Belfast–Larne line

Larne line
Larne line
	Irish gauge
Electrification	Un-electrified
Operating speed	70 mph (110 km/h)
Route map
v; t; e; Belfast–Larne line
	Legend
	Year
	closed
	Dublin Connolly
	Belfast–Bangor railway line
	to Sydenham, Holywood, Bangor
	Derry~Londonderry
	Belfast–Derry railway line
	via Monkstown
	Harbour branch line
	to Carrickfergus Harbour
	Whitehead Excursion
	RPSI depot
	Kilwaughter, Kells, Ballymena

The Belfast–Larne line, or Larne line, is a railway line in

Northern Ireland Railways. It runs as double track along the majority of its route north along the scenic east Antrim coastline from Belfast to the coastal seaport town of Larne

, serving commuters and ferry passengers.

Route

Belfast

From

Northern Ireland Railways engineering depot and engine sheds, along the coast towards Whitehouse, a former halt. The line then continues north along the coast of Belfast Lough

.

University of Ulster, level crossing), Greenisland (former junction) and Trooperslane (level crossing) – are still a few hundred yards inland, and Belfast Lough can be seen from time to time where development is sparse. After Trooperslane, the line passes through a former halt at Mount

. This station was closed in the early 1970s.

Carrickfergus

Clipperstown, Carrickfergus and Downshire. The former halt at Barn has been closed since 1977 (around the same time as Bleach Green Halt). At Downshire bridge the line crosses the A2 road once more and from here north, it follows the coastline at low level, offering views over the lough towards County Down and the Copeland Islands

.

Downshire

From Downshire, the line runs through a former halt at Eden. The station here was closed back in 1977 (similar to Barn and Bleach Green Stations). Erosion has affected maintenance along this section, and the line becomes single track now at Kilroot (closed halt, power station) where previously it carried on as double track to Whitehead. The outer up track has been removed (officially temporarily) for safety reasons. At Whitehead Station, there is a passing loop and a spur to the former Excursion Station which is the headquarters of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.

Larne

Then north to Larne as single track, there are three intermediate halts, Ballycarry, Magheramorne, and Glynn, each serving villages en route. On the coastal side, the peninsula of Islandmagee blocks views of Scotland, but forms the wildlife wetlands of Larne Lough. Small sections of the track at the Larne end are built on causeways, forming ponds landside of the railway.

On entering the town, the railway again crosses the road inland to Larne Town station before reaching its terminus at Larne Harbour station, sharing its building with the ferry terminal for the Port of Larne.

Services

On weekdays, trains run half-hourly from Lanyon Place, with the outbound terminus alternating every half an hour between Larne Harbour and Whitehead. Extra services operate at peak times to and from Carrickfergus and City Hospital. The service reduces to hourly operation after 8pm.

On Saturdays, the majority of services terminate at City Hospital instead of Lanyon Place, but maintain a similar service pattern to that of the weekday service, minus additional peak-time trains. Some trains continue on from Lanyon Place to Lisburn or Portadown.

On Sundays, the line reduces to hourly operation from City Hospital, with the outbound terminus alternating every hour between Whitehead and Larne Harbour. First services on Sunday are later and last services are earlier.^[1]

Ferry connections

P&O Ferries operate ferries to Cairnryan throughout the year.

Onward rail connections from Stranraer

The nearest railway station to

Glasgow Central. Sometimes a change is required at Ayr

.

References

^ Northern Ireland Railways (January 2013). "NIR Service 2 Timetable" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2013.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "350: Stranraer - Railway Station - Cairnryan Ferry Ports". Dumfries & Galloway Council. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013.

External links

[1] Northern Ireland Railways (January 2013). "NIR Service 2 Timetable" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2013.^{[permanent dead link]}

[2] "350: Stranraer - Railway Station - Cairnryan Ferry Ports". Dumfries & Galloway Council. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013.

[1]

v t e Railway lines in Northern Ireland
InterCity lines	Belfast–Dublin line
Main lines	Belfast–Derry line
Belfast commuter lines	Belfast–Bangor line Belfast–Larne line Belfast–Newry line
Other lines	Coleraine–Portrush line Lisburn–Antrim line (closed)
Heritage lines	Downpatrick and County Down Railway Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway
Railway museums	Foyle Valley Railway Museum Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Ulster Folk and Transport Museums