108-651: The Belfast–Derry line (referred to as the Derry~Londonderry Line by NI Railways ) is an intercity railway line, running from Belfast to Derry in Northern Ireland . The line is double-track on the short section it shares with the Belfast–Larne line , but is composed primarily of single track from Monkstown to Derry with passing points at Templepatrick, Antrim, Magherabeg, Ballymena, Killagan, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Bellarena. The line
216-628: A bascule bridge for the railway over the navigable River Bann. Just after Castlerock station there are two tunnels created during an event known as the Great Blast in October 1845. Castlerock tunnel is 668 yards (611 m) long and is the longest operational railway tunnel in Northern Ireland. After passing through a short opening trains pass through the shorter Downhill tunnel which is 301 yards (275 m) in length. Signalling on
324-507: A vertical integration model, with responsibility of all aspects of the network including running trains, maintaining rolling stock and infrastructure, and pricing. Since the Single European Railway Directive 2012 , the company has allowed open access operations by other rail operators, although no operator has started such a service. In 2019, NI Railways carried over 15 million passengers. NIR jointly runs
432-637: A "Strategic Rail Review" in 2004, an independent review of rail services to determine its funding request under the Comprehensive Spending Review . This report determined that so-called "lesser used lines" were an important and economically viable part of the total network, and that investment should be consistent rather than in the "stop-go" manner of previous years. A debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday 14 May 2007 raised several proposals as to how
540-631: A brief period Ulster Transport Railways ; UTR), is the railway operator in Northern Ireland. NIR is a subsidiary of Translink , whose parent company is the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo), and is one of nine publicly owned train operators in the United Kingdom, the others being Direct Rail Services , Caledonian Sleeper , Northern Trains , Transport for Wales Rail , Southeastern , LNER , ScotRail , and TransPennine Express . It has
648-529: A cliff path was engineered that stretched 1 1 ⁄ 4 miles from Whitehead to the Blackhead promontory. The lower sections bordered the shore but blasting and cantilevering from the cliffs was necessary higher up. Further north from Whitehead on the eastern coast of Islandmagee is a region of high basalt cliffs known as the Gobbins . Here too, Wise set to work building a path. Steps were cut to connect
756-533: A common Board of Management with the other two companies in the group, Ulsterbus and Metro (formerly Citybus). The rail network in Northern Ireland is not part of the National Rail network of Great Britain, nor does it use Standard Gauge , instead using Irish Gauge in common with the Republic of Ireland. Also, NIR is the only commercial non-heritage passenger operator in the United Kingdom to operate
864-521: A delay to acquire land and raise capital, William Dargan was awarded the contract for building the line and began work in March 1855. The Cookstown extension included two massive engineering features. One was the eight-span masonry bridge which carried the line fifty feet above the River Main just outside Randalstown and the other, a few miles further on, was a lattice bridge with a swing section across
972-441: A head at when it was reported that the capital was totally expended and borrowing powers had been exceeded by £10,000. It was essential that the company raise additional funds to double the existing single line out of Belfast, as it was no longer adequate for the current volume of traffic and to replace many of the original wooden stations. It was therefore proposed to make a submission to Parliament as soon as possible. In 1858, with
1080-461: A joint committee to operate a steamer. It purchased the iron-hulled paddle steamer Briton which made her first sailing in normal service on 2 October 1862. The service was not a success and continuing poor financial results led to its being suspended on 31 December 1863. Meanwhile, the BNCR continued to promote the possibility of a steamer service but with a better ship. Although lacking capital it
1188-473: A new loop further down the line at Bellarena halt. New signalling was introduced, and the signal boxes at Castlerock and Waterside, Derry closed, with the line operating under absolute block . An hourly service between Belfast and Derry was introduced in 2017. Phase 3 will include rail renewal between Castlerock and Eglinton, the introduction of a 90 mph (140 km/h) line speed between Castlerock and Derry and other works, however funding for this part of
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#17327800157371296-571: A new peak of 5%. Goods traffic had continued to increase gratifyingly although passenger numbers fluctuated. Terminating at a small country town, the Randalstown branch was not generating as much traffic as the directors wished. Therefore, it was decided to extend the line to Cookstown . The act of Parliament for this extension, the Belfast and Ballymena Extension Railway Act 1853 ( 16 & 17 Vict. c. lxviii) became law on 28 June 1853. After
1404-403: A new ticketing system in 2018 similar to the system utilised by Irish Rail. This includes the introduction of ticket vending machines, allowing customers to purchase tickets via an electronic interface at the station (as opposed to the current system in which customers must pay staff for the ticket, who in turn print the customer's ticket for them), a 'smart card' 'tap on, tap off' system similar to
1512-472: A new traincare depot next to Adelaide station on the site of the old freight yard. As a means of improving timings of its services, it would have seen former station Belfast Great Victoria Street undergo a major refurbishment that will see the platforms lengthened and the curves reduced, together with the addition of a new fifth platform, all planned to bring about the transfer of Enterprise services from Belfast Lanyon Place . Further plans are afoot to double
1620-596: A number of 914 mm ( 3 ft ) narrow gauge lines. It had its origins in the Belfast and Ballymena Railway which opened to traffic on 11 April 1848. The NCC itself was formed on 1 July 1903 as the result of the Midland Railway of England taking over the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR), which the Belfast and Ballymena Railway had become. At the 1923 Grouping of British railway companies,
1728-580: A public meeting in Antrim courthouse on 20 May 1844. A motion was carried that a complete survey of the line was to be completed and that costs were to be defrayed by opening a subscription. A prospectus was issued in September 1844 with an optimistic review of the financial prospects for the undertaking. There was a good response and capital accumulated steadily from both sides of the Irish Sea . By 1848,
1836-648: A single car. A plan was mooted to use it on the Lisburn-Antrim line to prevent it from being closed. This proposal failed, again because of the limited capacity. NIR has three EMD class 111 locomotives, 111–113, for freight and passenger use, built in October 1980 (111–112) and December 1984 (113). During the eighties it was apparent that additional trains would be needed. BREL built nine 450 Class sets on former Mark 1 underframes between 1985 and 1987. The power cars had an English Electric 4SRKT engine recovered from former 70 Class units (except 459, which used
1944-613: A six-car train, which required two before. In 2021, Translink announced it would change all of its iconic logos (used for the previous 25 years in the Translink brand and sub brands such as NI Railways, Ulsterbus & Metro ) to a new design. The design was intended to focus to "modernise and simplify the brand presence". The creation of the logo cost £15,000 and was created by Belfast based company McCadden Design in partnership with Translink . The latest performance figures for NIR according to Translink are 99% of trains arriving at
2052-474: A total of 15 three-car units planned to be either bi-mode or tri-mode for NI Railways' own domestic services, and a fleet of 9 eight-car sets for use by Enterprise, the business case for which will be based on zero- or low-carbon technologies. Northern Counties Committee The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge ( 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in )) but later acquired
2160-534: A £80 million order. The final unit, 3023, arrived in Belfast Harbour on Monday 18 July 2005. All units had entered service by 24 September 2005. A maintenance contract with CAF for these vehicles was extended in May 2020 for another 15 years. In 2007, NIR announced plans to purchase up to 20 trains under its "New Trains 2010" proposal following the confirmation of its expected budget. This fleet replaced
2268-464: Is Glenariff which stretches from Parkmore down to the sea. The opening of the Cushendall line to passengers created whole new possibilities for tourism. The BNCR leased Glenariff from the landlords and laid out a series of paths and bridges to make it easily accessible to tourists. Rustic shelters were provided near the water falls to protect visitors from the spray and, in 1891, a "tea house"
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#17327800157372376-576: Is a further proposal to add two trains per day, enabling journey times between Belfast and Derry~Londonderry to be reduced by up to 30 minutes. As part of this plan, Translink envisages an hourly service to Derry~Londonderry, half-hourly to Ballymena . There have been proposals to improve the Belfast-Dublin line between Knockmore and Lurgan , enabling journey times to be reduced and frequency increased. This will improve NIR's services and allow an hourly Enterprise service to Dublin. In May 2008,
2484-628: Is not sufficient to justify a station. Although the introduction of the Class 3000 trains was a success, they were a like-for-like replacement for the Class 80 units rather than an expansion of the fleet. Due to the limited number of new units, some of NIR's older rolling stock was retained, notably the entire Class 450 on the Belfast-Larne route. To enable NIR to maintain its levels of service, it upgraded some of its older rolling stock. In 2005,
2592-730: Is the 22 miles (35 km) across the North Channel between Portpatrick in Wigtownshire, Scotland and Donaghadee in County Down . A privately run mail service had started in 1662 which. taken over by the Post Office and then the Admiralty , continued for nearly 200 years. In 1849, problems at both Portpatrick and Donaghadee during severe weather and the difficulty in accommodating larger steamers at Portpatrick caused
2700-609: Is the busiest single track railway line in the United Kingdom, carrying over 4 million passengers per annum, the Derry-Londonderry Line has also been described by Michael Palin as "one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world". Weekday and Saturday services on the line run hourly from Grand Central in Belfast to Derry~Londonderry and vice versa, with some late-night and peak-time services starting from and terminating at Coleraine and Lanyon Place . Hourly shuttle services to and from Portrush connect with
2808-607: The B&;BR in 1857 and continued in this position with the BNCR . He would be instrumental in making it the most prosperous railway in Ireland. Berkeley Deane Wise was the Chief Civil Engineer of the BNCR from 1888 to 1906. During those 18 years Wise made an immense contribution to the BNCR , designing many of its grand stations and tourist attractions. The shortest distance between Great Britain and Ireland
2916-424: The B&BR 's practice of running cheap excursions. Besides excursions organised by the company itself, there were extensive summer programmes of special trains operated on behalf of outside organisations especially Sunday schools and other church organisations. A large number of special trains were chartered by Loyalist organisations around the "Twelfth of July" and the "Twelfth of August" . G. L. Baillie,
3024-685: The BBC&;PJR was granted approval in the Ballymena and Portrush Railway (Coleraine Junction) Act 1859 ( 22 Vict. c. xxxi) in April 1859 to build a bridge over the River Bann at Coleraine to connect with the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway . Since this was after the 1858 act, the bridge could not be included in any sale of the BBC&PJR . An additional act was promoted to regularise
3132-571: The BNCR , its manager, Edward John Cotton , especially recognised the potential value of tourism and was influential in its development throughout the North of Ireland. The BNCR was able to exploit the advantages of the Larne-Stranraer short sea route with its benefit of a daylight crossing in the summer months and the ease with which passengers could transfer to trains alongside the steamer berth at Larne Harbour. The BNCR continued
3240-711: The Bleach Green viaduct resulted in shorter journeys between Belfast and Derry. A skeleton service continued on the Lisburn–Antrim line until 2003, when the line and its stations were closed. This section of railway is now used solely for driver training or other operational requirements e.g. special services to major events. In 2011, it was planned to reduce services on the Coleraine to Derry~Londonderry section to five services, in each direction on weekdays, to facilitate safety improvement works during refurbishment of
3348-752: The Enterprise train service between Belfast and Dublin with Iarnród Éireann . There is no link to the rail system in Great Britain ; proposals have been made , but allowances would have to be made for the different rail gauge in use in Britain ( standard gauge ) and Ireland ( Irish gauge ). From the early 20th century until 1948, the three main railway companies in Northern Ireland were the Great Northern Railway Ireland (GNRI), which had around one half of its network north of
Belfast–Derry line - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-667: The Leap Card and contactless payments. The rail network is focused on Greater Belfast . Both the Bangor and Larne lines have been re-laid in recent years, enabling timetable improvements to be delivered. The only significant "inter-city" routes are the main line between Belfast and Dublin, which covers services to Newry ; and the Belfast-Derry line . This line is single track with crossing loops north of Mossley West and single track only west of Castlerock , which limits
3564-480: The Northern Ireland Assembly put in place an investment programme costing £100 million to bring about major improvements. This saw projects including the purchase of the 3000 Class trains, the complete relaying of the Belfast-Larne line and the construction of a new maintenance depot. Following completion of this, as part of its long-term investment programme for NIR Translink conducted
3672-467: The River Bann near its outflow from Lough Neagh . Nevertheless, Dargan was able to carry out the work on the Cookstown extension speedily and the line was deemed to be ready for a Board of Trade inspection on 13 October 1856. Captain H. W. Tyler RE, the inspecting officer, reported that although there was much that was satisfactory, the presence of an unauthorised level crossing prevented his allowing
3780-405: The 2012-2017 leaf fall seasons. It was planned that a Class 450 unit was to be used for this role. However, in 2015, Translink awarded a contract to Windhoff Bahn AG to procure a new double ended multi-purpose vehicle to undertake sandite and high-pressure water spraying, as well as weed killing operations. In 2004/2005, NIR received 23 Class 3000 diesel multiple units from CAF of Spain in
3888-671: The Atlantic Ocean at front and back. With more than one hundred rooms, it was intended to accommodate high-class tourists visiting the Giant's Causeway . The hotel was enlarged and improved in 1884 and 1892 and in 1902 the BNCR purchased the freehold outright from the Earl of Antrim . A new hotel was built in Belfast as part of the York Road station reconstruction with the intention of capturing trade from long-distance travellers as it
3996-502: The Belfast Hub project. Due to capacity issues on the line, Northern Ireland Railways announced they would be purchasing 21 extra carriages from Spanish manufacturer CAF. These units entered service in 2021. The line is typically served by 6 car Class 4000 sets, however, 3 car Class 3000s and Class 4000s sometimes operate on the line. NI Railways NI Railways , also known as Northern Ireland Railways (NIR; and for
4104-586: The Belfast and Ballymena Railway (B&BR) would have 221 shareholders. The next stage was to obtain parliamentary approval for the B&;BR's original line plus a branch to Randalstown . A bill was duly lodged and came before a committee of the House of Commons in April 1845. Clauses were inserted at the Belfast Harbour Commissioners' request to protect them from possible competition from
4212-454: The Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR) took its place. On 15 May 1860 the Belfast and Ballymena Railway became known as the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR), a title it would retain until amalgamation with the Midland Railway in 1903. The following independent railways became part of the BNCR after its incorporation (opening date(s)/amalgamation date): Edward John Cotton had succeeded Thomas H. Higgin as manager of
4320-545: The Bleach Green route offered faster journeys between Derry , Coleraine, Ballymena , Antrim and Belfast. The Lisburn-Antrim railway line is still maintained, and occasional crew training operations are performed. While it is also available as a diversionary route, Knockmore, Ballinderry, Glenavy, Crumlin stations remain closed to the public. The passing loops at Ballinderry and Crumlin have been removed. The development of railways in Northern Ireland has been linked to
4428-628: The Carrickfergus and Larne railway in 1890, it possessed both of the Irish routes leading to the Larne-Stranraer steamer. Whilst tourism in Ireland was not a new development, it was in the last quarter of the nineteenth century that a great increase occurred with large numbers of tourists making the sea crossing from Great Britain to see the delights of Ireland's scenery. The railways saw that it would be to their advantage to encourage tourist development since this would bring them increased traffic. On
Belfast–Derry line - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-539: The Carrickfergus branch. The most impressive was that at Belfast where Lanyon used his architectural talents to create an imposing classical design. Eventually the line was deemed to be ready for inspection by the Board of Trade on 10 January 1848. Captain Robert Michael Laffan RE carried out the inspection and issued an unfavourable report dated 3 March. He was much concerned that the permanent way
4644-503: The Class 450 fleet was refurbished to a standard close to that of the Class 3000 units, which saw them through to their withdrawal in 2012. Three four-car Class 80 units were refurbished and a number of locomotives and coaches were converted to push-pull operation with the addition of the DBSO obtained from 'one' , to ensure that passenger rolling stock levels were maintained up to the introduction of new rolling stock in 2011 and 2012. One of
4752-462: The Coleraine signal box. The signal boxes at Castlerock and Waterside, which previously controlled the token system, have now been closed. The whole of the Belfast to Derry line is now controlled by colour light signals, the last semaphore signals at Castlerock station being removed after the 2016 signalling upgrade. The signal box at Coleraine will be moved to Lanyon Place upon completion of
4860-763: The Committee became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). After the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948 the NCC was briefly part of the British Transport Commission , which sold it to the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1949. The BNCR and its successors recognised the potential value of tourism and were influential in its development throughout Northern Ireland. They were able to develop and exploit
4968-643: The Derry~Londonderry and Larne lines share track as far as Bleach Green . On the other side of the city, the track from Grand Central to Newry is shared between the Dublin and Newry lines. The Portrush Line shares a small amount of track with the Derry~Londonderry Line at Coleraine . Signalling is controlled from Coleraine (Coleraine to Portrush), Portadown (the border to Lisburn), and Belfast Lanyon Place (From Lisburn to Belfast and
5076-556: The GNRI was dissolved and its lines north of the border were also taken over by the UTA. Under the UTA's management, the railway network of Northern Ireland shrank from 900 miles (1,450 km) to 225 miles (362 km). The UTA was split into rail and road operations in 1967, and the rail operations were taken over by the present company Northern Ireland Railways (NIR). Suffering frequent disruption and damage to infrastructure caused by
5184-527: The Railway Department of the Board of Trade formally advised the directors of the B&BR on 14 April that the railway could be opened for public service. However, authorisation had been sent previously by telegraph and the railway was already at work. As soon as the Board of Trade's telegraphic authority had been received, advertisements were placed in the newspapers on 8 April 1848 to inform
5292-506: The Regional Development Minister announced that his department would commission a study, in conjunction with Donegal County Council, to investigate the effects a resurrection of railway services in the north-west of Ireland with a long-term projection of building a railway line connecting Derry~Londonderry with Sligo through County Donegal . As part of NIR's original plans for its new rolling stock, it has built
5400-634: The Regional Development Minister announced that the investment strategy being considered by the NI Executive included the relaying of the Belfast-Londonderry line north of Coleraine , planned to include new signalling and a new crossing loop, allowing more trains. The total cost was £64 million, and began in 2011, lasting five years. Prior to the major relaying of the Coleraine-Londonderry section, £12 million
5508-410: The Regional Development Minister, stated that approximately £137 million could be allocated from for investment in the railways for the period 2008–2011. In June 2008, Brian Guckian, an independent transport researcher from Dublin , presented a wide-ranging proposal to Translink for a £460 million expansion of the network called Northern Ireland Network Enhancement (NINE). This proposes
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#17327800157375616-691: The Troubles and starved of investment by successive political administrations, the NIR network had become badly run down by the 1960s, with old rolling stock and poorly maintained track. NIR's last steam locomotives were withdrawn in 1970. In 1970, NIR re-launched the once-popular Enterprise between Dublin and Belfast with three new NIR Class 101 diesel locomotives built by Hunslet in England and Mark 2B carriages built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL). Despite frequent interruptions due to bomb scares,
5724-627: The advantages of the Larne to Stranraer ferry route between Northern Ireland and Scotland which gained importance in World War II . There had been a proposal by the Davison brothers of Ballymena to build a railway between Belfast and Ballymena in 1836 but this came to nothing due, firstly, to the inability to identify a suitable route out of Belfast that did not include excessive gradients and, secondly, an economic downturn. However, in 1844,
5832-418: The border; the Northern Counties Committee (NCC), owned by the Midland Railway of England and later the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS); and the small Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR). The Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1948 created the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA), which took over the BCDR later that year, followed by the NCC in 1949 as a result of the Ireland Act 1949 . In 1958,
5940-422: The building of a new station in its list of future plans, while EasyJet , which is the largest operator into Belfast International, have been strong in advocating an airport rail link . The reopening of the Lisburn-Antrim line is seen not simply in terms of provision of a link to the airport – it would also allow for the further economic development of the area, which has seen increases in population as people use
6048-415: The connivance of the B&BR , the neighbouring BBC&PJR promoted the Ballymena and Portrush Railway Act 1858 ( 21 & 22 Vict. c. liii) to empower the B&BR to purchase the BBC&PJR at a future date. The sum required was to be paid for by the issue of new shares. This manoeuvre was aided by the links both companies had with William Dargan. However, a complication arose when
6156-448: The cost of £50 million, via an option in the existing Class 4000 train procurement contract. The first of the new carriages arrived in Belfast in March 2021, they were integrated onto Unit 4017 and tested throughout the summer, until being put into service on 29 September 2021. NIR maintains the following lines: The track from Grand Central to Lanyon Place is shared by the Bangor, Derry~Londonderry and Larne lines. Beyond this,
6264-460: The cross-border Enterprise dedicated trains of modern carriages. Since 2002, NIR has modernised its rolling stock, with a full fleet replacement of new trains built by the Spanish company CAF . 23 Class 3000 diesel multiple units made up the first batch of trains ordered at a cost of £80 million. They offered greater capacity, performance and accessibility than their predecessors when they were delivered in 2004 and 2005. The next order
6372-471: The decision was taken not to proceed with the light rail project, with the DRD choosing to implement a new bus-based network. The pressure group Rail 21 has stated that the Tillysburn proposal is insufficient for what the new station is expected to provide – a link to the airport, transport provision for Holywood Exchange and a park and ride facility. Instead it proposes a dedicated airport station, similar to Glasgow Prestwick Airport , connected directly to
6480-453: The development of the Northern Rail Corridor published at the end of 2009 The Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015 identifies the need to improve transport links to George Best Belfast City Airport from the city centre. The BMAP proposed a light rail line from the city centre that would have interchanged with a new railway station at Tillysburn, serving both the airport and the Holywood Exchange retail development. However, in April 2008
6588-490: The earliest days of the railway. Special trains were run from Ballymena and intermediate stations in connection with Queen Victoria 's visit to Belfast in August 1849. Later that year, day excursion tickets were available from Belfast to Randalstown for those who wished to visit Shane's Castle demesne at about two-thirds of the cost of normal tickets. Cheap tickets were also available for those travelling to Belfast; in 1857, passengers from Cookstown were being urged to experience
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#17327800157376696-432: The engine recovered from 80 Class power car 88) and had two English Electric 538 traction motors. The sets were three-car diesel-electric multiple units , based on a more modern British design, with air-operated sliding doors. They were withdrawn from service in 2012 and replaced by new 4000 Class diesel multiple units. In 1994, NIR bought two EMD 208 Class locomotives identical to Iarnród Éireann 's 201 Class. These haul
6804-439: The final destination within five minutes and 100% within ten minutes of the scheduled time. Among other accolades, NIR won the UK Rail Business of the Year Award for 2008. NIR carried 13.4 million passengers in 2014–15 (up from 10.4 million in 2010–2011), representing 417 million passenger-km and earning £43.6 million in ticket sales. In 2018–2019, NIR recorded 15.8 million passenger journeys,
6912-416: The future economic growth of the region, and as a way of reducing road congestion. One of the major challenges that NIR has faced is the limited number of trains available for service at peak times. The limited fleet size has led to services being cancelled due to failures or delays. This can lead to widespread disruption across the network and potentially a huge loss in revenue. Upon its establishment in 1998,
7020-434: The golfing pioneer, organised golfing excursions that included first class train fare and hotel accommodation to Portrush and Newcastle as well as to the County Donegal links at Rosapenna, Portsalon and Lisfannon. The Giant's Causeway became an even greater tourist attraction with the opening of the Giant's Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Electric Tramway all the way to the Causeway in 1887. Thousands of tourists found
7128-444: The harbour at Carrickfergus. The promoters were able to assuage the committee's fears that the works would be heavy and costly and the bill received royal assent on 21 July 1845 as the Belfast and Ballymena Railway Act 1845 ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. lxxxi), "An Act for making a Railway from Belfast to Ballymena in the County of Antrim, with Branches to Carrickfergus and Randalstown". Lanyon immediately began preparations for building
7236-529: The investment programme confirmed "New Trains 2010", which procured 20 new trains to both replace the remaining Class 80 and Class 450 units and provide additional capacity. The specification given by the DRD stated that the new trains are to provide both inner and outer suburban commuter services and express services between Belfast and Dublin. The Class 4000 fleet entered service on Thursday 29 September 2011. Twenty three-car units have been specified with an option to purchase an additional 20 vehicles, allowing
7344-420: The journey from outside Portrush railway station much quicker and easier than before and, being the world's first hydro-electric tramway, it was an attraction in itself. Another of Ulster's celebrated tourist attractions is the Antrim Coast Road that stretches north from Larne to Ballycastle and Portrush and from which may be seen the Nine Glens of Antrim . The largest and arguably the most beautiful of these
7452-403: The junction of York Road and Corporation Street; it ran north on an embankment across slob land on the western shore of Belfast Lough . To ease the gradient, it was necessary for the line to Ballymena to leave the Carrickfergus branch by means of a trailing junction 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (10.5 km) from Belfast. Lanyon strongly favoured this latter coastal route and reported accordingly at
7560-754: The largest in the company's 50-year history. NIR also owns half of the 28 De Dietrich stock coaches used by Enterprise , the international service between Belfast and Dublin. These units have their own unique livery, and do not operate under NIR branding or on any other services in Northern Ireland or the Republic. In 2005, NIR investigated obtaining seven Class 222 DEMUs built for British operator Midland Mainline to use for Enterprise, but these entered service with their intended operator. They would have required significant modification to enable NIR to use them, including conversion from standard gauge to Irish gauge . NIR retained one Class 80 unit (three power cars and two driving trailers) as its sandite train during
7668-446: The life of the remaining section by converting the jointed track to continuous welded rail , elimination of wet spots, and essential bridge repairs. This was completed by 2013, and timetable changes resulted in a morning train reaching Derry before 9 a.m. for the first time since Northern Ireland Railways took control of the network in the 1960s. Phase 2 saw the passing loop removed and the 'down' track lifted at Castlerock, replaced with
7776-441: The line and placed advertisements for tenders for the construction of the railway. The contract was awarded to William Dargan . Orders were placed for rails and sleepers and locomotives were ordered from Bury, Curtis and Kennedy . Meanwhile, the directors were recruiting staff. A secretary was appointed in 1845, Ellis Rowland was appointed locomotive superintendent in 1847 and Thomas Houseman Higgin became manager in May 1848. By
7884-444: The line at Coleraine . On Sunday, the service operates hourly from Grand Central, however the outbound terminus alternates every hour between Derry~Londonderry and Portrush – with the effect that stations beyond Coleraine have a two-hourly service. Between 1978 and 2001, the line between the Bleach Green viaduct and Antrim was closed so services operated via Crumlin , Glenavy , Ballinderry and Lisburn . The reopening of
7992-497: The line due to commence in 2012, but the £75 million that it was to cost was unavailable. This led to fears that the line would be permanently closed. Regional Development minister Danny Kennedy relocated funding from the A5 dualling project to the railway upgrade project, allowing for a 3-phase upgrade. Phase 1 saw the line close for nine months to completely relay two sections (Coleraine to Castlerock; and Eglinton to Derry), extending
8100-480: The line from Belfast Grand Central to Slaught level crossing (just south of Ballymena station) is controlled by the Belfast Lanyon Place control terminal. From Kellswater South, the signalling and level crossings are controlled by the Coleraine signal cabin. Following the signalling upgrade in 2016, the line north of Coleraine is no longer controlled by electric token , instead being centralised in
8208-428: The line to be opened. Eventually, following correspondence between the directors and the Board of Trade, permission was given to open the line on condition that a bridge replaced the crossing within six months. The line was officially opened on 16 October 1856 but public services did not begin until 10 November. Four trains ran in each direction on weekdays and two on Sundays. Cheap travelling facilities were offered from
8316-477: The major projects instigated by Translink was "New Trains Two" (formerly "New Trains 2010"), which saw the purchase of a new batch of rolling stock. At minimum, this was to be like-for-like replacement of the Class 450 trains, which were withdrawn in 2012. However, it was determined that to deliver improved frequency of service on the network the size of NIR's fleet had to be increased, and with that must come associated infrastructure improvements. The announcement of
8424-692: The profitability of the route, bought out the steamship company. A new, faster and larger ship, the Princess Victoria entered service in May 1890 and reduced the sea crossing to only 2 1 ⁄ 4 hours. The new service was an immediate success and was well patronised by businessmen. Furthermore, the Postmaster General recognised the crossing as a supplementary mail route in addition to Holyhead - Kingstown . Traffic increased by 40% between 1875 and 1885 and in July 1891 an additional ship
8532-456: The project is doubtful for the foreseeable future. Other future plans for the Derry line include the reinstatement of the double line from Antrim to Ballymena, and the doubling of the track from Monkstown to Templepatrick. The route terminus in Derry was relocated in 2019 when the former Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Waterside station reopened, replacing the 1980 terminus. Coleraine has
8640-686: The public that the B&BR would be open for passenger traffic on 12 April. Because of the delay in starting operations, it was decided not to have an official opening ceremony. However, two special trains ran on 11 April to give members of the press and potential customers a foretaste of railway travel and the railway was in business. The normal train service was five trains each way with the Carrickfergus Junction (later renamed Greenisland)-Carrickfergus and Drumsough Junction- Randalstown lines being considered as branches. All main line trains had to reverse at Carrickfergus Junction because of
8748-544: The railway companies, few took a direct interest in the matter. The BNCR and the Great Southern & Western Railway were exceptions. The BNCR purchased a share in the lease of the long-standing and well thought of Antrim Arms hotel at Portrush and in 1883 formed a separate company to manage what was renamed the Northern Counties Hotel. Situated on an elevated site, the hotel overlooked
8856-651: The railway network could be improved: Pressure groups have advocated the protection of former routes, where the track has been lifted but the trackbed remains intact, to enable these to be reinstated for commuter traffic as an alternative to increased road building. In October 2007, following the CSR that provided funding allocation to the Northern Ireland Executive , the Department for Regional Development announced its draft budget. Conor Murphy ,
8964-417: The railway network. Speculation remains that the Lisburn-Antrim route could re-open, potentially to offer an alternative Antrim – Lisburn – Belfast service. The line is maintained both for crew training and as a diversionary route, and passes close to Belfast International Airport at Aldergrove. For a number of years there have been suggestions for a station to serve the airport. The airport has marked
9072-421: The remaining Class 80 and Class 450 trains by March 2012. Renamed as "New Trains Two", this project went out to tender in late 2007. In March 2009 it was announced that CAF had been selected to build the new fleet, named Class 4000 . The first units were delivered in March 2011, with entry into service in September 2011 In December 2018, NIR, announced that 21 additional carriages would be purchased from CAF at
9180-513: The rest of the network). NIR operates regular passenger trains along the following routes during the weekday inter-peak: Following the re-opening of the 15-mile (24 km) Antrim – Bleach Green line in June 2001, which had been closed since 1978, NIR ceased passenger operations between Lisburn and Antrim on 29 June 2003. Combined with the new Dargan Bridge across the River Lagan in Belfast,
9288-509: The result that no dividend was paid. Goods traffic increased once the goods sheds and other facilities had been completed and, in an attempt to obtain additional passenger traffic, the company reduced second and third class fares. However, the financial situation remained unsatisfactory throughout the early years and no dividend would be declared until 1850–51 when it was possible to pay a modest dividend of 1%. Dividends continued at around 1-1 1 ⁄ 2 % until November 1855 when they rose to
9396-528: The return of the network to several towns that have not had access to rail services for many years; the main part of the proposal would see the Derry~Londonderry-Portadown line re-opened, which would link Omagh , Strabane and Dungannon , with branches to Enniskillen and Armagh . However, none of these enhancements are programmed to go to planning over the course of the next decade as of early 2013. Translink have plans to introduce
9504-465: The same promoters, in association with Sinclair Mulholland, William Coates and John McNeile of Belfast drew up a new scheme that included a branch to Carrickfergus . Charles Lanyon was employed to carry out preliminary surveys of the proposed route. In fact, two routes out of Belfast were surveyed. One was an inland route beginning at the Antrim Road and skirting Cavehill . The other started at
9612-525: The service has remained a more or less constant feature of the NIR network. As older trains became obsolete in the 1970s, the Class 80 slam-door diesel-electric multiple unit was introduced. BREL built these units between 1974 and 1977 to British Rail 's Mark 2 design with some trailer cars rebuilt from hauled stock. The power cars were powered by an English Electric 4SRKT engine, nicknamed 'Thumpers' due to their characteristic sound, and had two English Electric 538 traction motors. These entered service on
9720-562: The service in both frequency and speed; in the current timetable the train takes 2hr4m while the bus takes 1hr50m. The pressure group Into the West , which campaigns for improved rail links to the North West region, has stated that the need for a quality rail service, as part of a larger integrated transport policy, is vital to the economic development not just for the city of Derry but for the wider cross-border region. On 21 November 2007,
9828-446: The situation. In addition, this later bill made provision to change the title of the B&BR and to alter the dates of the half-yearly meetings. When the last half-yearly accounts ending in March 1860 were issued, it was possible to declare a dividend of 4%. With the passage of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Act 1860 ( 23 & 24 Vict. c. xlvi) on 15 May 1860, the Belfast and Ballymena Railway ceased to exist and
9936-524: The spring of 1847, portions of the line were ready for ballasting and, as neither Dargan nor the B&BR had any locomotives, a second-hand engine was obtained from the Ulster Railway to carry out the work. While it had been hoped to open the line in November 1847, this was put back by the need to raise the embankment along the shore of Belfast Lough . Stations were built along the main line and
10044-616: The suburban lines around Belfast , becoming a stalwart on the whole network. They remained in service until 2012, latterly primarily on the Larne-Belfast line and the Coleraine-Portrush Line. In the early 1980s, NIR purchased one of the prototype LEV Railbuses built to test the railbus concept. This was intended for the Coleraine-Portrush branch , but was withdrawn due to the capacity constraints of
10152-462: The terminal, with Tillysburn half a mile away serving Holywood Exchange, instead of Tillysburn providing the link to the airport. There have also been calls, as part of the wider upgrade of the rail route to Derry, for a railway station connecting to City of Derry Airport , which is close to the railway line. However, the Government has determined that the number of passengers using the airport
10260-496: The termini of the Short Sea Route to be transferred to Stranraer and Larne. Even before the Carrickfergus & Larne railway (C&LR) had been completed, the BNCR was playing a leading role in discussions with other railway companies about operating a steamer service between Larne and Stranraer. The BNCR , Glasgow & South Western , Portpatrick , North British and Newcastle & Carlisle Railways formed
10368-646: The towns in South Antrim as dormitory settlements for Belfast. In May 2009, the Minister for Regional Development stated that a proposal had been received from a private developer, the Kilbride Group, to restore the Knockmore line, indicating that he would be prepared to part fund a study into this if the local authorities provided the rest of the funding. The route was also included in a wider study of
10476-410: The track from Monkstown to Templepatrick , to further increase capacity on the Derry~Londonderry line. In 2013, the then Minister for Regional Development , Danny Kennedy , indicated that a restoration of the route between Portadown and Armagh was under active consideration in the long term, pointing out the commercial opportunities for the city of Armagh and its hinterland to be reconnected to
10584-489: The trailing connection there. This was to be an operating problem for years to come. Because the goods sheds were still incomplete, it was not possible to run goods trains at first but some articles were accepted for carriage by passenger train. The financial results for the first year of operation were very poor due to depressed passenger traffic during the winter season and because of the Great Famine of Ireland with
10692-429: The units to be lengthened to six cars. In 2021, following the procurement of 21 additional vehicles purchased to extend a number of its Class 4000 units to six-cars, Translink published a new strategy indicating its intention to provide a zero emission service by 2040. As part of this, NI Railways will begin a process to purchase new rolling stock from 2026 to 2027. The intention is to procure or part procure two fleets -
10800-462: The various levels, bridges were thrown across ravines including two tubular bridges that connected the "Man o'War Stack" to the main path. The first section of the path opened in August 1902 but it was to prove too expensive to continue to Heddle's Port as originally planned. Hotel accommodation in nineteenth century Ireland was not of a generally high standard. While this should have been of concern to
10908-582: The view from Cave Hill. By 1859, further reductions were available for parties of eight or more travelling to destinations such as Shane's Castle, Masserene Park, Toomebridge , Moyola Park, the Giant's Causeway and Dunluce Castle . As always, the seaside was a popular destination with excursion tickets to Portstewart and Portrush via the neighbouring Belfast, Ballymena, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway (BBC&PJR) and valid for seven days being offered at normal single fare rates. The B&BR continued to prosper but lacked capital and matters came to
11016-585: Was a period of furious activity as they worked to correct deficiencies identified in the Board of Trade report. The directors carried out their own inspection of the line on 6 April and felt sufficiently confident about what they had seen to ask Captain Laffan to make a second inspection. This he did and his report of 8 April was more encouraging than the previous one. Although there were some strictures, Captain Henry Drury Harness RE, secretary to
11124-679: Was able to encourage private investors to set up a new company in 1871. Known as the Larne & Stranraer Steam Boat Company it began operating the PS Princess Louise on a daily service from 1 July 1872. In 1885, the London & North Western , Midland , Caledonian and Glasgow & South Western railways had formed the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway to operate the Portpatrick Railway and to, improve
11232-462: Was built which, as well as providing refreshments, included a dark room for the use of photographers. Coastal scenery of a different kind may be seen in the Islandmagee area near Whitehead. While there was already some provision for tourists, the BNCR 's civil engineer Berkeley Deane Wise constructed a new promenade and imported sand from Portrush to make a beach. In 1892 he also engineered
11340-407: Was for 20 Class 4000s , built 2010–2012. These offered similar benefits to the Class 3000s and completed the fleet replacement. Additionally, NIR has purchased 23 new carriages, via an option in the existing Class 4000 train procurement contract, these are to be used to extend Seven trains from three cars to six cars, which will add much more capacity and will also allow only one guard to be needed on
11448-555: Was put on the service during the summer. The BNCR had subscribed a large sum in 1890 and in July 1893 it was able to join the four railways operating the Portpatrick Joint Railway in the newly created Larne & Stranraer Steamship Joint Committee. Edward John Cotton of the BNCR managed the service which continued to be a success. Once the BNCR had absorbed the Ballymena & Larne Railway in 1889 and
11556-425: Was spent on improving the section between Ballymena and Coleraine. This saw the stretch between Ballymena and Coleraine closed completely for four months, with a replacement bus service. Trains continued to run between Derry~Londonderry, Coleraine and Portrush , with a small fleet stabled at Coleraine – four trains were stabled instead of the three previously reported. Once the project was completed in 2016, there
11664-461: Was very roughly laid and unballasted in places; neither were there any signals. Furthermore, he deemed that a bridge had been constructed in a hasty manner with the result that, when tested, it exhibited very great deflection. Other defects included poor drainage in cuttings and a lack of mileposts. Captain Laffan's opinion was that it was therefore unsafe to allow the line to be opened. Lanyon and Dargan were keen to retrieve their reputations and there
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