Irish North Western Railway (INW) was an

Irish gauge Railways with a track gauge of fall within the category of broad gauge railways. , they were extant in Australia, Brazil and Ireland. History 600 BC :The Diolkos (Δίολκος) across the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece – a grooved pave ...

() railway company in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

The Irish North yard, Dundalk - geograph

Development

The company was founded as the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway (D&ER) and opened the first section of its line, from to , in 1849. In Dundalk the D&ER line crossed the

Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway Dublin and the Belfast Junction Railway (D&BJct, Irish: Iarnród Bhaile Átha Cliath agus Acomhal Bhéal Feirste) was an Irish gauge () railway in Ireland. The company was incorporated in 1845 and opened its line in stages between 1849 and 18 ...

main line, which was completed between and its own separate station in the same year. The D&ER extended westwards, reaching in 1854, in 1855 and in 1858. In 1859 the D&ER reached where it connected with the

Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER) was an Irish gauge () railway in Ireland. Construction and opening The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway was incorporated in 1845. Construction began at Derry and followed the west bank of the ...

(L&ER). The L&ER had been completed in 1854 but had been unprofitable, so in 1860 it leased its line in perpetuity to the D&ER. This gave the D&ER a direct route between Dundalk and . In 1862 the INW opened a branch from southwards to . In the same year the company renamed itself the Irish North Western Railway. In 1863 the

Ulster Railway The Ulster Railway was a railway company operating in Ulster, Ireland. The company was incorporated in 1836 and merged with two other railway companies in 1876 to form the Great Northern Railway (Ireland). History The Ulster Railway was auth ...

reached Clones where it made a junction with the INW. In 1868 the

Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway The Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway (E&BR) was an Irish gauge railway company in north-west Ireland. It linked Bundoran and Ballyshannon on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, Donegal with the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER) at ...

opened between and , and contracted the INW to operate its line. In 1876 the INW merged with the

Northern Railway of Ireland Northern Railway of Ireland was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland. It was formed by a merger of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway (D&D) with the Dublin and the Belfast Junction Railway (D&BJct) in 1875. In 1876 it merged with the Irish No ...

and the Ulster Railway to form the Great Northern Railway.

After merger

The GNR operated the line between Dundalk and Enniskillen until 1957, when the

Government of Northern Ireland The government of Northern Ireland is, generally speaking, whatever political body exercises political authority over Northern Ireland. A number of separate systems of government exist or have existed in Northern Ireland. Following the partitio ...

made the GNR Board close all cross-border lines except the Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway mainline. Córas Iompair Éireann continued a freight service between Dundalk and Clones for a few years, but withdrew this and closed the line in 1960.

References

Sources

* * * * {{Authority control Closed railways in Northern Ireland Railway companies established in 1862 Railway companies disestablished in 1876 Irish gauge railways Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Defunct railway companies of Ireland Transport in County Cavan Transport in County Fermanagh Transport in County Monaghan 1862 establishments in Ireland