The 9 mile single track branch ran from the Attymon Junction on the Dublin to Galway main line and terminated at Loughrea.

[2] The Loughrea and Attymon Light Railway company was formed on 24 April 1885 to construct the line.

It opened on 1 December 1890 with an agreement in place for the Midland Great Western Railway to operate the line for the next 50 years.

[3] However, this arrangement did not run its full term as the line was absorbed into the new Great Southern Railways (GSR) from 1 January 1925.

GSR was itself superseded by Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) on 1 January 1945.