Waterford & Suir Valley Railway

Over het 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.

Hoogtepunten

• 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

Vaste collectie

• 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.

Opgericht

2003

Beheerder

Waterford Suir Valley Railway Company CLG

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Fares are for the standard train ride, which includes access to the storyboards at the station. Special event trains are priced separately.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

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.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
• Verschoonruimte
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

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.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

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.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant: niet aanwezig
• Museumwinkel
• Wifi

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.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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