J3373 : Gt Victoria Street station, Belfast (3)

taken 29 years ago, near to Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

Gt Victoria Street station, Belfast (3)
Gt Victoria Street station, Belfast (3)
See J3373 : Gt Victoria Street station, Belfast (2). The present Gt Victoria Street station, under construction, taken before the demolition of the Erinmore tobacco factory (left). J3373 : Gt Victoria Street station, Belfast shows a similar view after the station had opened. Continue to J3373 : Gt Victoria Street station, Belfast (4).
Great Victoria Street railway station – Belfast

The Ulster Railway Company opened its railway line from Belfast (Glengall Place) to Lisburn in 1839. Designed by John Godwin, the imposing Great Victoria Street station opened in 1849 – Glengall Place and Glengall Street having been renamed at some stage in a fit of patriotic fervour. After the Ulster Railway became part of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) empire in 1876, some alterations were made to the terminal building including construction of an imposing porte-cochère. Many, including Sir John Betjeman, regarded the building as one of the finest examples of Victorian railway station architecture to be found in the British Isles.

At its height in the years before World War 1, trains left Great Victoria Street for Londonderry (Foyle Road), Enniskillen, Cavan, Bundoran, Warrenpoint, Newcastle, Antrim and Dublin. However, by 1965, services operated only to Lisburn, Portadown and Dublin.

A substantial part of the building was demolished in 1968 to make way for the Europa Hotel. What survived, including the platforms and railway related structures, disappeared following closure of the station on 24 April 1976. Subsequently, the Europa bus station and “skyscraper” office blocks were constructed on the site.

Fortunately, the hideous transport policies of the 1960s and 1970s were eventually recognised as utter folly. Despite initial opposition from Government and another transport provider, Northern Ireland Railways persisted with its plans for reinstatement of a railway line to Great Victoria Street. Designed by Robinson & McIlwain, a new Great Victoria Street station opened for business on 30 September 1995.

This Shared Description covers the area from Central Junction to Great Victoria Street station. For views on the Belfast Central lines, see: LinkExternal link

Murray's Whitehall (Erinmore) tobacco factory, Belfast

A building once familiar to many generations of railway passengers arriving at Gt Victoria Street station. The offices, dating from 1900, were built to a design by Watt and Tulloch. There was a much later factory extension which backed onto the railway and station. The business closed in 2005. The extension was demolished and the offices extensively renovated and restored. The office building is of considerable architectural significance. Now called “Murray’s Exchange”.

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Albert Bridge and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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J3373, 2776 images   (more nearby search)
Photographer
Date Taken
Thursday, 10 August, 1995   (more nearby)
Submitted
Wednesday, 25 February, 2009
Category
Railway station   (more nearby)
Subject Location
Irish: geotagged! J 333 737 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:35.6633N 5:56.2311W
Camera Location
Irish: geotagged! J 333 737
View Direction
WEST (about 270 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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