Great Southern & Western Railway Takeover

Rail Station, Queenstown

A photograph of Queenstown railway station in the 1890s, taken from the Laurence Collection. The photograph shows the harbour to the right-hand side, with a steamship anchored at the dock. There is a horse and cart in the foreground. The cart is being loaded with what looks like bricks from an adjacent railway car. Queenstown is visible in the background.

Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

Rail Station, Queenstown
Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

Rail Station, Queenstown

A photograph of Queenstown railway station in the 1890s, taken from the Laurence Collection. The photograph shows the harbour to the right-hand side, with a steamship anchored at the dock. There is a horse and cart in the foreground. The cart is being loaded with what looks like bricks from an adjacent railway car. Queenstown is visible in the background.

Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland

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The Great Southern & Western Railway takeover of the Cork & Youghal Railway Company saw a dramatic improvement in services.

A link line connecting the Cork & Youghal railway with the Great Southern & Western Railway was constructed in 1868 at the southern end of the Cork tunnel, allowing goods trains travelling from Youghal and Queenstown to access the warehouse at Penrose Quay.

New carriages were added to the line and the tracks between Cork and Queenstown were doubled in 1869.

The increased volume of traffic on the Cork to Queenstown line saw the Youghal station relegated to the position of a branch on what was now the main Cork to Queenstown line.