Great Southern and Western Railway
1920 map of the railway | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1844–31 December 1924 |
| Successor | Great Southern Railways |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) |
| Length | 1,148 miles 2 chains (1,847.6 km) (1919) |
| Track length | 1,554 miles 58 chains (2,502.1 km) (1919) |
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) was an Irish gauge (1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)) railway company in Ireland from 1844 until 1924. The GS&WR grew by building lines and making a series of takeovers, until in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was the largest of Ireland's "Big Four" railway networks. At its peak the GS&WR had an 1,100-mile (1,800 km) network, of which 240 miles (390 km) were double track.
The core of the GS&WR was the Dublin Kingsbridge – Cork main line; Ireland's "Premier Line", and still one of her most important main line railways. The company's headquarters were at Kingsbridge station. At its greatest extent the GS&WR included, in addition to the Dublin – Cork main line, the Dublin – Waterford and Mallow – Waterford lines and numerous branch lines.