Kildare train station
South Western Commuter · Cill Dara · Co. Kildare
About Kildare
Kildare opened on 4 August 1846 as part of the Great Southern and Western Railway’s push south-west from Dublin, and it closed to goods traffic on 6 September 1976. It stands thirty miles — forty-eight kilometres — from Dublin Heuston, and its layout tells you what it is for: three tracks, one of them a through road, with two platforms. Almost every Waterford or Carlow train calls, because Cherryville Junction, where that line parts from the Cork main line, is just beyond.
That track layout also makes it a working railway yard. Timber and container trains between Waterford and County Mayo run round here, using the loop at platform 2 to change ends, and the maintenance depot next to the station houses the On Track Machines that do ballast cleaning and tamping across the network. Kildare was the end of the old Arrow commuter service until 2003, and the commuter line was later extended beyond it to Portlaoise. On 28 April 2025 the Leap Card area was extended to Kildare, making it the furthest point on the Dublin–Cork main line where the card can be used.
First and last trains from Kildare
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last | Bank holiday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Western towards Dublin Heuston | 05:52 – 23:02 | 05:52 – 23:02 | 05:52 – 23:02 | 08:04 – 20:54 | 05:52 – 23:02 |
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 Kildare: South Western towards Dublin Heuston, about one train every 19 minutes at the busiest times (38 departures on a weekday).
Most trains calling here on a weekday are InterCity services passing through: 19 of the 38 departures. They run to Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Westport/Ballina. They are longer-distance trains that happen to stop, so check the fare and whether a Leap Card is accepted before you board.
Next stops from Kildare
Running times to the adjoining stops, from the operators’ own timetables.
| Line | Next stop | Time |
|---|---|---|
| South Western | Newbridge | 6.1 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
Monday to Saturday: 05:45 - 00:00
Sunday: 08:00- 22:30
Station Booking Office Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday: 05:45 - 00:00
Sunday: 09:30- 22:30
What is near Kildare
The station is about half a mile from the centre of Kildare town, with the car park rebuilt in 2025 to give pedestrians priority at the entrance. Within about a kilometre you will find Round Towers Kildare Town GAA at roughly 450 m, the round tower itself at about 590 m, the Market House at around 670 m and the town library at 740 m. The Curragh plains and the racecourse lie out to the east, which is why race days bring extra traffic through the gates.
| Place | Straight-line distance from the station |
|---|---|
| Kildare Round Tower | 590 m |
| Round Towers - Kildare Town GAA | 450 m |
| Market House | 670 m |
| Kildare Town Library | 740 m |
Named places from OpenStreetMap within 1 km of the station. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route; nothing is mapped within 400 m of this one, so the list is widened to 1 km.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, since 28 April 2025, when the Leap area was extended to the station and it was brought into Zone 4 of the Dublin commuter zone. It is the last station on the Dublin to Cork main line where the card is accepted.
To change ends. Timber and container trains working between Waterford and County Mayo use the three-track layout here: they stand on the up line, cross onto the loop at platform 2, then reverse and head down towards Cherryville Junction. It happens every weekday except Thursday.