Castletown railway station

Castletown Railway Station Stashoon Raad-Yiarn Valley Chastal
The Isle of Man Railway Co., Ltd.
The Original 1874 Station Building
Location	Station Road, Off Victoria Road, Castletown, Isle of Man, IM9 1EF.
Coordinates	Ordnance Survey National Grid 54°04′44″N 4°38′58″
Owned by	Isle of Man Government Department of Infrastructure
Line(s)	Port Erin (South) Line Between Douglas & Port Erin
Platforms	Two, Raised Half-Height One Goods & One Livestock
Tracks	Two Running Lines, Passing Loop Two Sidings (Goods & Livestock)
History
Opened	1st August 1874
Closed	1965-1966 (Railway Closed) 1967-2000 (Seasonally) 2001-2002 (Short-Line Working) 2003-Date (Seasonally)
Rebuilt	1901 - Canopy & Veranda Added 1902 - Goods Shed Rebuilt 1910 - Livestock Platform Added 1993 - Canopy Removed 1994 - Restored & Reopened 2016 - Souvenir Shop Created
Traffic
1874-Date - Passenger Traffic 1874-1965 - Goods & Livestock 1967-1968 - Container Traffic
Services
Patrons' Toilets, Waiting Room, Booking Facilities, Historic Displays, Railwayana Dioramas, Gift Shop

Castletown Railway Station is an intermediate station on the Isle of Man Railway on the Isle of Man forming part of sole remaining section of the once extensive network that operated across the island. The station is the busiest of the railway's intermediate stations, being the closest to a number of local visitor attractions. In peak season service trains often pass here, making the station one of the railway's more active stopping places. The station occupies a site within walking distance of the main town and is in close proximity to the local playing fields.

This is an original station on the Isle of Man Railway situated on the north-eastern edge of the town of Castletown. When the railway was first constructed the town had until ten years previously been the island's capital and therefore a substantial station was provided. Although the most extensive intermediate stopping place on the line, it remains some distance from the town itself, being a brisk ten-minute walk to the centre of the town. One of the railway's considerations was originally to terminate at this station, but plans were made to extend the line so that the terminus would be on the quayside. These never came to fruition and the site of today's station is the original one. The size of the station site and associated buildings can be attributed to the town's importance as the capital of the island and seat of parliament until 1869 when Douglas was made the capital. In the intervening time there has been much development of residential areas so that today the station is considered to be in the town itself. In more recent times the town's close proximity to the island's only airport has ensured that it remains a busy residential and commercial area, being the nearest built-up area to the runways. Until 1967 the station was the closest to the airport, but the establishment of Ronaldsway Halt in that year effectively gave a more convenient place to alight for potential commuters.

Despite the town's importance (it served as the island's capital until 1869, just five years before the railway's arrival) the railway station is some distance from the centre of the town, at the north-easterly side. The railway company considered many various alternative sites for the station before settling upon the location; a cursory view of a map of the line reveals that between the preceding station (Ballasalla) and the following one (Ballabeg) the line deviates considerably from its course. Despite this, the station has always been one of the most active on the line, providing a source of much freight and goods traffic over the years. Since the station was established the town has spread considerably to the extent that today is surrounded along one side by both residential and industrial premises, including a petrol station and car sales establishment. The main attractions of the town are a short walk from the station, an approximate five-minute walk from the station along the bank of the Silverburn River leading to the heart of the town which surrounds the inner harbour. The town itself was considered to be second only to Douglas in importance to the island; with its bustling harbour and active agricultural scene, the station's importance remained until the final days of operation with livestock being transported from the station's cattle dock (the remains of which are still visible today) until the final year the railway operated its full network in 1965, although the line did reopen to passengers only later. Close to the station are the local primary school at Victoria Road, the medical centre in the Sandfield Complex, the local Morton Hall, and Qualtrough's Timber Yard, all in walking distance.

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Wikipedia