Broadstone Station, Constitution Hill, Dublin.

This imposing former Midland Great Western Railway terminus is largely forgotten and a unknown architectural Dublin gem, but happily this is about to change. It's early closure in 1937 as a passenger terminus, ragged modern development have constrained, obscured and made this station largely invisible to many in recent years.

It wasn't always the case, when constructed in 1850 on the crest of Constitution hill and beside the Royal canal's Broadstone harbour, the station presented a epic and confident facade for the new railway company in this historic part of Dublin. Originally the railway company had wanted to build their terminus on nearby Bolton street nearer the city centre but fledgling company could not afford the land prices. The decision to build on Constitution hill was largely based on the economics of the railway company buying the Royal Canal and running it's line hugging the canal bank tightly in most spots to Mullingar on it's quest westwards to Galway. A legacy apart from the Broadstone branch and rerouted Galway services that still exists today.

Designed by John Skipton Mulvany with granite in austere neo-Egyptian style, the station faced the large canal harbour crossed by a movable pontoon bridge and contained a 5 road terminus roofed terminus behind it's impressive facade
with a impressive 600ft colonnade added to the north side in 1861. The railway then filled in the large canal harbour in 1877 and resurfaced approach and front what is now a carpark.

In many ways the harbour location was also the reason for the station early demise, while the station had a close proximity to the city markets, it was always felt in public perception to be a bit isolated from the city centre.
It was often said the passenger station was deathly quite for hours on end between services. when the Great Southern railways took over the station it was felt the the sparser west of Ireland passenger services could be integrated into the other city stations and Broadstone demise as a passenger terminus was sealed. The last passenger train left with much fanfare on midnight 16th January 1937 with the extensive station site of goods and engine sheds becoming a steam depot until steam was phased out in 1961. The last remaining rails lifted from liffey junction in the early 1970's In the interim the site and trainshed was been phased in as a bus depot for city and regional buses, which still occupies the site today.

In April 2007 Iarnród Éireann announced that Broadstone Station was to be reopened for rail passenger use by 2010. This gave rise to a dispute between the owners CIE/Irish Rail and the RPA over who gets to use the trackbed between Broadstone and Liffey Junction On 5 February 2008 the Minister for Transport, indicated his preference for the Luas light rail over the re-opening of Broadstone for heavy rail and so with with that decision light rails are set to return by 2017 to the station forecourt and once again reveal this long forgotten hidden gem to Dubliners.


Broadstone Station 1854. (courtesy of irishwaterways)
irishwaterways.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/broadstone-bry...