Constructing the Great Southern & Western Railway from Dublin to Cork (1844-55): 'a magnificent undertaking'

摘要

The effects of the famine were felt for a considerable time in Ireland. The directors reported to shareholders in March 1850 that'... although the effects of the late famine and depressed state of agriculture continue to operate unfavourably on the development of the traffic, they feel assured of a steady and gradual improvement...' The fortunes of the railway did indeed continue to grow steadily and improve. The GS&WR was a major employer; in 1852 it employed 1,196 of the total railway workforce of 3,999. By 1856 the figure was 1,749 out of a total of 6,106. The MGWR in comparison employed half these numbers. Throughout the nineteenth century the GS&WR carried 25 percent of the country's rail traffic. The GS&WR grew by constructing numerous feeder lines and undertaking a series of takeovers, creating Ireland's largest railway system. At its peak the GS&WR had an 1,100 mile (1,800 km) network, of which 240 miles (390 km) were double track.