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The Belfast – Bangor railway line

The Belfast & County Down Railway (BCDR) opened its railway line from Belfast (Queen’s Quay) to Holywood on 2 August 1845. This line was extended to the seaside resort of Bangor by the Belfast Holywood & Bangor Railway (BHBR), which opened on 18 May 1865. The BCDR absorbed the BHBR in 1884.

While double-track throughout, the BCDR always regarded its Bangor line as a branch off the main line to Newcastle. However, creation of the nationalised Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1948 changed matters somewhat as only the Belfast – Bangor line survived the mass closures implemented by the UTA in 1950. The old BCDR Bangor line received a further blow in 1965 when it was isolated from the rest of the Irish railway system by closure of the Belfast Central Railway line from Ballymacarrett Junction (east of Queen’s Quay station) to Central Junction, just west of the former GNR(I) Great Victoria Street station (see: Link ). However, on a positive note, introduction of UTA built MED railcars gave Belfast – Bangor the distinction of being the first main railway line in the British Isles to be operated solely by diesel traction.

In 1976, the Belfast Central Railway reopened as part of a project to replace both the GNR(I) Great Victoria Street station and the BCDR Queen’s Quay with a “central” station situated in east Belfast. Today (2013), Belfast – Bangor is an important part of the Northern Ireland Railways’ system, with services to Bangor originating from Portadown or the reinstated Great Victoria Street station. While diesel locomotives may occasionally visit with engineer’s trains, all passenger services are in the hands of Spanish built 3000 or 4000 class railcars.

For photographs of the former line to Newcastle, please see: Link . For photographs at Queen's Quay station and Central Services Depot, please go to: Link
by The Carlisle Kid

Created: Tue, 19 Nov 2013, Updated: Sun, 22 Dec 2013


381 images use this description. Preview sample shown below:

J3574 : Locomotive and cranes, Belfast by Albert Bridge
J4881 : Locomotive 101 at Bangor West - 1990 (1) by The Carlisle Kid
J3474 : "Kit Kat" railway poster, Belfast by Albert Bridge
J4180 : Special train at Cultra station - 1977 by The Carlisle Kid
J4180 : Old station building, Cultra (3) by Albert Bridge
J3574 : Train approaching site of Ballymacarrett Halt - 2003 by The Carlisle Kid
J3775 : Railway signal, Sydenham, Belfast by Albert Bridge
J3979 : Holywood Railway Station [2] by Rossographer
J3474 : The Lagan railway bridge, Belfast (4) by Albert Bridge
J4881 : Bangor West station (2) by Albert Bridge
J3574 : MED at the site of Ballymacarrett Junction - 1976 - (2) by The Carlisle Kid
J4482 : Train near Helen's Bay (2) by Albert Bridge
J4582 : 450 class DEMU at Helen's Bay station - 1988 by The Carlisle Kid
J4180 : Train, Cultra (September 2016) by Albert Bridge
J4180 : Railway cutting and train, Cultra by Albert Bridge
J3574 : Passenger shelters, Bridge End station, Belfast (3) by Albert Bridge
J3979 : Railway milepost, Holywood by Albert Bridge
J3574 : Titanic Quarter station, Belfast (4) by Albert Bridge
J3474 : Railway arch, Bridge End, Belfast (October 2017) by Albert Bridge
J4180 : Train, Cultra Station by Rossographer
J4180 : MED approaching Cultra station - 1975 by The Carlisle Kid
J5081 : Ballast train leaving Bangor by The Carlisle Kid
J4180 : Approaching Cultra by Rossographer
J5081 : Forecourt, Bangor railway and bus station (March 2014) by Albert Bridge
J4681 : Train leaving Crawfordsburn station - 1983 by The Carlisle Kid

... and 356 more images.

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