorter and more direct route between Limerick and Dublin takes almost an hour longer than travelling from Limerick to Dublin via Limerick Junction. Also, the train is also slower than travelling by car if commuting between Nenagh and Limerick. The railway line also does not serve major employment and educational facilities in Limerick such as the National Technology Park and the University of Limerick which are located near the line.

Enhanced train service from March 2012

The key feature of the new timetable which came into effect on 5th March 2012 was a new through InterCity service from the Nenagh line to Dublin (Heuston). This was an early-morning service and operated Mondays to Fridays inclusive. The two evening trains ex Limerick were advanced by forty minutes and the second such train extended to Ballybrophy. Consequently there was then four trains along the branch towards Ballybrophy and three towards Limerick Mondays to Fridays inclusive. The number of trains on Saturdays remained unchanged at two in each direction. On Sundays one train operated each way as per present with no timing changes. This enhanced rail service has since been discontinued.

Closure proposal

A January 2012 national newspaper article suggested that Irish Rail was expected to seek permission from the National Transport Authority to close the line. However the announcement on 20th February, 2012 of an enhanced timetable for the line meant that this threat was lifted, at least for a time.