Irish Rail 'willing to talk' about re-opening train station at Curragh Racecourse

The re-opening of the old Curragh train station is something Iarnrod Eireann said it is open to discussing.   Trains stopped at the Curragh on race days up to 2005.     Racegoers arrived from Heuston Station in Dublin as well as Limerick, Galway and Cork. The racecourse was originally served by two railway stations: the Curragh Mainline Station on the main Dublin–Cork line which opened in 1846 and the Curragh Racecourse Station near the grandstand, which opened in 1875. Iarnrod Eireann spokesperson Jane Cregan told The42 sport website: ”Under the National Development investment programme on railways, we would not be in a position to finance this, but if there were third-party interest in an investment, in terms of upgrading the facility, we would be willing to talk to them about it.” Horse Racing Ireland CEO Brian Kavanagh believes a train station could  pave the way for a future Park and Ride facility for Dublin-bound commuters. “I think it should get strong consideration as part of a next phase of the Curragh redevelopment,” he said. “Obviously it would involve discussions with Iarnrod Eireann as the Curragh station has been unused for many years and would undoubtedly require remedial works. "That said, there would be benefits on non-racedays with the potential for a Park and Ride facility for the many Kildare-based commuters to Dublin every day.”   Kavanagh added: “There would be a huge benefit of accessibility by train for racegoers and not just from Dublin as the rail line services or is easily connected with many other routes around the country. "Many racecourses such as Ascot, Sandown, Flemington and Arlington benefit greatly from having railway access and in recent years we have seen more and more racegoers using the Luas service to access Leopardstown. “Not only was there a station at the Curragh on the mainline, but also a siding which meant that raceday trains could come right up to the rear of the stands at the Curragh.” The Curragh re-opens after its multi-million euro re-development on May 6 and an exciting season beckons at the famous home of flat racing.