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Above:
The original signal cabin
Courtesy
of Cork County Library
Below:
The restored signal cabin
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HISTORY
From
1854 to 1861:
The
‘Cork and Youghal Railway’ company, which
was to serve Midleton, obtained parliamentary approval
in 1854 for the Cork-Youghal line, with a branch line
to Queenstown (Cobh). The first section of the line,
from Dunkettle to Midleton, was opened on November 10
by the Lord Lieutenant, the Earl of Carlisle, who also
turned the sod for the Queenstown branch.
The
line was a great success, with an increase of 50% in
passenger turnover within two months.
At
that stage of the railway development, customers had
to travel from Dunkettle to King Street, Cork (modern
MacCurtain Street) by horse-drawn omnibus – a
journey which took 40 minutes.
The
line was fully completed when, on 30 December 1861, the
first steam-hauled train ran direct from Cork (Summerhill)
to Youghal. It ran till 1 February 1893 when the new Glanmire
Road station opened to join the Dublin and Youghal line
directly. The
line was a great success, with an increase of 50% in
passenger turnover within two months. At that stage
of the railway development, customers had to travel
from Dublin and Youghal line directly.
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