Cavan was the southern terminus of the Great Northern Railway branch off the Irish North West line from Clones, which opened in July 1856 and closed to passengers in 1957. The line south of the Cavan was built by the Midland Great Western Railway and had branched off the Sligo line at Inny Junction, just north of Mullingar. Passenger services on the MGWR section ended in 1947, but remained open for goods until 1960, one year after the GNR lines had closed completely. The station at Cavan was built by the MGWR, but was shared with the GNR, but both companies had separate locomotive and goods facilities. The station building, adjacent to the MGWR goods shed, along with two of the three platforms survive, while just north of the station the GNR goods yard and sheds also remain, now used as a cattle market.