NEW PUBLIC SPACE AT COLBERT STATION

NEW PEDESTRIAN PLAZA IN LIMERICK [LIMERICK COLBERT TRAIN AND BUS STATION]


This new plaza, part of the Urban Realm Improvement Project, is a major improvement but the amount of litter to be seen is depressing and there are some signs of ongoing anti-social behaviour which is unfortunate. But, to be fair the people of Limerick the city does appear to have improved a lot since I started visiting about ten years ago.

The station opened on 28 August 1858, replacing a temporary station 500 metres (1,600 ft) further east, which had operated from 9 May 1848. It was built by the Waterford and Limerick Railway (W&LR), which ran its first train, as far as Tipperary, on Tuesday, 9 May 1848, with intermediate stations at Killonan, Pallasgreen and Oola (all since closed). Two months later the GS&WR connected their Dublin–Cork line with the W&LR at Limerick Junction, near Tipperary. The work was carried out at the height of the Irish Potato Famine, resulting in extreme financial difficulties for the company.

Originally named "Limerick", the station was given the name Colbert on 10 April 1966 in commemoration of Cornelius Colbert, one of the executed leaders of the Easter Rising of 1916.

The direct line to Cork and the North Kerry line to Tralee were dismantled during the 20th Century.

Conditional planning permission was granted by Limerick city and county council for the €16.8m redevelopment of Colbert Station in December 2014

Plan includes

Phase 1. A new pedestrian plaza limestone paved area of 3,350 square metres (0.83 acres) replacing the car park at the front of the station.

Phase 2. Knocking existing toilet block to make way for a new bus station, with the current bus station being converted into the access area for a new 235-space car park.

Phase 3. Significant refurbishment of the interior of railway station with new finishes throughout and provision of a new ticketing office and retail units.

Funding of approximately 3 million euro was secured for phase one and work began in Quarter 1, 2015. The disused Fuel Station site was levelled and work completed on site for a temporary car park in summer/autumn 2015. The temporary parking was used while work on station redevelopment took place.

There is no timetable in place for construction of phase 2 and 3 but work on the design and planning proceeded in 2015.

Separately Limerick council is seeking to redevelop the Parnell Street area including the interface between the street and Colbert station. It is planned to have a raised platform and new pedestrian crossing across Parnell Street at the entry to Colbert Station to complement the new pedestrian plaza. This will, among other objectives, provide better pedestrian and cycle connectivity between Colbert Station and Limerick City Centre.

During June 2017, extensive resignalling works took place at Limerick Colbert. These works replaced two life-expired signal cabins that signalled all routes into and out of the station. During this time, platforms 3 and 4 were also straightened and lengthened.