The Mallow–Tralee line runs from to Tralee Casement. Intermediate stations include , , , and . A peculiar arrangement at Killarney is in place, in which trains from Mallow enter Killarney, which is a dead-end. Trains continuing to Tralee then have to reverse until they reach the junction, before changing direction again to continue westwards. Irish Rail's network statement gives the length of the line as , though other sources give the length of the line as miles instead. The line from Mallow to Killarney was noted for severe gradients compared to the line from Dublin to Mallow though the Killarney expresses of 1899 were timed to achieve the section at westbound and eastbound.

History

The (KJR) completed the construction of the line from to the holiday resort of

Killarney Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...

in 1853. The opened the extension from Killarney junction to Tralee in 1859. The

Great Southern and Western Railway The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) was an Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland from 1844 until 1924. The grew by building lines and making a series of takeovers, until in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was the larges ...

(GS&WR) who had invested in both companies absorbed them both in 1860. At

Tralee Tralee ( ; , ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the River Lee') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in ...

there were small sidings that were convenient to those of the narrow gauge

Tralee and Dingle Light Railway __NOTOC__ The Tralee and Dingle Light Railway and Tramway was a , narrow gauge railway running between Tralee and Dingle, with a branch from Castlegregory Junction to Castlegregory, in County Kerry on the west coast of Ireland. It operated bet ...

. There was also links beyond the road to the marshalling yards, the branch to

Fenit Fenit () is a small village in County Kerry, Ireland, located on north side of Tralee Bay about west of Tralee town, just south of the Shannon Estuary. It is also a civil parish. The bay is enclosed from the Atlantic by the Maharee spit whi ...

, and the Limerick–Tralee line.

Rolling stock

Alexander McDonnell Alexander McDonnell may refer to: * Alexander McDonnell (chess player) (1798–1835), Irish chess master *Alexander McDonnell (engineer) Alexander McDonnell was an Irish locomotive engineer and civil engineer. He was born in Dublin on 18 Dece ...

GS&WR Class 2 ''Kerry bogies'' were specifically intended for passenger services on the line. There was a trial of a Drumm Battery Train with temporary charging points set up on the line during the late 1930s or 1940s. 22000 Class ICR railcars first began passenger services on the line in September 2008.

Branches

Castleisland

The long

Castleisland Castleisland () is a town and commercial centre in County Kerry in south west Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is known for the width of its main street. As of the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, Castleisland had a population of 2,5 ...

branch connected to the main line at Gortalea at a junction facing Tralee. It closed in 1974.

designed a combined engine and carriage, the GS&WR Class 90, to work the branch.

Kenmare

The branch to

Kenmare Kenmare () is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the anglicised form of ''Ceann Mara'', meaning "head of the sea", referring to the head of Kenmare Bay. It is also a townland and civil parish. Location Ken ...

was about long and was opened on 4 September 1893. It closed on 1 February 1960.

Newmarket

There was a branch to Newmarket from Banteer with an intermediate station at

Kanturk Kanturk () is a town in the north west of County Cork, Ireland. It is situated at the confluence of the Allua (Allow) and Dallow (Dalua) rivers, which stream further on as tributaries to the River Blackwater. It is about from Cork and Limeric ...

. The line opened on 1 April 1889 which closed to passengers on 27 January 1947 and completely on 1 January 1963, though other sources say 4 February 1963.

Valentia

The terminus on the branch to was further west than any in Europe.

Rail Air Link

The railway passes close by to

Kerry Airport Kerry Airport (; ), often called Farranfore Airport, is an international airport in Farranfore, County Kerry, Ireland. It is north off the Ring of Kerry and southeast of the county town, Tralee. Passenger services are operated by Ryanair an ...

, with the station at being located about away.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mallow-Tralee railway line Railway lines in Ireland