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| '''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 ]. | ||
| = |
==History== | ||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ⚫ | NIR was formed in ] when it took over from the ], which had operated the province's railways since ]. Much of Northern Ireland's railway network was closed during the ] and ], declining from 1500 ] (900 ]) in the 1950s to 342 km (210 miles) at present. | ||
| Fraught by the frequent disruption and damage caused to infrastructure by the ], and choked with a lack of investment from successive political administrations, by the 1960s it was becoming evident that the NIR network had became badly run down, with old rolling stock and poorly maintained track. | |||
| In 1970, NIR used three new acquired locomotives to re-launch the once popular '']'' between Dublin and Belfast. Despite frequent interuptions of service due to bomb scares, the service remained a more or less constant feature of the NIR network. | |||
| As older trains became obsolete in the 1970s, a new type of ] train was introduced to the network, called the class 80. These entered service on the suburban lines around Belfast, although increasingly became a stalwart of the whole network. Now a rare sight on NIR passenger duty, a few of these slam-door trains remain in service to this day. | |||
| During the eighties it was apparent that an additional fleet of trains would be need. The 450 series is also a three car ], based on a marginally more modern British design, with hydraulically operated sliding doors. Now in the process of a mid-life refurbishment, these trains continue in service today. | |||
| In 1994, NIR bought two General Motors 208 Class locomotives (similar to Iarnród Éireann's 201 Class). Along with a dedicated set of modern carraiges, these haul the cross-border '']''. | |||
| ⚫ | In ]/], NI Railways began to receive delivery of 23 new ] ]s from ] of Spain, in an order which totalled £80m. The final train, 3023, arrived in Belfast Harbour on ] ]. All the units had entered service by ] ], each one having had to complete 2000 miles of fault-free running before doing so. These trains operate principally between Bangor, Belfast and Portadown and between Londonderry and Belfast. | ||
| ==Routes== | |||
| NIR currently maintains the following railway lines | NIR currently maintains the following railway lines | ||
| Line 32: | Line 48: | ||
| * Belfast Great Victoria Street, Belfast Central, Antrim, Ballymena, Coleraine and Londonderry | * Belfast Great Victoria Street, Belfast Central, Antrim, Ballymena, Coleraine and Londonderry | ||
| * ] and ] | * ] 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, ]. | ||
| ==Suspended Routes== | ==Suspended Routes== | ||
| Line 38: | Line 56: | ||
| The infrastructure of the ] is still maintained, and occasional crew training operations are performed on the line, but Ballinderry, Glenavy and Crumlin stations have closed. Speculation remains that the route could one day re-opened, potentially to offer an alternative Antrim - Lisburn - Belfast service. The line passes very close to ] at Aldergrove, although the airport is unlikely to ever handle the volume of passengers necessary to justify the construction of a new station. | The infrastructure of the ] is still maintained, and occasional crew training operations are performed on the line, but Ballinderry, Glenavy and Crumlin stations have closed. Speculation remains that the route could one day re-opened, potentially to offer an alternative Antrim - Lisburn - Belfast service. The line passes very close to ] at Aldergrove, although the airport is unlikely to ever handle the volume of passengers necessary to justify the construction of a new station. | ||
| the longer route between Lisburn and Antrim is no longer used for passenger trains, and its future remains unclear. | |||
| ⚫ | 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== | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ⚫ | NIR was formed in ] when it took over from the ], which had operated since ]. Much of Northern Ireland's railway network was closed during the ] and ], declining from 1500 ] (900 ]) in the 1950s to 342 km (210 miles) at present. | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 20:16, 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.
History
NIR was formed in 1968 when it took over from the Ulster Transport Authority, which had operated the province's railways 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.
Fraught by the frequent disruption and damage caused to infrastructure by the Troubles, and choked with a lack of investment from successive political administrations, by the 1960s it was becoming evident that the NIR network had became badly run down, with old rolling stock and poorly maintained track.
In 1970, NIR used three new acquired locomotives to re-launch the once popular Enterprise between Dublin and Belfast. Despite frequent interuptions of service due to bomb scares, the service remained a more or less constant feature of the NIR network.
As older trains became obsolete in the 1970s, a new type of Diesel-electric multiple unit train was introduced to the network, called the class 80. These entered service on the suburban lines around Belfast, although increasingly became a stalwart of the whole network. Now a rare sight on NIR passenger duty, a few of these slam-door trains remain in service to this day.
During the eighties it was apparent that an additional fleet of trains would be need. The 450 series is also a three car Diesel-electric multiple unit, based on a marginally more modern British design, with hydraulically operated sliding doors. Now in the process of a mid-life refurbishment, these trains continue in service today.
In 1994, NIR bought two General Motors 208 Class locomotives (similar to Iarnród Éireann's 201 Class). Along with a dedicated set of modern carraiges, these haul the cross-border Enterprise.
In 2004/2005, NI Railways began to receive delivery of 23 new Class 3000 Diesel multiple units 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. These trains operate principally between Bangor, Belfast and Portadown and between Londonderry and Belfast.
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.
Suspended Routes
Following the re-opening of the fifteen mile Antrim - Bleach Green line in June 2001 (which had been closed since 1978) NIR ceased passenger operations on the alternative stretch of line between Lisburn and Antrim. Combined with the the newly built Cross-Harbour Rail Link across the River Lagan in Belfast, the Bleach Green route offered faster journey times between Londonderry, Coleraine Antrim and Belfast.
The infrastructure of the Lisburn-Antrim railway line is still maintained, and occasional crew training operations are performed on the line, but Ballinderry, Glenavy and Crumlin stations have closed. Speculation remains that the route could one day re-opened, potentially to offer an alternative Antrim - Lisburn - Belfast service. The line passes very close to Belfast International Airport at Aldergrove, although the airport is unlikely to ever handle the volume of passengers necessary to justify the construction of a new station.
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