The Phoenix Park Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Dublin, Ireland. The tunnel was built in 1877 and begins at the Liffey Railway Bridge near Heuston Station, running underneath the Phoenix Park for 757 yards (692 m) before re-emerging close to the junction of the Infirmary Road and North Circular Road.[1] It joins with the Sligo line near Glasnevin, before continuing to Dublin Connolly.
 Southern end of the tunnel | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Tollán Pháirc na Fhionnuisce |
| Location | Dublin, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°20′51″N 6°18′12″W / 53.3474°N 6.3033°W |
| Route | Heuston Station to Dublin-Sligo railway line |
| Start | Dublin Heuston railway station |
| End | Dublin-Sligo railway line |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1877 |
| Owner | Iarnród Éireann |
| Operator | Iarnród Éireann |
| Character | Through-rail passenger and freight |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 757 yards (692 m) |
| No. of tracks | Double track |
| Track gauge | Irish gauge |
| Electrified | Not electrified |
| Operating speed | 20 mph |
The tunnel was originally built by the Great Southern and Western Railway company to connect Kingsbridge station to the Dublin Docklands,[2] and primarily used for freight. Historically the line had not been used for regular passenger trains, with most traffic through the tunnel being freight or carriages and engines shunted between Connolly and Heuston for maintenance. It had occasionally been used for special passenger services, including traffic for major Gaelic Athletic Association fixtures.[3]
It reopened on 21 November 2016 for regular passenger traffic.[4] As of late 2018, this traffic was predominantly weekday services.[5]
References
edit- ^ "A train trip through the 138-year-old Phoenix Park Tunnel". Irish Times. 20 August 2013.
- ^ Hutton, Brian (18 August 2015). "Renovation work on 138-year-old Phoenix Park railway tunnel commences". Irish Independent.
- ^ Fegan, Joyce (9 March 2015). "Plans for four trains an hour in Phoenix Park tunnel next year". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- ^ Pope, Conor (21 November 2016). "Passenger trains use Phoenix Park tunnel for first time in 100 years". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ Pollak, Sorcha (5 December 2018). "More than 280 new weekly train services on mainly commuter routes announced". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
Phoenix Park Tunnel services, which are currently only used at peak times, will be expanded to include Monday to Friday off-peak services