Disused Railway – Galway City to Cliften, Ireland

  • Author: ActiveME
  • Created: August 28, 2012 10:33 am
  • Updated: December 12, 2017 11:01 am
Location: Galway
  • Distance Instructions
Label
  • Distance 115 km
  • Time 0 s
  • Speed 0.0 km/h
  • Min altitude 6 m
  • Peak 53 m
  • Climb 224 m
  • Descent 215 m

The Midland Great Western Railway Company (MGWR) opened this railway line from Galway City to Clifden in County Galway in 1895 at a cost of £9,000 per mile. It was intended by the engineers to follow the coastline to develop the fishing industry and freight and serve this population but instead the line was directed inland by the Royal Commission on Public Works and freight traffic never used the line. The laine was instead developed for tourism and the train was known as the 'tourist express' but unfortunately closed in 1935 some 30 years before the majority of other rural lines closed. It consisted of 30 bridges including a steel viaduct over the River Corrib in Galway. This section of dismantled railway may have the potential to be developed as a walking/cycle route in the future.

Gallery

The Midland Great Western Railway Company (MGWR) opened this railway line from Galway City to Clifden in County Galway in 1895 at a cost of £9,000 per mile. It was intended by the engineers to follow the coastline to develop the fishing industry and freight and serve this population but instead the line was directed inland by the Royal Commission on Public Works and freight traffic never used the line. The laine was instead developed for tourism and the train was known as the ‘tourist express’ but unfortunately closed in 1935 some 30 years before the majority of other rural lines closed. It consisted of 30 bridges including a steel viaduct over the River Corrib in Galway. This section of dismantled railway may have the potential to be developed as a walking/cycle route in the future.

Gallery