Dublin–Rosslare railway line

Dublin to Rosslare line
Rock protection from flooding at Kilcoole
Overview
Type	Commuter rail, Inter-city rail Heavy rail
System	Iarnród Éireann
Status	Operational
Locale	East of Ireland
Termini	Dublin Connolly Rosslare Europort
Stations	29
Operation
Opened	17 December 1834 - 24 June 1882
Operator(s)	Iarnród Éireann DART Commuter InterCity
Character	Tertiary
Rolling stock	8100 Class (DART) 8500, 8510 and 8520 Classes (DART) 29000 Class (Commuter) 22000 Class (InterCity)
Technical
Number of tracks	Single track and Double track
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Irish gauge
Electrification	1,500V DC OHLE (North of Greystones)
Route map Legend Year closed Dublin–Belfast Line Dublin–Sligo line Dublin Connolly Luas Red Line (to Dublin Heuston) Luas Red Line (to The Point) Tara Street Dublin Pearse Grand Canal Dock Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road Serpentine Avenue Sandymount Sandymount Sydney Parade Sydney Parade Merrion Gates Merrion Gates 1934 Booterstown Blackrock Seapoint Salthill and Monkstown Dún Laoghaire Sandycove Cutting Sandycove and Glasthule Glenageary Dalkey Killiney Hill Tunnel Obelisk Hill 1858 Killiney 1882 Killiney Ballybrack 1863 Ballybrack 1882 Shankill Harcourt Street line Woodbrook 1960 County Dublin County Wicklow Bray Bray Daly Bray Cove Halt 1929 Bray Head Tunnel No.1 Bray Head Tunnel No.2 Bray Head Tunnel No.3 Bray Head Tunnel No.4 Greystones Kilcoole Newcastle 1964 Wicklow Murrough 1976 Wicklow Rathnew 1964 Glenealy 1964 Rathdrum Avoca 1964 Shillelagh branch line Woodenbridge Junction 1964 M11 motorway Arklow County Wicklow County Wexford Inch 1963 Gorey Camolin 1963 Ferns 1977 Enniscorthy Enniscorthy Tunnel Edermine Ferry 1963 Waterford line Macmine Junction 1963 Killurin 1963 Wexford O'Hanrahan Wexford South 1977 Limerick–Rosslare line Rosslare Strand Kilrane 1963 Rosslare Europort

The Dublin-Rosslare railway line is a main rail route between Dublin Connolly station and Rosslare Europort, where it connects with ferry services to the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The line between Dublin and Greystones is electrified and forms the southern part of the DART service. Between Bray and Rosslare the line is single track only. The line connects with the Limerick-Rosslare line outside Rosslare Strand. From Wicklow on, semaphore signalling was used until April 2008, when the entire line was upgraded to the mini-CTC system controlled from Dublin Connolly. Although it is considered a separate route, the line is continuous after Dublin Connolly, where it connects with the Belfast-Dublin main line. The section between Westland Row (Dublin Pearse) and a point on the line just after Salthill and Monkstown station is the oldest railway line in Ireland, opening in 1834. At that time, the railway terminated adjacent to the start of Dún Laoghaire Harbour's West Pier, at a station called Dunleary.

Services

Services include four InterCity services a day each way between Rosslare Europort and Dublin. There are now four services between Wexford and Dublin Connolly on weekdays. No freight services operate on this route as of 2015. Up until 2002, ammonia and fertiliser trains operated from Shelton Abbey near Arklow, where a fertilizer plant was located. However, this closed in late 2002, since when there have been no regular freight trains on this line. Bagged cement trains also operated in the past to Arklow and Gorey.

On a few Sundays during the summer the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland operates the "Sea Breeze", a steam hauled train with heritage carriages, between Dublin and Wexford/Rosslare.

Traction

Now withdrawn 2700 Class DMU (2702) at Arklow

From late July 2004, Dublin-Rosslare services have been worked exclusively by diesel railcars. Initially the railcars used were drawn from the 2700 Class fleet, but these were replaced within a year. At present, most services are worked by the 22000 Class, of which there are four carriage sets, with the 29000 Class working some services. These however, will be replaced by the 22000 Class DMU's by 2020. Prior to July 2004, services were worked by sets of Mark 2D carriages hauled by 071 class locomotives.

Signalling

In April 2008, the signalling on this route was upgraded to the mini-CTC system, controlled from Connolly Station. Apart from the Limerick Junction station area on the Dublin-Cork route, which was itself upgraded to CTC in 2011, it had been the last of the routes radiating from Dublin to use Electric Train Staff (ETS) and semaphore signalling, which was still in place south of Wicklow up until April 2008.

Many of its signal cabins were situated on the corner of a footbridge. Examples include Wicklow, Rathdrum, Arklow and Gorey. At present these cabins remain in situ.

Main Connections

This line connects at Dublin Connolly with the Enterprise onwards to Dundalk, Portadown and Belfast Central as well as the Sligo Line.

There is also at Rosslare Europort connections by Stena Line to Fishguard Harbour to the West Wales Line onto Carmarthen, Swansea, Cardiff Central, for Reading and London Paddington.

At Rosslare Europort Irish Ferries connect Pembroke Dock (West Wales Line as such) as well as Cherbourg.

See also

• Dublin and South Eastern Railway
• Iarnród Éireann
• Limerick-Rosslare railway line