Day Trip to Waterford & Suir Valley Railway

The Waterford and Suir Valley Railway is a stretch of the old Dungarvan-Waterford rail line, 8.5km in length, which has been restored between Kilmeadan station and Gracedieu junction.

The train consists of a simplex locomotive- originating from Northern England and Scotland- and two carriages. Half of each carriage is fully enclosed, while the other half has open sides with plastic canopies that can be taken down when raining.

The tickets for the train journey are purchased at the station in a converted carriage which also acts as a small shop serving light refreshments and souvenirs. There are indoor and outdoor seating areas if you want to bring a picnic. The train leaves on the hour and the return journey takes approx. 50 minutes.

Once you are seated on the train and you set off, keep an eye out for some landmarks such as Kilmeadan Castle (this unfortunately failed to impress my 2 who said it wasn't a castle, just a 'crumbling, old tower'  ) You might catch a glimpse of Mount Congreve Gardens through the hedge on the right and then on through the Mossy Wood, past the Lime Kilns and the new Waterford I.T. West campus. Next up is the Dan O'Donovan Tunnel through which the train rumbles on with a big blast of its whistle (much to the excitement of the younger) and then around the corner where the Suir bridge comes into view. Shortly after this, the train stops at Gracedieu (at this point my husband jokingly announces that the train has broken down and nearly causes a mini-meltdown in the younger...) before proceeding to travel back along the line- in reverse!

Panic over we settle down to enjoy the return journey. The River Suir travels alongside the railway for the entire journey and across the river you can see the rolling hills of County Kilkenny. Watch out for different wildlife and birds- we saw swans and cormorants- but as far as I know the rivers edge is home to otters, badgers and many more of our indigenous species. It is a very enjoyable trip, but moreso for the kids, who love the chugging along and the whistle blowing and the novelty factor.

There are public toilets at Kilmeadan station which were immaculate and had a baby changing table. The carpark is large and suitable for buses and/or cars (and FREE) and the entire facility is wheelchair and buggy accessible.

The Waterford & Suir Valley Railway is a voluntary, community heritage project and has charitable status.

Throughout the year special events are organised such as Teddy Bears Picnics, Cartoon Character Appearances and Magic Shows. At Halloween there's a Spooky Express Event and in December there's a Santa Express. We will definitely be going back to experience some of these. 

Visit the Waterford & Suir Valley Railway website for opening times, train fares and more information. And you can become a fan of their Facebook page here.