Navan Junction railway station
Encyclopedia
Navan Junction was a railway station serving the town of Navan
in County Meath
. As the name suggests, the station was located at the junction of two railway lines. The first was a branch line
off the main line
between Belfast
and Dublin, which connected Drogheda
and Oldcastle
, and opened in 1850. The second, which opened in 1862, was also a branch line, this time off the line
from Dublin to Sligo
, connecting Clonsilla
and Navan. This line was later extended as far as Kingscourt
in 1865.
Although Navan had two railway stations, Navan Junction was the main one serving the town, with a total of four platforms serving the two routes. However, following the nationalisation of the railways in Ireland
in 1945, a major rationalisation programme led to the closure of many branch lines. Passenger services on the Kingscourt line ended in 1947, and led to the line between Clonsilla and Navan being lifted, while services on the Oldcastle line ended in 1958, with the line between Navan and Oldcastle lifted in 1963. This saw the final closure of Navan Junction station itself.
Today, little remains of the station. Most of the buildings have been demolished, with the exception of the Midland Great Western Railway
goods shed and the Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
down platform. However, freight trains still pass through the site - until 2001, trains transported gypsum
from the Gypsum Industries plant at Kingscourt through the site, while trains from the Tara Mine
continue to use the remaining part of the Oldcastle line to transport zinc
and lead
to Drogheda. In addition, the reinstatement of the line
from Clonsilla for passenger services will see trains running through on the old alignment to a new park and ride
terminus at Navan North
.
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
. As the name suggests, the station was located at the junction of two railway lines. The first was a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
off the main line
Dublin-Belfast railway line
The Dublin-Belfast main line is a major railway route in Ireland that connects Dublin Connolly station in the Republic of Ireland and Belfast Central station in Northern Ireland.-History:The railway line was built by three separate companies...
between Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and Dublin, which connected Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
and Oldcastle
Oldcastle, County Meath
Oldcastle is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is located in the north-west of the county near the border with Cavan, approximately 21 km from Kells. The R154 and R195 regional roads cross in the town's market square...
, and opened in 1850. The second, which opened in 1862, was also a branch line, this time off the line
Dublin-Sligo railway line
The Dublin to Sligo line is a main line railway route operated by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland. It starts in Dublin Connolly station, terminating at Mac Diarmada railway station in Sligo...
from Dublin to Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
, connecting Clonsilla
Clonsilla
Clonsilla is a suburb of Dublin in the district of Fingal, Ireland.-Location and access:Originally a small village in its own right, Clonsilla is now a large residential suburban area, with Ongar and other localities developing their own subsidiary identities...
and Navan. This line was later extended as far as Kingscourt
Kingscourt railway station
Kingscourt Railway station is a former passenger station in Kingscourt, County Cavan, in Ireland. It was created by the Navan and Kingscourt Railway in 1865. This was purchased by the Midland Great Western Railway in 1888. The line ceased passenger services in 1947, and was then a freight only...
in 1865.
Although Navan had two railway stations, Navan Junction was the main one serving the town, with a total of four platforms serving the two routes. However, following the nationalisation of the railways in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
in 1945, a major rationalisation programme led to the closure of many branch lines. Passenger services on the Kingscourt line ended in 1947, and led to the line between Clonsilla and Navan being lifted, while services on the Oldcastle line ended in 1958, with the line between Navan and Oldcastle lifted in 1963. This saw the final closure of Navan Junction station itself.
Today, little remains of the station. Most of the buildings have been demolished, with the exception of the Midland Great Western Railway
Midland Great Western Railway
The Midland Great Western Railway was the third largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railway in 1924. It served part of Leinster, County Cavan in Ulster and much of Connaught...
goods shed and the Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
down platform. However, freight trains still pass through the site - until 2001, trains transported gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
from the Gypsum Industries plant at Kingscourt through the site, while trains from the Tara Mine
Tara Mine
Tara Mines is a zinc and lead mine near Navan, County Meath, Ireland. In the Navan ore body Tara is an underground mine where the orebody lies between 50 and 900 metres below surface....
continue to use the remaining part of the Oldcastle line to transport zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
to Drogheda. In addition, the reinstatement of the line
Dublin-Navan railway line
The Dublin-Navan line was a commuter railway line between Dublin and the town of Navan in County Meath.- History :Navan was originally a significant part of the expanding rail network in Ireland. The Dublin and Drogheda Railway first constructed a branch from the Dublin-Belfast main line through...
from Clonsilla for passenger services will see trains running through on the old alignment to a new park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
terminus at Navan North
Navan North railway station
Navan North railway station is a proposed railway station intended to serve the town of Navan in County Meath. The station will be the northern terminus of the reinstated Clonsilla-Navan line, and is planned as a major park and ride facility, located to the north of the town, close to the village...
.