| Revision as of 19:29, 3 August 2006 editJamesbrownontheroad (talk | contribs)252 edits →CAF trains: removal of uncitable text← Previous edit | Revision as of 19:43, 3 August 2006 edit undoJamesbrownontheroad (talk | contribs)252 edits →Routes: tidy upNext edit → | ||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
| '''Northern Ireland Railways''' ('''NIR''' or '''NI Railways''') – formerly, and very briefly, known as '''Ulster Transport Railways (UTR)''' – is the ] operator responsible for running the railway network in ]. Currently the sole-surviving state-owned inter-urban train operator in the UK, it is a subsidiary of the ], and has a common Board of Management with the other two transport Companies, ] and ], trading under the ] ]. The rail network in Northern Ireland is not part of the ] network that operates on the island of ]. As a consequence of this, and its status as a state owned operator, Northern Ireland Railways is not considered to be one of the ]. | '''Northern Ireland Railways''' ('''NIR''' or '''NI Railways''') – formerly, and very briefly, known as '''Ulster Transport Railways (UTR)''' – is the ] operator responsible for running the railway network in ]. Currently the sole-surviving state-owned inter-urban train operator in the UK, it is a subsidiary of the ], and has a common Board of Management with the other two transport Companies, ] and ], trading under the ] ]. The rail network in Northern Ireland is not part of the ] network that operates on the island of ]. As a consequence of this, and its status as a state owned operator, Northern Ireland Railways is not considered to be one of the ]. | ||
| ==Routes== | ==Routes== | ||
| NIR currently maintains the following railway lines | |||
| NIR currently operates two important lines between ] and ] and between Belfast and the border with the ] then to ]. On the latter route NIR operates a joint service of fast trains (the '']'') between ] and ] in conjunction with the national railway company of the Republic of Ireland, ]. NIR also operates a branch line between ] and ], and suburban services from Belfast to ], ], and ]. | |||
| For more details visit: | |||
| *] | *] | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| *] |
*] | ||
| *] | *] | ||
| NIR operates regular passenger services with a mixed fleet of two, three and four carraige single class ] (DMU) and ] (DEMU) trains along the following major routes (not all intermidate stops are listed): | |||
| * Portadown, Lisburn, Belfast Great Victoria Street, Belfast Central and Bangor | |||
| * Belfast Great Victoria Street, Belfast Central and Larne | |||
| * Belfast Great Victoria Street, Belfast Central, Antrim, Ballymena, Coleraine and Londonderry | |||
| * ] and ] | |||
| On the cross-border route between Belfast, Newry, Dundalk and Dublin, NIR operates a joint service of fast trains (the '']'') in conjunction with the national railway company of the Republic of Ireland, ]. | |||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
Revision as of 19:43, 3 August 2006
| File:Translink northernirelandrailways.PNG | |
| File:NI train.jpg | |
| Franchise(s) | Not subject to franchising. NIR is a subsidiary of the government-owned NITHCo |
|---|---|
| Main Region(s) | Northern Ireland |
| Other Region(s) | None |
| Stations called at | 59 |
| Parent company | NITHCo (Translink) |
| Other | |
| Website | www.nirailways.co.uk/ |
Northern Ireland Railways (NIR or NI Railways) – formerly, and very briefly, known as Ulster Transport Railways (UTR) – is the railway operator responsible for running the railway network in Northern Ireland. Currently the sole-surviving state-owned inter-urban train operator in the UK, it is a subsidiary of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, and has a common Board of Management with the other two transport Companies, Ulsterbus and Citybus, trading under the brand name Translink. The rail network in Northern Ireland is not part of the National Rail network that operates on the island of Great Britain. As a consequence of this, and its status as a state owned operator, Northern Ireland Railways is not considered to be one of the Train Operating Companies.
Routes
NIR currently maintains the following railway lines
- Dublin-Belfast railway line
- Belfast-Bangor railway line
- Belfast-Larne railway line
- Belfast-Londonderry railway line
- Coleraine-Portrush railway line
- Belfast-Newry railway line
- Lisburn-Antrim railway line
NIR operates regular passenger services with a mixed fleet of two, three and four carraige single class Diesel multiple unit (DMU) and Diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) trains along the following major routes (not all intermidate stops are listed):
- Portadown, Lisburn, Belfast Great Victoria Street, Belfast Central and Bangor
- Belfast Great Victoria Street, Belfast Central and Larne
- Belfast Great Victoria Street, Belfast Central, Antrim, Ballymena, Coleraine and Londonderry
- Coleraine and Portrush
On the cross-border route between Belfast, Newry, Dundalk and Dublin, NIR operates a joint service of fast trains (the Enterprise) in conjunction with the national railway company of the Republic of Ireland, Iarnród Éireann.
History
NIR was formed in 1968 when it took over from the Ulster Transport Authority, which had operated since 1948. Much of Northern Ireland's railway network was closed during the 1950s and 1960s, declining from 1500 km (900 miles) in the 1950s to 342 km (210 miles) at present.
From the 1960s the NIR network became increasingly run down, with old rolling stock and worn out track. In 2004/2005, NI Railways began to receive delivery of 23 new Class 3000 DMUs from CAF of Spain, in an order which totalled £80m. The final train, 3023, arrived in Belfast Harbour on 18 July 2005. All the units had entered service by 24 September 2005, each one having had to complete 2000 miles of fault-free running before doing so.
External links
- Official site
- Collection of Google Earth locations of NI Railways stations (Requires Google Earth software) from the Google Earth Community forum.
Sources
- BBC News: New trains make first journey
- Translink Press Release: Last New Train lands at Belfast Harbour