Cobh Celebrates 150 Years Of Rail Travel – 12th March 2012

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport with special responsibility for Public and Commuter Transport, Mr. Alan Kelly T.D. joined hundreds of guests at Cobh today to celebrate 150 years of the Railway between Cork and Cobh.

Also speaking at the opening was Mayor of Cobh Cllr Jim Quinlan who gave much praise to Iarnród Éireann for keeping this much needed rail connection with Cork alive through many difficult times. The Mayor went on to amuse the large crowd when he made reference to how invaluable the rail line was when he was attending UCC and how it played it’s part in him meeting his future wife, Grace.

On 10^th March 1862 the first train steamed into Cobh, times and rolling stock may have changed but the railway is still serving the people of Cobh and to celebrate 150 years of its existence Iarnród Éireann hosted a family fun day at Cobh.

A special fare of €1.50 for all tickets (including family tickets) was in place from Cork to Cobh all day. The Event kicked off at 12:00hrs when a specially commissioned bronze plaque was unveiled to mark this piece of history by Minister Alan Kelly T.D, Iarnród Éireann CEO, Dick Fearn and Mayor of Cobh, Cllr. Jim Quinlan.

A special marquee was erected on the quayside adjacent to the station which contained a farmers’ market, a display by Cobh and District Photography Club, children’s’ entertainers and performances from local artists including: Ben Hurley and Irish Traditional Musicians ‘No telling’Actor Nathan Slattery, Cobh Children’s Theatre and the Carbary GAA Rangers as well as many, many more.

The Cork- Cobh line is a busy commuter service that operates 46 services a day. Latest passage figures show that a total of 566,000 journeys were undertaken in 2011, up from 551,000 in 2010.

Speaking at the event Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive said: “As custodians of the railway Iarnród Éireann is very proud of our heritage and are delighted to mark this occasion with a fun day out for all the family. Cork Cobh is a very important part of our commuter network and it is great to see so many train users here today”

Minister Alan Kelly said: “It is vitally important to commemorate a train service that was a major role in the lives of the people of Cork and Cobh for generations. I am delighted that the line remains of vital importance today for leisure and commuting purposes. The challenge for Government now is to build and maintain past successes. With over half a million people using  this line last year, it would be my hope that this line will continue to serve the people of Cork and Cobh for many more generations”