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The Cork Blackrock and Passage Railway 1850-1932

Cork-Blackrock-Rochestown-Passage West-Glenbrook-Monkstown-Raffeen-Carrigaline-Crosshaven

Then ..and now

his was the first railway to arrive in Cork city. It was built as standard guage but converted to narrow gauge in 1897 when work started to extend the line to Crosshaven.

At opening the line ran from City Park station in Cork via Blackrock to the steamer berths at Passage West for 6d first and 4d second class.

in 1873 the city corporation forced the company to relocate to a new terminus at Albert Street. It might have been more sensible to join the Cork & Bandon railway at Albert Quay but there was too much competition between railways for such common sense solutions.

In 1897 things were going so well that the decision was taken to extend the line to Crosshaven, double the track between Cork and Blackrock and convert the whole line to narrow gauge. To achieve all this a 1500 foot tunnel had to be built between Passage and Glenbrook. The line was opened to Monkstown in 1902 and to Crosshaven in 1904. In 1914 Crosshaven was closed by the military and rail services to it stopped. The line was also badly affected by the fighting on the war of independence and the civil war.

The railway joined the GSR in 1924 and rationalisation and competition from buses began to affect it. The line was closed in 1932 although it is possible to imagine such a service running even now. It serves a scenic and populated area and could thrive on commuter, tourist and freight custom. Carrigaline has a population of 20,000 and the highest proportion of car-commuting in Ireland.

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