County Donegal Railways Joint Committee: Encyclopedia II - County Donegal Railways Joint Committee - History of the Donegal Railways

County Donegal Railways Joint Committee - History of the Donegal Railways

The lines controlled by the Joint Committee were:

• The Finn Valley Railway (FVR). This was the first railway in County Donegal, running 14 miles (22 km) from Strabane – on the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER) (later part of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland) – to Stranorlar. Built to the Irish standard gauge of 5 ft 3 in (1600 mm), it opened on 7 September 1863, with the L&ER supplying the rolling stock. (Original station stops: Strabane, Clady, Castlefin, Liscooly, Killygordon, Cavan, Town Bridge and Stranorlar)
• The West Donegal Railway: a narrow-gauge (3 ft; 914 mm) extension to the FVR 18 miles (29 km) in length from Stranorlar to Donegal (station stops: Stranorlar, Derg Bridge, Barnesmore, Lough Eske, Clar Bridge and Donegal Town)

In 1892 the two railways were combined to form the Donegal Railway Company, and the standard-gauge section was converted to narrow gauge. Further extensions followed, when a Government grant allowed the Company to build lines between:

• Stranorlar and Glenties 24 miles (38 km), opened 1895 (station stops: Stranorlar, Ballybofey, Glenmore, Cloghan, Ballinamore, Fintown, Shallogans and Glenties)
• Donegal Town to Killibegs 19 miles (30 km), opened 1893 (station stops: Donegal Town, Killymard, Mountcharles, Doorin Road, Inver, Port, Dunkineely, Bruckless, Ardara Road and Killybegs)

and the following extensions were built subsequently:

• Strabane to Londonderry 14 miles (22 km), opened 1901 (station stops: Strabane, Ballymagorry, Ballyheather, Donemana, Cullion, New Buildings and Londonderry Victora Road)
• Donegal Town to Ballyshannon 16 miles (26 km), opened 1903 (Station stops: Donegal Town, Drumbar, Laghey, Bridgetown, Ballintra, Rossnowlagh, Creevy and Ballyshannon)

The total mileage was now 105 miles (168 km); on 1 May 1906, the Joint Committee was set up. With the addition of a new line from Strabane to Letterkenny, 19 miles (30 km), (station stops: Strabane, Lifford, Ballindrait, Coolaghy, Raphoe, Convoy, Corngillagh, Glanmaquin and Letterkenny) opened on 1 January 1909, the final total mileage was 111 miles (178 km).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History of the Donegal Railways", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki