Heuston railway station

The station opened on 4 August 1846 as the terminus and headquarters of the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR). It was originally called Kingsbridge Station after the nearby Kings Bridge over the River Liffey.[4][5] In 1966, on the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising, it was renamed "Heuston Station" in honour of Seán Heuston, a young railway worker who commanded a nearby post in the 1916 Easter Rising. Heuston was one of the 16 executed by the British after that Rising, and had previously worked in the station's offices.[5]

The passenger terminal and buildings were built to designs by London-born architect Sancton Wood, and the train sheds and infrastructure were designed by Irish-born railway engineer John MacNeill.[1]

When first constructed the station had only two platforms separated by 5 carriage lines. Two of the lines were subsequently replaced by a two-sided platform and the remaining carriage line also removed. An additional platform, created in 1872 on the south side of the station, beyond the station roof, was known as the "military platform" - the intention being that military personnel could be kept separate from the rest of the public.[6] Due to the need to cater for increased demand and reduce delays, three new platforms were incorporated in August 2002 as part of a €170,000,000 development incorporating improved signalling and approach track-work.[7]

Since the station's refurbishment and modernisation (by Quinn Savage Smyth architects and engineers Buro Happold)[8] its retail facilities now include two branches of Eason, a Marks & Spencer Simply Food store, as well as some dining facilities, including a branch of Supermacs, several cafés, a kiosk, and a large pub.[9]

A maintenance depot at the Inchicore railway works is located approximately three kilometres (two miles) away and, as with Heuston Station itself, was also opened in 1846.[10]

A 2018 consultation paper for the proposed Dublin MetroLink project included a reference to a potential future station, labelled "Heuston West", with connections via the Phoenix Park Tunnel to Cabra.[15]

Other plans, first published in the 1970s,[16][17] suggested that a proposed DART Underground project would link underground stations at Heuston and Pearse Street via a tunnel.[18][19] As of 2015, these plans were subject to review,[19] and as of mid-2018, the DART Underground project was not funded.[20]

Heuston
A tram at Heuston in 2005
Location	Dublin Ireland
Owned by	Transdev
Operated by	Luas
Line(s)	Red
Platforms	3
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Other information
Fare zone	Central/Red 2
Key dates
26 September 2004	Station opened
Services
Preceding station   Luas   Following station James's towards Tallaght or Saggart   Red Line   Museum towards Connolly or The Point

Heuston is an interchange with Dublin's Luas light rail tram system. Opened in 2004,[21] Heuston Luas stop is located in front of the station building; the tram tracks run perpendicular to the main line tracks. To the north of the stop, trams cross the River Liffey on the Seán Heuston Bridge, which was refurbished as part of the Luas construction. To the south, trams travel up Steeven's lane, which is closed to road vehicles other than those accessing St. Patrick's University Hospital.[22]

Heuston has three platforms - more than any other Luas stop. There are two outer edge platforms and two sides of an island platform. The two platforms nearest the station serve the same section of track, used for northbound trams travelling towards Connolly or The Point. The platform nearest St. John's Road West is for southbound trams travelling towards Tallaght and Saggart. The eastern side of the island is a terminus platform, used only in certain peak times, when extra services are run in the city centre section.

• 
  Facade in 2018
• 
  Cork-Dublin train at Heuston
• 
  Renovated roof
• 
  Heuston interior

• List of railway stations in Ireland
• History of rail transport in Ireland

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dublin Heuston railway station.

• Irish Rail Dublin Heuston Station Website
• Luas Heuston Stop information