Kilcoole train station
South Eastern Commuter · Cill Chomhghaill · Co. Wicklow
About Kilcoole
The Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway opened this station on 30 October 1855 and spelled it Kilcool. It closed in 1964, for want of use and resources, and stayed shut for sixteen years before reopening on 2 November 1980 with the modern spelling, Kilcoole. The Irish name is Cill Chomhghaill.
It is an unusual station even by the standards of this coast: a single through platform, unstaffed, sitting on the beach itself with the sea a few steps away and the village a twenty-minute walk inland. A ticket machine and a wheelchair ramp were added between 2020 and 2024, and a timetable change in 2025 improved matters considerably — every train on the Dublin to Rosslare line now stops here in both directions, where before many ran past. Besides Kilcoole village the station also serves Newtownmountkennedy, six kilometres away. There is a free car park beside the platform.
First and last trains from Kilcoole
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last | Bank holiday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Eastern towards Rathdrum | 10:39 – 21:11 | 10:39 – 21:11 | No service | No service | No service |
| South Eastern towards Dublin Connolly | 06:41 – 23:11 | 06:41 – 23:11 | 07:43 – 20:08 | No service | No service |
Departures from this station in the NTA’s published timetable for a representative week. A day type with no departures is shown as no service rather than filled in from another day.
From Kilcoole: South Eastern towards Rathdrum, about one train every 97 minutes at the busiest times (6 departures on a weekday) and South Eastern towards Dublin Connolly, about one train every 191 minutes at the busiest times (6 departures on a weekday).
Some of the 12 weekday departures are worked by trains that continue as InterCity services beyond the commuter zone. They run to Rosslare.
Next stops from Kilcoole
Running times to the adjoining stops, from the operators’ own timetables.
| Line | Next stop | Time |
|---|---|---|
| South Eastern | Greystones | 5.1 min |
| South Eastern | Wicklow | 9.9 min |
Connections and interchange
- Iarnód Éireann timetables for the routes serving this station are published on its own station page.
Facilities
From Iarnód Éireann’s own station record. A facility that the operator does not list is left out rather than marked as absent.
Open for all services
Station Staffing Hours
This station is not staffed.
Station Booking Office
This station does not have a booking office. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket vending machine or a leap card can be used in applicable locations.
What is near Kilcoole
There is nothing at Kilcoole but the shoreline, the car park and the single platform; the station stands on the beach in County Wicklow with the Irish Sea on one side and the marshes and fields on the other. The village is a twenty-minute walk inland, which is where the shops and the bus stops are. For walkers the setting is the attraction: the strand runs for miles in both directions, and the station is one of very few places where you can step off a train straight onto it.
Frequently asked questions
The station opened in 1855 as Kilcool. It closed in 1964 and when it reopened on 2 November 1980 it took the spelling Kilcoole, which is the form used for the village today. The Irish name is Cill Chomhghaill.
Since a schedule change in 2025, yes — every service on the Dublin to Rosslare line calls in both directions. Before that the station was passed by a good number of trains, which for a stop with one platform and no staff made it hard to rely on.