In 1801 the Rathkeale and Newcastle West Junction Railway (R & N.J.R.) company was authorised to join Newcastle West with the Foynes Railway line at Ballingrane. Building of the line was very slow. In 1866 the ten mile branch from Ballingrane was completed. The forty three mile section from Newcastle West to Tralee via Barnagh was built in 1870 and they called it the Limerick and Kerry Railway (L & KR)

In the 1920's a noted incident happened, Anti-government forces halted the train, they then sent the train towards Newcastle West where the train stopped in a field at the rear of Bishops street, the only passengers, pigs were killed on impact.

The train service kept running up until 31st October 1975. On that date, the last train service brought a wagon of cement bound for J.J.Phelans. In the 1990's these tracks wee removed and the great southern trail replaces them. Straddling the boundaries of Churchtown and Gortbuoy a final landscape feature declares as terminal railway to Newcastle West.

In 1887, at which stage a line from Limerick reached to Newcastle West. A 27 mile post measured nearly all of the distance; station and signal posts were in place. On October 23rd 1866 the railway was inaugurated by way of a special train from Limerick. Several V.I.P's were on board including the chairman, the Earl of Devon. At Ballingrane the lavishly decorated train proceeded on to the new track to Rathkeale where the fine cut-stone buildings, commodious goods store and cattle pens over the river Deel at Castlematrix via an iron-girder bridge, 90 feet in width.

From Ardagh the train pulled on to the line to Newcastle West and followed tracks almost dead level and straight between the two stations. The last bridge loomed, the town terminal was in sight. Cascades of cheering wafted up line from hundreds of townspeople. On the platform a welcome party had assembled. It included Rev. R. B. O' Brien, parish priest of Newcastle West. On the 1st Jan 1867 the line opened for traffic, with two trains daily to and from Limerick. Thus the railway became a going concern.