Campaign on track to reopen Laois train station for commuters

The potential reopening of the derelict Mountrath and Castletown railway station at Kilbricken was raised at a recent meeting in Laois County Council.

Speaking at the meeting Cllr James Kelly, Independent, said there had been proposals for many years to examine the potential of doing so but the issue is not coming to the fore.

He said people around the Mountrath area have seen the investment in Ballybrophy Train Station and are of the view that Kilbricken could have a similar benefit to local commuters.

“We have the railway line and want the trains to start stopping in Kilbricken again so that people don’t have to drive to Portlaoise and Park there to get to Dublin,” he said. 

Cllr Ollie Clooney praised Cllr Kelly for proposing the reopening of the station in Laois. 

“I was really heartened,” he said.

The station opened on September 1 1848 as part of the Great Southern and Western Railway in Ireland and was used for 127 years before being closed altogether by the CIÉ on 6 September 1976. 

Although derelict, the stone-built station can still be seen standing along this track.

The issue was raised at the September meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick Municipal District meeting when Cllr Clooney proposed that a feasibility study be carried out on the establishment of a greenway between Abbeyleix and Kilkeny city via Attanagh.

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It's estimated that in excess of 10,000 people commute out of Laois each day for work. There are three trains stations at Portarlington, Portlaoise and Ballybrophy which are located on busy intercity routes.