Broombridge train station
Western Commuter · Droichead Broome · Dublin
About Broombridge
The railway station at Broombridge opened on 2 July 1990, on the southern bank of the Royal Canal at the western end of what had been Liffey Junction on the Midland Great Western Railway. Its name comes from Broome Bridge over the canal, where William Rowan Hamilton worked out the mathematics of quaternions; a plaque on the bridge marks the spot, and the tram depot built alongside carries his name.
Since December 2017 it has shared its name and its forecourt with the northern terminus of the Luas Green Line, 70 metres away across the yard — two separate places with one name, joined by a pedestrian bridge with lifts completed in 2018. Both platforms are step-free, the northern one by a long ramp from the Cabra Road bridge and the southern at street level, and there are no toilets despite the interchange. It is the last station before the Western Commuter line divides for Docklands and Dublin Connolly, and since 26 August 2024 the Sligo InterCity trains have called as well.
First and last trains from Broombridge
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last | Bank holiday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western towards Dublin Connolly | 06:29 – 23:50 | 06:29 – 23:50 | 07:22 – 23:42 | 08:39 – 23:42 | 08:39 – 23:42 |
| Western towards Maynooth | 05:30 – 23:37 | 05:30 – 23:37 | 06:07 – 23:36 | 08:55 – 23:37 | 08:55 – 23:37 |
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 Broombridge: Western towards Dublin Connolly, about one train every 15 minutes at the busiest times (61 departures on a weekday) and Western towards Maynooth, about one train every 16 minutes at the busiest times (59 departures on a weekday).
Of the 120 weekday departures, 17 are InterCity or Enterprise services passing through; the rest are DART or Commuter trains. They run to Sligo.
Next stops from Broombridge
Running times to the adjoining stops, from the operators’ own timetables.
| Line | Next stop | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Docklands | 11 min |
| Western | Drumcondra | 5.7 min |
| Western | Pelletstown | 2 min |
Connections and interchange
- Broombridge — about 2 minutes on foot (walking time named by Iarnód Éireann). It is a separate stop, not another platform here.
- 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 Broombridge
Cabra is the neighbourhood here, and the station is tucked under the Cabra Road bridge with the canal on one side. Broome Bridge itself is about 90 m away, worth the detour for the quaternion plaque, and TU Dublin’s Broombridge sports grounds are roughly 190 m off. The towpath runs in both directions from the platforms, the tram depot occupies the old Liffey Junction land to the south, and a bus stop sits in the forecourt beside the tram platforms.
| Place | Straight-line distance from the station |
|---|---|
| Broome Bridge | 90 m |
| TU Dublin Sports Broombridge | 190 m |
Named places from OpenStreetMap within 400 m of the station. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route.
Frequently asked questions
It records the moment in which William Rowan Hamilton worked out the rules of quaternions and, in the story, cut them into the stonework of the bridge. The bridge gives the station its name, and the Luas maintenance depot beside the line is called Hamilton Depot for the same reason.
Because the tram terminus and the railway station are different places that happen to share a name. The Luas Green Line extension ended here in December 2017, about 70 metres from the railway platforms, and a pedestrian bridge with lifts was finished in 2018 to join the two. Walking between them takes about two minutes.