Kildare railway station was opened in 1846 It is a detached eight bay tudor- style building designed by Sir John mc Neill. The building, which is well maintained, retains its original form and character. It has many interesting gables ,tall slender chimney stacks and cut granite dressings. It was built by local stonemasons. It has slate roofs and cast-iron rainwater pipes. The side of the building facing the platform is much different .It is built of Flemish red brick on cut–granite plinth.
Kildare was the first important stop on the Great Southern & Western line built in 1846 from Dublin to Carlow, and ultimately to Cork. The station, now heavily used by commuters and intercity services, has three tracks, allowing up trains to pass non stop through the station at speed.
The architecture of the main buildings on the down platform are a typical GSWR style. A long original cast iron footbridge spans the tracks and has granite/brick steps at either end.
On the down platform is the waiting room and at the south end was the signal cabin, redundant after 1976 following CTC introduction and now demolished.
At the south end of the station on the down side is an engineering depot, built on the site of the former goods yard and goods shed. Freight trains heading from the south, and then travelling west or vice versa must run round at Kildare Station.
The interior has an attractive glazed timber screen wall to the ticket office.
The railway was of great importance in our town .It was built as part of the railway network development in Ireland that provided work for people during the famine.
Pictures from www.irelands-directory.com, www.buildingsofireland.ie and www.eiretrains.com
