Belfast–Derry line
Belfast–Derry Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Belfast to Monkstown Irish gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | Un-electrified | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating speed | 90 mph (140 km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Belfast–Derry line (referred to as the Derry~Londonderry Line by NI Railways[2]) runs 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 is the busiest single track railway line in the United Kingdom, carrying over 4 million passengers per annum,[3] the Derry-Londonderry Line has also been described by Michael Palin as "one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world".
Current service
Weekday and Saturday services on the line run hourly from
On Sundays services from Great Victoria Street to Derry operate every two hours from Derry to Belfast and vice versa. During those hours when trains do not depart from Derry, the shuttle service from Portrush to Coleraine continues on to Great Victoria Street. This means that only passengers departing from Derry, Bellarena and Castlerock have a two-hour wait between departing services.
The first train Monday to Saturday begins at Coleraine and weekends begins from Coleraine.
Previous operations
Between 1978 and 2001, the line between the
Upgrade and Future
In 2011, it was planned to reduce services on the
Phase 1 saw the line close for nine months to completely relay two sections (Coleraine to Castlerock; and Eglinton to Derry), extending the life of the remaining section by converting the jointed track to
Phase 2 saw the passing loop removed and the 'down' track lifted at Castlerock, replaced with 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.[6]
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 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.
Railway engineering feature
Coleraine has a
Signalling
Signalling on the line from Great Victoria Street to Slaught level crossing (just south of Ballymena station) is controlled by the Belfast Lanyon Place (Formally Belfast Central) 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 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 the Belfast Hub project.
Rolling stock
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.
References
- ^ "Derry rail line exceeds 3 million passengers for first time ever". Derry Journal. 15 May 2019.
- ^ "RAIL TIMETABLE Derry~Londonderry Line" (PDF). Translink. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ "Station usage statistics for the 2022 to 2023 period for all Translink Northern Ireland Railways stations on your network. – a Freedom of Information request to Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company". WhatDoTheyKnow. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ISSN 0026-8356.
- ^ "Kennedy calls for more money for Londonderry rail link". BBC News. 25 August 2011.
- ^ "Translink start new hourly train service to Londonderry". BBC News. 3 July 2017.
- ^ "Coleraine Bridge – River Bann". Movable Bridges in the British Isles.
- ^ "2020 Anniversaries". The Railway and Canal Historical Society. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
1845 Oct – Londonderry & Coleraine Rly "Great Blast" of rocks near Downhill.
- ^ Caskey, Harry. "History of the Railway". CoastLine Castlerock.org. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2013.