Mount Elliot Bridge and Tunnel – An Abandoned Railway Line in Ireland

Mount Elliot

The Mount Elliot Bridge and Tunnel are both part of an abandoned railway line that ran from Waterford City to New Ross, Wexford. The track as far as Macmine Junction was removed in 1963 and the line to Waterford closed in 1994. There was much debate about re-opening the line however the decision has now been made to turn it into a greenway following the success of the Waterford Greenway.

New Ross Railway Bridge

The railway bridge across the river Barrow is still in good condition.

The railway bridge leads into a tunnel north of the town and has a total length of 684 metres. The line first opened in 1887 linking New Ross in Co. Wexford to Macmine Junction on the Dublin to Wexford Town line. It was extended in 1904 to Waterford City.

New Ross Mount Elliot Railway Bridge

A view of the bridge from the river.

The line between Macmine Junction and New Ross closed in 1963 and the track was removed. The line between New Ross and Waterford remained open until 1976 for goods traffic. Fertilizer traffic from the Albatros fertilizer factory continued until 1995. The tracks have now been covered on the New Ross side of the bridge and the link to Waterford has been cut of by the removal of tracks in some parts.

Like the Old Red Iron bridge in Waterford, the declining number of railway lines in Ireland led to the abandonment of the Mount Elliot Bridge and Tunnel. Today, there is no railway link to New Ross.

Trees growing over the new ross railway bridge

Trees have begun growing over the railway bridge.

Calls for a commuter service using the line to link New Ross to Wexford, Waterford and Kilkenny were made during Ireland’s boom of the early 2000s but came to nothing. There were advocates for reopening the line to rail traffic however with the success of the Waterford Greenway, discussions soon turned to extending the cycle route to New Ross. The two will meet at the North Quays in Waterford City.

Location: New Ross, Ireland 🇮🇪
Abandoned: 1995

 

14 thoughts on “Mount Elliot Bridge and Tunnel – An Abandoned Railway Line in Ireland”

  1. Went fully through the tunnel and back again today and have photos of the portals, interior and even the rememberance plaque if you want them.

  2. I was with my friends there yesterday. We found the tunnel.On the end of bridge not sure which side there's a road on the other side of the rode (in the bushes!) there's a quite small gap to go in. You have to walk a little infill you see the tunnel. We chose not to go in because it was pitch black and creeepy :/ ( we just ran for our lives XD )

  3. I have some pictures of the bridge and both portals of the mount Elliot tunnel and would be happy to share.
    Let me know how to pass them on to you and I'll get it done 🙂

  4. The tunnel is to the north side of the river bridge – Mount Elliot Tunnel. I was down there today complete with high powered flashlight – only to find the tunnel mouth flooded :(.

    Plan to return in summer!

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