Waterford & Suir Valley Railway
A narrow-gauge heritage railway from Kilmeadan Station beside the Waterford Greenway, with railway history storyboards at the station.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Waterford Suir Valley Railway grew from an idea floated at a New Year’s Eve party in 1996 to turn an abandoned railway line into a tourist attraction. The chosen route was the old Waterford to Cork line, which had closed to passengers in 1967, between Kilmeadan and Waterford. The station and the track bed were still in place, and the line follows the River Suir.
The original Irish broad gauge track was relaid as 3 ft narrow gauge, partly by hand with shovels and picks as in the 1870s, because narrow-gauge rolling stock was easier to buy and open carriages suited families. The locomotive Enterprise 3 had worked in the peat industry in northern England and on the Channel Tunnel, and the carriages were built in England in 2000. The railway opened to the public in 2003.
It is run as a social enterprise and registered charity, and the train drivers are volunteers. When the Waterford Greenway opened in 2017, Kilmeadan Station became a stop on the cycle route, and the Whistlestop Café opened there in 2019.
Today visitors ride a 40-minute return trip along the river and can read five storyboards around the station about the history of rail, time, emigration, sport and social life. A steam locomotive is under restoration.
Highlights
- Narrow-gauge train ride along the River Suir
- Five Story of Rail storyboards around Kilmeadan Station
- Locomotives from the Bord na Móna bogs and the peat industry
- Station on the Waterford Greenway
- Seasonal Spooky Express and Santa Express trains
Permanent exhibition
- Story of Rail – Five storyboards around Kilmeadan Station tell the story of Irish railways, time, emigration, sport and social history, the building of the railways and the history of this line.
- Founded
- 2003
- Operated by
- Waterford Suir Valley Railway Company CLG
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €14 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €12Students and Golden Years |
| Children & teens | €6free up to age 2 · Children under 3 travel free. |
| Seniors | €12Golden Years fare. |
| Students & apprentices | €12 |
| Groups (20+ people) | –Reduced rates for groups of 20 or more, with an option to add tea, coffee and scones at the café. |
| Families | €302 adults and 1 child. |
| Family ticket, 2 adults and 2 children | €34 |
| Family ticket, 2 adults and 3 children | €38 |
| Family ticket, 2 adults and 4 children | €42 |
| Family Friend annual membership | €90Two adults and up to four children travel free on scheduled trips; individual membership costs €40. |
Fares are for the standard train ride, which includes access to the storyboards at the station. Special event trains are priced separately.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Two outdoor train compartments are wheelchair accessible; one can be booked online and the other through the ticket office, and they are often booked up. The station has an accessible toilet and designated disabled parking. Dogs are welcome on the train on a lead.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 2 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €30 · 2 adults and 1 child. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
Children receive a treasure hunt with their route map. There is a play area with a boat and a train, and special event trains for Easter, Halloween and Christmas. There are two baby changing areas at the station, and there is no toilet on the train.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Kilmeadan Station car park entrance (Bus Éireann 354)
Bus Éireann route 354 runs from the Clock Tower on The Quays in Waterford to Portlaw and stops at the entrance to the station car park. The railway is also a stop on the Waterford Greenway for walkers and cyclists.
By car
Parking available
There is a car park at the station with designated disabled and coach spaces.
- Accessible parking
From Waterford take the R680 towards Kilmeadan, about 10 km; the station is on the left after the Carrick Road roundabout. The train does not run to Waterford city, but groups can pre-book pick-up at Bilberry, 1 km from the city.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Wi-Fi
The Whistlestop Café at the station serves coffee, sandwiches, cakes and ice cream, with outdoor seating. The ticket office is a converted railway carriage with a gift shop and indoor seating. Wi-Fi is listed among the station facilities. There are bicycle parking, a pump and a water station.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The return ride lasts 40 minutes (50 minutes on Saturdays, when the train runs further to the toll plaza of the Thomas Francis Meagher Bridge). Seats are partly open compartments, so warm clothes are advised; two compartments at each end are fully enclosed. School tours include a treasure hunt. Bicycles cannot be taken on the train. |
