Irish Railway Factsheets

When the Irish Railway Record Society was formed in 1946, Ireland was served by a railway network owned and operated by ten separate private companies. Over the last 70 years there have been many changes to the railway system on both sides of the border. Through line closures, route mileage fell from over 2,800 in 1946 to under 1,500 now.

  • The factsheets (PDF files) below provide a brief synopsis of each Irish railway company to exist post-1946:

Belfast & County Down Railway

Bessbrook & Newry Tramway

County Donegal Railways

Córas Iompair Éireann

Dundalk Newry & Greenore Railway

Giant’s Causeway Tramway

Great Northern Railway (Ireland)

Iarnród Éireann

Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway

Northern Counties Committee

Northern Ireland Railways

Sligo Leitrim & Northern Counties

Ulster Transport Authority

Irish Railway Stations Index ©Bob Ayres

IRRS Timeline History

Further information on these and other Irish railways can be found in the IRRS Journal.